Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1880-03-29
HORROR OF HORRORS.
The Most Terrible Tale Ever
told.
special 10 the Cincinnati Enquirer.

LOlu.
special 10 the Cincinnati Enquirer.
SoUTH BEND, lND., March 22.-Seyer-
al months ago the grave OF Sarah Platts,
a young lady who died Of consumption,
was disturbed, and an examination
showed that the head of the corpse was
missing. What led to the discovery was
the finding Of a human jaw bone by
Fred Auer, "A farmer who lived near the
county grave yard some eight miles
from the city, where the body was bur
isd. The fact that only the head was
taken threw suspicion on an amateur
phrenOlOgist named Gordon Truesdale.
Trueslale occupied a small farm in the
vicinity with his vile and a family OF
Jour glrls, the oldest not more than
eight years old He was a handsome
broad shouldered fellow, with fair ed
ucatiOn, but lazy and shiltless. His
great hobby was phrenOlugy, and he &C.
Casionally lectured on that subject in
country school houses. His ambition
To possess collection of souls was well
known in the neighborhood, and the
Dissertation Of the Platts girls grave was
laid at his door, although he was never
openly charged with 1t,
About three weeks ago Truesiale
went to a physician and asked II per
son sJuld become poisoned by handling
a dead body. lie received an aiirma-
tive reply, and appeared to be much
troubled lie complained to his wife
that hls nose panied him terribly, and
lac believed he was taking the cryslpe-
las Tie began dOCtOrIng himself with
bread and milk pOultIces, but without
success. His lace began 10 swell rapid
Is, aud IN less than three days 1t and his
head became twice their natural size,
and lost all scmhlaucc 10 human shape.
4 physician was called in against the
wishes ui Trursdalc. lie i1uud the
man suffering terribly. ills lips were
drawn by the tension of the skin, and
and wrlthrd away from the teeth ia un
ceasing pain. The cutlclc across the
/ bridge ui the nose and over the forehead
Was So dlstcudcd 10y the mattcry sub,
stance underneath that 1t seemed as II
/ IL must burst every moment. The eyes
were swollen almost bursting their sock
Its. and were turned with pain until
/ hardly anything but the whites could be
seen. ID was evident that a terrible
poison VAS slowly. but surely, permcat-
/ iug the mans whole system.
| The physician, after a careful CXamlna-
| oi the unwilling patient, cut open his
/ skin from the center OF the nose almost
| to the roots Of the hair aud then made
| another cut across the forehead almost
| temple o. trmplc. From these InClsiuus
/ there uuzrd mass o. lUthsUmc, dctcsta-
/ bic putTrscCuCe, so terrible IN ITS stencil
| that the attendants, save one, ran from
/ the house. Other luCIslOns were made
| I'm different parts oi the scalp, from which
/ the hair had 10 he shaved, and from
/ these this terribly offensive matter
| oUzrd constantly, until the swelling was
/ reduced and the head and lace assumed
/ nearly their normal size. Attempts
| were then made 10 Tree the Iuclsluns ui
matter by injecting water into them. IL
/ Was noticed that when water was forced
into the cut Iu the forehead 1t poured
/ out ut the holes IN the scalp. As one OF
/ the attendants said, 1T seemed rs Il ali
| the flesh between the skin and the bone
/ had turned tn corruption and run out.
When TrucslIe was told that no
\ could not possibly recover, he called his
/ wifi, into the room and confessed to her
/ that hc robbed the Piatts girls grave,
\ aud referred To y certain night when hc
| left the house aud refused To- tell hcT
/ where hc went ~ the time when hc
| committed the crime. Tie sald lac dug
/ down To the head ui the collin, broke 1t
upru. and taking his knife cut around
the neck Of the corpse through the hrsh
/ To the bone. Tie then placed one al ms
feet ON the breast Of the corpse AMI
aking the head in his hands pulled and
irrAcd AMI twisted 1t until 1t came oil
| iy mere force. lie aiterward dISlOlntcd
/ the lower law and threw II where Fred
Auer found it. tic closed hls confession
| by telling where tho skull would DC
! found. under the straw IN certain
manager in the stable, IL VAS found
there and gwen up To- the Platts iamIly.
The last three days OF Gruesdalcs cX-
i-trncr was terrible, not only tn himself
| but 10 those who watched him. The
poison from some corpse llOr 1t Is be
/ lryri uv had recently opened several
/ .rtyrSI. which WAS communicated Ia hlS
/ ,ys,cm uy pT,yAluE a raw spot on the Ia
.IIr ri las moist, appeared To- course
,rr.rr.,r every vein u hIS bpiy. Not uUty
y.ls ms person offensive 10 the eve, but
the odlr and heat ui uis breath WAS So
/ offensive that It was Impossible Tor tue
attendants o. wait On han property. HE
/ breath MAS 50 poisonous tuIt when one
| ~ tbr attendants held his hdnd six
/ ,l.rhr- lrpn the diving mans mouth 1t
.,uu. the flesh ike hundreds OF nCttlcS.
those Who waited upon hIm were
,I.r.,rI t1 wear gloves, aS It MAS lmPoS-
s,I,G,,t,Vl~h the uiuT lJrm their hands.
The dly hr died his flesh Was so rotten
tbgt il seemed ~ II It would drop from
Ill.,, bones ii touched, aud his eyes act
ually deyayrd until they became sight
. less.
For two DAYS before his death a coffin
b4I been IN readiness AMI the uTitTN OF
tbr musician were o. place lam IN u "a,
an n the breath lrit hJ, body, -ai ct
hmm uudrg ground immediately. After
Iis heath none OF the attendants hat
AZ, t,mrriy a. touch the corpse, Tor
i.,r. Il IrIu.. poisoned. So they gathered
,r,,sur...s of. While tug body ,Sy 40 each
,ri ami tNu, Uitel II into ~" collin.
RI, iii IA, quickly screwed duWa, uul
L..,,r,. a wa.ln could be prOcUryi the
bl.iy ~Nri,rI and burst 1t OF. IL WI'
,l.r -trapped on, but when the collin
4st,kr8 irom the wagon at the grave
yarl lust al daylight, it again hew oil,
AMI the body appeared to swell Nlsln'!
b,i,rr the Mortified attendant eyes. lhr,
ana unisome stencil from the putrll
m1Ss within was such that no one eou'd
uttempt To replace the cover, and tue
r5iIiu Mas covered from sight as hurried
IL as possible -,
The day after the iuneral-or burial
rathcr-,hr wife Of Truesdale was con
furd at a neighbours house, this MN
rLili also brius girl. The Truesdait
hons, will not be- 1T to occupy tor sew
. rrll DAVIS. a. all efforts 70 iulmisaie u
tbus lar have iaiiel The doors anI
winioNs have been lett open day anu
n,,ht. but the sieach is still as bad a
wb,n hedirl Asouc OF the attendant
-. chi