The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1879-04-12

even mace so SICK tlaU JHey are COinpelltu
to stop work for q while, but this soon
passes away, and they not only enter cheer
fully and heartily into the work, but it has
fascination for them which they are not
anxious to break Off The student is also
soon fully conscious Of the advantages OF
this system of training for his professional
labors snce it was by constant practice
in the dissecting-room that our best ply
iicians became skilled in their duties as sur
ge0ns The system will not soon be aban-
doned, in spite of the opposition waged
against it.
The harvest time for the resurrectionist
is during the winter months, when the
work in the dissecting room is in full prog
ress. During the remainder Of the year,
especially during vacation, students are
obliged to depend in large measure upon
their own exertons in the procurement o.
subjects, and many thrilling incident and
hairbreadth escape is told OF these inexpe-
rienced body-snatchers while in quest OF
stiffs. 1t is common thing to be fired at
by officers or watchmen, and still more
common to be frightened off when their
work was only half accomplished, or even
after the body had been taken from the
grave. Arrests have often been made, but
the friends of the deceased failing to appear
10 prosecute the case, or from some other
cause, the prisoner is generally dismissed,
and few instances indeed are recorded of
resurrectionists paying the penalty at
tached to the crime they have committed.
But men who have grown gray in the cause
are seldom caught. They know how well
each cemetery Is guarded; they understand
all the traps, locks and alarms which are
set to catch them. They are acquainted
with the safest ways of approach ana re-
treat, and it is the boast of many of them
that within fortyh, c minutes time, or the
interval between the rounds made by the
watchman. they can enter graveyard,
obtain body, replace everything on the
grave as il was found, and make their es-
cape without leaving any trace behind
which would arouse suspicion in the
minds of the friends of the person whose
body they have that the grave contained
nothing but an empty coffin.
A hack driver, recently, who was con-
veying two students who had obtained
subject into the city, stopped in front of
station-house, and threatened to expose
them if they did not pay him $40 The
money was paid. Another party, which
had obtained the body of young girl, cut
off the hair from the head, and sold it to
firm in the city for ST. A party of students,
while home ON vacation, stole the body
of an Irishman from a house during the
wake, but we're pursued and compelled to
abandon it after conveying it short dis
tance. Not to be outdone, however, they
dug up the body the night it was buried.
and bore it offin triumph.
The most widely known resurrectionist.
however who ever figured in this city was
Cunningham, who bargained his own body
to the Ohio Medical College, and his skele-
ton can now be seen in the dissecting room
of that institution, with shovel in his
hands, pipe in his mouth, plug hat on
his head, and pile of human bones lying
at his feet. There is doubtless no man in
the West who has robbed an equal number
of graves; been arrested an equal number
of times. and escaped with as few prosecu-
tions. There is hardly an officer who has
been on duty in the neighborhood of cene-
teries, or even on the streets leading from
them to the city, but has his story to re-
late of some adventure with Cunningham.
Two officers, who had received orders one
night to watch for him, stopped him on
the street, examined the conteuts of his
wagon, and then let him go, supposing him
to be entirely innocent of body -snatching
that night, while in fact the stiff was
dressed in woman's clothes, sitting on the
seat holding the reins. One morning he
was detained until after daylight by some
accident to his wagon, and was then caught
with three bodies done up in sacks and ~
ing in the bottom OF his wagon. On am
other occasion he was compelled tn return
body, and bring it as he had found it. but
to avenge himself few nights later ne
again stole the same body. Since his death
his wife has related how she was accus-
toned to assist him in digging up the bodies
and carry ng them to their wagon, which
would be concealed in the woods, and how,
in company with her husbands partner
Goddar, who is now dead. she has been car
rying on the same business, and has made a
living in this way.