National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1881-02-01
THE NIGHT DOCTORS,
Confined Excitement Across the River
YesterdaN's Develonmenfs


Yesterdays DEVELOPMENTS
| The excitement growing out of the robbery of
graves in two of the cemeteries in Alexandria was
! not aDated yesterday morning: it was increased
| by the announcement that Charles Chapman
colored, the driver of wagon similar to that de-
scribed as having came for the bodies had been
| arrested When Thomas Vaughan Albert Butler.
and Baptist Carpenter taken from the Jail the
streets were full of people and the square about
the station-hotse packed, the majority of the spec
tators being colored. As matter of precautfon
guards were stationed on the stairs leading to the
mayors office, and they were kept busy in holding
back the crowd.
Mayor Smith and Justices Whittlcsey end
Thompson conducted the investigation. first, how
ever examining Chapman's wagon, which had
been brought and placed in the street in front of
the station house.
Mr.. Rafferty, the first witness called and rec
ogIliZed the pants brought from the boarding
house Of Butler as pair that he had sold to him.
Mr.. Webb gave testimony as to the wagon that he
saw the night that the graves were robbed, but
was unable to identify it.
The following confession, acknowledged by
Vaughan to have been made by him, was then
read:
ALEXANDRIA JAIL. Jan. %. 1881.
Albert Butler came to my house on the night
of January &c, 1881, and asked if had anyshoyels
and told him yes. We then proceeded to the
grave in the Presbyterian grounds and dug IN the
corpse. Albert and myself unscrewed the top and
toward the foot of the grave left her dress rum
pied around her waist. We then went into the
new grounds, and taken mp the body of colored
girl; ne then asked me il knew who the girl was
and told him no; he then told me Il will tell
you some other time We then left the era We and
went down the lane to my house. i carried the
shovel and spade and he carried the prong hoe
He then left my house and stated that the wagon
would be here about 10 o'clock he returned soon
after and told him the devil was to pay that Mr.
Webb had scared the parties with the wagon off:
ne then ran away from my house and ! did not
see him any more until / saw him at the station.
house. This is my confession before Officers Good
rich and Arnold. THOMAS VAUGHANn
Vaughan stated further that it was the first time
that he had been engaged in body-snatciiipg,
and " fore God, 1t would be the last time" He
had never been approached about il before There
charged. Baptist Carpenter furnished 500 bail for
his appearance before the grand jury at the April
term aud was released. Vaughan and Butler were
committed Jail
Probably the excitement was no higher any,
where than among the colored people Being
naturally of sGperstitious disposition they look
upon the recent developments with fear and dread
This was increased yesterday by report which
was put in circulation that several packages of
plasters had reached the city and would be
placed where they would do the most good The
colored people have holy horror of slap DOCTORS
and they believe that the plasters are sent to the
city especially for use on the colored race They
argue that, if dead bodies are dug up for S, apiece
the slap doctors" TO use the plaStersn for can
turing live darkies, and as consequence none of
them feel that their lives secure either at home
Or abroad