Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1880-11-26
Dissertation and Robbery Of Graves Ghastiy
Discovery IN Cemetery.


REMARKABIE ACCURACY OF DREAMS.
The circumstances OF the robbery OF two
graves in Baltimore Cemetery. created
considerable excitement in the city FIJI
day. The bodies taken were those Of Mrs.
Annie Carters4s years old, who was Dur
led on September Goth, an, Of Jane Smleh'
her daughter, aged 10 years, whose IN er
ment took place on November 7th. Inc
facts of tie distressing occurrence were
ascert. med by Mrs. Elizabeth Joiner, NO.
IA Hamburg street, sister-in law OF MRS.
Carter. The details of the affair as given
by Mrs. Joiner are AZ follows: w.
Mrs. Anuie Carter died of consumption
at her residence, No. AS South Chester
stree, md, AT her requt ST, was buried III
a lot o wlibd hy Mrs. Joiner, her sister-ln-
law. III Baltimore Cemetery, in the seme
grave with her husband. Mrs. Carter mac
been twice married, and was connected
with Ms. Joiner by marriage with her
first husband, John Smith. Tne two ID
uias had been intimate friends for many
years, and on her death-bed Mrs. Carter
requested her friend to take charge OF hel
daughter Jane Smith, which Mrs. JOINER
agreed to do, and took the young lazy 10
reside at her house, No. IA Hamburg st.,
Federal Hill. Mrs Carer died OF con-
sumption, and in less than month AFTER
wards her daughter also died OF the same
disease. and was buried IN The lot or MIS-.
Joiner, by The side Of her mother.
The suddtnness of the two deaths was
much lalnented by their relatives. but no
peculiar circumstances were noted. Both
the ladies were members Of the Catholic
church. and were buried with appropriate
solemnlIes On Sunday Mrs. Joiner had
intended to pay visit to the graves, but
was prevented by sosae slight indispOsition
from SO doing. That night she was trGu-
bed by strange dream, in which she saw
her sister-in-la VS. grave, and it appeared
that the earth had been disturbed. AT
the same time she saw several men walk
ing towards the fence of the cemetery.
The men were crouched down and appear
ed to be bearing something that reSembled
a body between them. They passed over
tie fence and placed the body in q cart,
that was first driven cautiously and then
rapidly away. p 400. .-sD.,....g 4.t,.r
Mrs. Joiner paid no attention to her
dream but ON Monday told her husband.
MIR. William Joiner, that she regretted not
having been to the cemetery Sunday, and
went soon afterwards to visit the graves.
a young lady who lived in her house being
| with her. She took a chrysanthemum to
plant upon the grave of Mrs. Carter. The
grave appeared to her to De in a somewhat
unusual condition, as if somewhat sunken
in. While planting the flower, she saw on
the iron ratings of an adjoining lot what
she supposed to be a string, and said she
| would like to have it to assist in tying up
the plant. When she took hold of it she
was surprised to find that it was scapular
which had been placed around the neck or
hor on n Mrs Tartar after death.
Mrs Joiner fully recognized the scapular
| by peculiar knot she had seen tied IN It.
| She took the scapular to Mr.. A. Harry
man, superintendent of the cemetery, and
| called his attention to it., saying that 1t
had been placed on the neck Of Mrs. Carter
while dead. He was of opinion that Mrs
Joiner must be mistaken and that the
| scapular had been dropped by some visitor
to the cemetery and placed where it was
seen by some one finding it. 1t was supse,
| Quently ascertained that the scapular had
been picked up in Mrs. Joiner's lot by
Henry Stiibert, boy living near by, who
was carrying sods to the graveyard, and
| that he hung it upon the railing that 1t
| might be recognized by any one owning it.
Mrs. Joiner persisted in the belief that the
| relic had been upon the body Of MRS. CAL
| ter, but was unable to take any steps ON
| that day to have the matter investigated.
On Tuesday she went to call upon Mr..
Henry Sanders, the undertaken who had
charge of the funeral of Mrs. Carter. Mr..
| Sanders said that the scapular bad been
| placed around the neck of Mrs. Carter
when she was buried, and he thought that
Mrs. Joiner must have found one left &C
cidentally in the cemetery. Again she
persisted in her belief, and finally induced
Mr.. Sanders to accompany her to the office
Of the cemetery company, on South street.
The officers of the company insisted that
she must have been mistaken, and that The
grave could not have been disturbed, but
| finally gave her an order to have it reopen
| ed, that she might be satisfied. On We'd
nesdayl last Mrs. Joiner, accompanied sby
| Mr.. Sanders and several friends, visited
the cemetery, and the grave was opened.
The men who had charge OF the work IN
| spected the grave before commencing to
dig, and declared that it had not been dis
.turbed. On digging down nearly to the
coffin, however, it was discovered that the
wooden slabs placed over the casket had
been displaced, and when it was reached
it was found to be a perfect wreck. The
! glass cover and the sides had been broken
| in, and the body of Mrs. Carter taken
away Mrs. Joiner was much shocked by
this confirmation of her fears. The only
articles found were a broken rosary and q
cap which had been in the cOffif, with a
small bunch of flowers. The grave had
been most violently desecrated. Mrs. join
er then insisted that the grave. of Miss
| Jane Smith should be opened, which was
| done, and tue casket was found to have
| been broken into and the body taken
away. A rosary Of beads worn by the de-
ceased was found in. the coffin. Much
| more care had been used with the grave Of
Miss Smith than with that of her mother.
Bunches of flowers placed on the grave OF
Mrs. Garter had been strewed about the
lot, but those on the grave of Miss Smith
had been carefully. replaced after the body
had been carried away and the grave COW
cred over, SO that it's appearance gave no
indication of the spoilation. Mrs. Joiner is
of opinion that both bodies were removed
the same night, but that the body OF Mrs.
Carter was taken by mistake by the body
snatchers, who PROBABLY had intended to
open the grave of the young lady only. as
the remains OF the mother had been inter-
red too long to be of any use as a subject
OF dissection.
| Mrs. Joiner urged upon the authorities
of the cemetery to take steps to cause the
arrest OF the robbers. She also called upon
the police authorities and stated the case
to them, but so far no clue to the perpetra-
tors of the nefariOus act has been diScOv-
cred. On the day OF the funeral of Miss
smith, while the procession was passing
out Belair road, a man was seen stealthily
to follow it and to enter the cemetery. II
is supposed that this man, who was un-
known to any of the attendants at the fu-
neral, was one Of those engaged in robbing
the graves.
The discovery of the robbery is due en-
tirely to the persistent efforts Of Mrs.
JOINER after her suspicious of Dissertation
/ had been aroused, Another strange cir
cumstance Of the case was dream expe-