The New York herald., 1879-07-30
STEALING DEAD BODIES.

THE PHILADELPHIA CoRoNERs CHARGED WITH
SELLING OR PERMITTING THE SALE OF THE
UNCLAIMED DEAD.
PHILADELPHIA, July 90 1872
The detective newspaper reporter is his travels.
His latest in the Of unearthing crimes and
criminals is the discovery. alleged. that since
Dr. W. KeSt Gilbert has been Coroner of this city
he came into Office the first of last January-ex-
actly 100 bodies of the unclaimed dead have
been stolen from the Morgue and sold to
the medical colleges. 1t is the Philadelphia
Record which makes this disclosure this morning.
and the owners of the paper of the po-
litical faith the Coroner. and the accusation
to bc supported by transcript of the official
books OF the city giving full list of the missing
bodies. tho charge is apparently worthy Of atten-
ton. ps f4
A second count in the indictment. of graver ma
ture than the frst is the allegation that for
these 100 missing bodies tho Coroner has
charged and been paid by the city over
$4,000 for the burial of corpses that never
inferred. The newspaper article states that
the reporter while visiting the Potter's Field. was
struck by the irregularity in the numbers on the
little boards over the trenches. The bodies
bered at the Morgue. but they did not run in order
at the graves. and many were missing Inc reporter
Field, with the following result:"I 1878 we com
menced with 210. the superintendent said. pointing
''Where are the other bodies-21l, 212 and the
others up to 224 ?" the reporter asked.
"Well, they didn't come to me, he replied. My
books are always open. 1 make my return to the
Commissioner of City Property of every body that
is sent here and if they amt sent sent here, why,
I've nothing to do with it,
OF course he hadn't.
81 am willing to let anybody look at my books" )"
the superintendent continued 'and II they amt
right. There is book down at the Office of the De-
partment of City Property that is just like mine.
am under the Commissioner of City Property and
q him.
SO the reporter took trip to the Office Of the
Commissioner of City Properly. and an exact tran
script OF the superintendents books was produced.
"How many bodies sent from the Morgue?'
The chief clerk hauled down bundle OF reports.
charge OF a keeper appointed by the Commissioners.
the returns OF all such bodies are made to that de-
partment.
"Now, what are the totals9" was asked by the re-
porter.
..Two hundred and one." he answered. after laying
out the reports month by month.
"How many reached there|
"Eighty-one. the superintendent returned"
"What became of the other 1902" the reporter in
quired.
1.-The Coroner has charge of that. The keeper of
the Morgue delivers the bodies to the Coroner for
burial and the Coroner is expected to do it," This
the chief clerks explanation.
The Morgue was visited. The figures at the De-
partment OF City Property tailed with the keepers
list.
Then the City Comptroller was called upon. He
brought out the Coroner's fee book where were set
out the charges for jurors, Witnesses burials &C.,
in separate columns.
The item of burials was counted up. The Coroner
is allowed by law S5 tor burying adult. $5 for
burying child. The superintendent of the Potter's
Field does not number the 'slinkers,' he de-
scribed the babes found on lots it found too
tedious job to follow up each child. Over two
hundred of these had beer charged for. The Coro-
ners returns and charges fees showed POI burias
of adults and 2l2 burials OF children. For this
work the city of Philadelphia has, since the 1s or
January, 1873, credited HIM with fees for burial to
the amount of s2,665 or this sl.Go5 were for the
burial of adults; yet, according to the showing ut
the Potter's Field, he was entitled to but $G48