The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1879-08-13
TRUE,
And Pity 'Tis 'Tis True-A Medical Student
Who Wears Shoes Made of Human Skin.
Cincinnati Enouirer

And Pity 'Tis 'Tis True-A Medical Student
Who Wears Shoes Made of Human Skin.
Cincinnati Enquirer
A few days ago we reproduced from the
Lafayette Courier an article that seemed to .
us to be the silly boasting of some fedgling
sawbones. In order 10 ascertain whether or
not there was substrstum of truth in the
story, we telegraphed our Lafayette CORE
spondent, and instructed him to furnish Us
with the facts in the case. Last night we
received the following letter from him:
LAFAYETTE, Ind, Aug. 5. 1879.
Several days since the Evening Courier, of
count of young doctor of this city hav1n 6
worn a pair OF shoes from the skin of Cincin-
natl belle. The story as told by the Courier,
your correspondent is assured, was subsfan,
TALLY as reported by well authenticated rumor
TO the city editor OF that paper. In the ac-
count 1t is stated that 1.-THE young student said
he was one night sought out by a resurrection
ist famous among the medical men, who
from city cemetery. How the corpse,
that of beautiful young girl, whose white
smooth, ssa soft hand showed hef to be hea Of
no poor family, was bought by several of
the students, and how, when the body, slashed
table, he crept in and cut the skin from the
round limbs" This was sent to a tanner. who
express to the young student In this city.
The leather was then taken TO a well known
shoemaker, who fashioned it into a pair of
shoes. The representative OF the Enquirer
sought, the young man, Ed. Carnahan, this
morning, and learned from him the following,
which is submitted as the result of the inter-
view: Carnahan attended the Miami Medical
College of Cincinnati during the past collegiate
year. His attention had been called to a pair
of boots of a dark olive color, on exhibition at
the Centennial They had been made from
the boots naturally revolted at the idea. There
were various opinions upon the matter How
~ ,r a1Scteu n,, @ ,,, Know i6 not Las,
Ject assigned him and his fellow student. he
felt privileged, in the callous license OF the
dissecting room, TO use II as he deemed proper.
He cut from the body a portion OF the skin.
He did not know who the CORPSE was The
personal identity of the subject is never
established, even to the demons rator him
self. Having secured the skin from the body,
it was given to a Cincinnati tanner, and
about five or six weeks ago was sent G. o. D..
to young arnahan. He made no secret of
IT, He received It publicly: The shoemaker,
shoes which is human skin is the upper. The
leather is as soft as kid. 1t has much the
distinguished from that leather by the human
pores distinctly visible in the olive color of the.
ring as well as the Identity OF the subject as a
Cincinnati belle was an embelishInent FOR
sIble. He is young gentleman of the highest
social position and personal worth. The
whole malt .r revolves itself into this: Out OF
mere curiosity he desired s pair of shoes made
form human skin and he got them.
Accompanying this letter were a number
OF others from reputable parties in Lafayette
vouchiDg for young Carnahan's respectable
iiy and social standing. and requesting us to
keep his name out of the paper. We have
no desire to be hard on any young person,
and. had his offense been simply Students
freak, these letters might have had some
weight with us. though our mission is to
print not suppress, news. In this case,
however, Carnahan has shown such heart
lessness and contempt for the dead that We
are 10th to believe him fit and proper per-
son to minister to the needs of the afflicted
living. He had better turn his attention to,
some business requiring little or none of the,
granite might afford him the proper field for
the exercise Of his peculiar talents