Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1882-11-09
GUTTEAU'S BONES.
A Midnight Resurrection From
n JaiI-yard-HOW the Doctors
Treated the Captured Corpse
The Skeleton In Primo Order
for Articulation.
Washington Star.

tailed. Before the day for the exc
cutiOn arrived, it had been arranged
that the body would not remain many
days in the grave. The Rev. DR.,
Hisks, to whom Guiteau had given his
body, determined in his " mind
that the Army Medical Museum
would be the only safe place for it.
DR.. Schaihirt, the anatomist of the
museum. being satisfied that the body
would eventually find its way to the
museum, when he went TO the Jail on
the day OF the execution was prepared
to at least partially embalm the body,
and at the autopsy aeshy portions Of
the head, the abdomen and thorax,
so that the remains would not become
too much decomposed ere they
reached the museum. The brains
having been taken out, the top OF the
skull was replaced, and the scalp,
which had been drawn down over the
face, was drawn back to its proper
place, and the body, with the excep'
ton Of blue spot on each temple
where the scalp was hinged, present
ed a perfectly natural appearance
when it was again placed in the cof-
in. in which it was inferred the fol.
lowing DAY in the basement room of.
the east wing Of the Jail.
The arrangements for the resur-
rection and removal we're quietly made
on Monday, July3 On the night in
question, about9 o'clock, DR.. Schaf-
hirt and DR.. s. G. Lovejoy proceeded
to the Jail The iron doorway leading
to the basement being opened,
Mr.. Russ and DR. Schaihirt went
in, DR.. Lovejoy stopping at the
door, and Captain Coleman outside,
There was no lantern used, but Mr.,
Russ lighted one match after another,
and it was found that a colored man
had dug out the earth, exposing the
top of the coffin, around which the
eartb-which was Of mixed sand and
gravel-had been tightly rammed, and
it was found necessary to use a crow
bar and pick to loosen it. Then 9th.
ers OF the party came in. 0ne of the
newcomers, a man of superb physique,
over six feet in hight, and of hercu-
lean strength. jumped down into the
grave, about FIVE and a half feet deep,
and, by using the crowbar as a lever,
started the foot Of the coffin, which
was lifted from its place, and at once
borne to the wagon aud placed in the
case. The party then lett the Jail.
After them came the wagon to the
street. As the parties separated, one
with the coveted corpse and the 9TH
ers with faces toward the jail, it
would have been difficult to determine
who were best satisfied with the
transfer, those parting with the body
or those who had it in possession en-
route to the museum. Just as the
wagon disappeared around the inclo-
sure Of the old eastern burial ground,
the party at the Jail broke out in a
laugh, and one OF them is reported to
have given vent to his feelings by
dancing a jig. The guards inside all
the while we're in blissful ignorance OF
what had been going on.
% the return to the city, driving
slowly along the avenue. the sharp
report of a pistol, fred in honor ofthe
approaching Independence Day caused
the horse to start, and for a short dis
lance it ran rapidly. Some of the
police who saw it were on the eve OIL
attempting to overtaks it. 1t was
about Has O'Clock when the wagon
stopped at the corner Of Ninth and Z
streets. Already had the juvenile
portion Of the citizens commenced Ia
celebrate the GLORIOUS Fourth Of July,
and, as DR.. Hicks alighted, the report
Of the firearms could be heard, with
, tie fixing Of fireworks, some Of them
casting glow Of light on the pine case
10 the wagon. The wagon was then
driven to the mouth Of the alley of I
street, between Ninth and Tenth
from whence Booth, after shootinl
! President Lincoln, made his escape
( 10 April, 1865, and DR.. Shat hirt, Civ
! ing the lines to Mr. Ball, went TO the
! front door Of the museum, where be
was admitted by Mr.. A. H. Caviar
aud the two, going into the cellar
{ opened the iron doors in the rear aDC
; placed the skids in position. The
wagon by this time had been backed
up, and the outside parties placing thu
coffin on the skid. it was slid down th,
! cellar and placed in a glass case, Her,
} the body was at once taken out Of tbt
coffin, denuded Of its clothing, anC
, placed in a vat or barrel Of alcohol.
, Owing to the fact that at the tim,
the furnaces were being repaired il
was allowed to remain here some foul
or five days.
Then DR.. Schafhirt used the "rapit
m%aceration" prOcess-the parts II
! glass jars having artificial heat applied
at less than the boiling point for aboul
sixty hours-which requires cOnstanI
attention, but which prepares the bont
. to be taken out perfectly clean, wheI
2 nothing else is required but to treaI
J them with sulphuric ether to take ouI
what greese may remain in them
Much Of the work upon them wa
done at night, and in ten days they
: we're ready for articulation, all tn,
work having been done by DR.. Schaf
hirt alone, he having declined al
proffered assistance. When the skull
had been cleaned, and before il wal
really dry,it was given to Mr.. Flynn, tn,
custodian and cranioligist Of the mu.
scum, who made the measurements O
the angles and ~depressions. 1t wa
then passed to DR.. Lamb, Who had i
[ in his possession for two weeks. Will
this exception none Of the bones hav,
been out Of the custody of Dr.. Schaf
8 hirt since their resurrection. The,
q are perfectly white, and have beef
prepared in the highest style Of art
and as 0 as they have been formal
ly passed to the museum will be artic
lated.