The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1883-03-31
BUTLER's CHARGES.
Investigating the Tewksbury
Aims House.
Damaging Testimony from Disrepata-
BILE Witnesses.

BosIos, March 3O.-There was very large
attendance at the beginning Of the inyestiga-
tion before the Legislative Committee on Pab-
lie Charitable Institutions into the charges
made by Governor Butler of the mismanage-
ment of the Tewksbury Almshouse, the selling
Of the bodies against the law, etc.
e. 2. Brown, counsel Tor the officers Of the
institution, denied the charges, but Governor
Butler said that this was not a trial and he WIS
not the public prosecutor, bat was present to
give evidence by witnesses
DIR. John Dixwell, graduate OF the Har-
ward Medical School, testified that the stu
dents had received large number OF bodies of
infants, which they had bought from William
Andrews, the janitor, at from 50 10 IS each.
Andrews said be obtained all the bodies from
the almshouse. Dissection showed that IN
many cases the infants had had no food for
twenty-four hours before their death. Gov.
ernor Butler then quoted the Law providing
for the giving Of bodies TO medical schools and
requiring the ultimate burial of the remains.
The witness said that the bodies were dissected
On the same table with bodies oi animals aad
that the remains were swept into the same re-
ceptaele.
John II. Chase. who was employed at the
Almshouse in 1880, but was subsequently dis
charged for drunkenness, testified that he
heard Marsh, the Assistant Superintendent,
say that he received $40 for adult bodies from
Harvard, and S12 from the Female College.
There we're between 300 and 400 deaths year.
Some Of the bodies were picked quietly in
pork barrels and sent to Boston By order Of
Marsh. Sometimes funeral services were held
over coffins filed with wood.
At the hearing tonight Gov. Butler was
present.
DIR. Dixwell was recalled by the counsel for
the trustees aud examined on his record as q
Harvard medical student land his connection
with the society for the prevention OF cruelty
to children All bodies he dissected he got
from janitor Andrews. The record shows Dix
we'll only dissected an arm in the first year at
the school, bnt witness said the facts were
otherwise. He could not give an idea of the
number of bodies he used, but dssected as
many as fifty babies in the year. The special
cases of alleged starvation could not be describ-
ed except that the body was much emaciated.
He had severed bis connection with the asso-
citation above mentioned, because his manage
ment was disliked A charge against him Of
incorporation of funds bad been Withdrawn
The only knowledge that the bodies came
from the almshouse was obtained from An
drews, now dead.
j. Ii. Chase was also recalled. His replies
to the attempts OF the counsel for the trustees
TO ascertain bis previous places OF employment
aud knowledge OF his private life were answer
cd very unrespectfully. None of your bust
pess"i "ThaI's my business" etc we're fre-
| quently used as answers to leading questions.
lie didn't know OF any bodies being sold from
the almshouse. A pencil mark was always
| mdde on the head boards when a body was
resurrected from the graveyard. He stated
| the case of funeral services over a coffin filed
| with wood was an isolated one. He would not
doing 1t for a living, carry bodies TO Boston for
less than $40 or Sl2, and Marsh, the assistant
| superintendent, paid this price to The teamster
| who drove the wagon.
| Gen. Butler then asked for the books of the
institution, covering the records Of deaths, bu-
| rials and contracts back as far as 1878, which
were furnished.
Witness Chase became excited at this point
and shook his fist at the committee and said
the half had not beca told.
The Governor said the committee might call
on witness for the other half. The half be
0he Governor new was sufficient
The only knew witness was Chas. II. Dudley,
who was night watchman from November,
1876, to July, 1877 He testified as TO the man
ner in which the dead bodies and stores belong
ing to the Institution we're .put surreptitiously
at night in boxes. He stated that when he
went there and requested information as TO tne
duties sub officer named Eliot told him :" You
don't want to see too much. There might be
extra work in the dead house nights for which
he got fees, bat he must not say much about IT,
and II he wished to stay must get inside the
ring" (meaning the Marsh family) Witness
detailed many mysterious circumstances, such
as the removal of trunks by relatives of the
Marsh family and disappearance OF bodies
from the coffins in (which they were prepared
for burial. Adjourned to Monday