Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1883-01-04
TIE PHILADELPHIA GHOULS.
Details OF the Breaking Up of a Gang
of Grave Robbers in the City of
BrOtherly L0ve-H0w They Carried
on Their Hideous Traffic.

the Jefferson medical college in that
city. This gratifying result was not
brought about by the police or any
private detective bureau, but by five
members Of the city staff of a local
newspaper. 1t appears that the in
famous work has been going on for
nearly 20 years, and that Lebanon cem-
etery, where an average Of six inter
ments are made daily, has scarcely q
body left in it. The sexton of the
graveyard was in the conspiracy, and
he is among the parties arrested. The
men were captured at the pistols
mouth as they were driving from the
cemetery. Six bodies, four men and
two women, were found in the shallow
express wagon, covered merely with
tarpaulin. This wagon has been driven
through the streets with similar ghast-
ly burdens for years at suspiciously
late hours of the night, but it has never
occurred to any policeman on any beat
along the four miles of street traversed
by the ghouls to stop the vehicle and
examine its contents. It is another
prof OF the superiority of earnest
reportorial work over that done by the
average detective" or policeman.
That a systematic course of grave
yard despoilation was being carried on
in Philadelphia was first suggested by a
somewhat curious incident. About
eighteen months ago James Canon
Wicks, cOlored waiter at Dooner's
restaurant, then at Eighth and Chest
nut streets, died. The man q power
fully built fellow, was we'll and popu-
larly known by the customers, and he
was the subject of frequent conversa-
taions long before his death. One
night, about a week after Wicks was
buried, two young men entered the
restaurant, and i'll the course of some
talk one Of them said to the proprietor:
"Well, Isee poor Jim is gone!"
EYES," was the reply, she has been
dead about 81 week."
"Why, | didn't know it was SO long,"
remarked the visitor dryly;" II saw him
a couple Of days ago."
The two young men were said to be
medical students from Jefferson cellege,
and reflection on their remarks lead to
the fear that "Jim' had found on the
dissecting table q subsequent resting
place to that provided him in Lebanon
cemetery. By an ingenious system of
investigation it was learned that as far
back as twenty years ago, an old
man, now dead, procured bodies from
Lebanon cemetery, from Jefferson col
lege, their transportation being man
aged by a public carter, whose stand
was for years st Tenth and Market
streets. When he died his sue
cessor was found in John Meyer,
who keeps a saloon at the
southwest corner Of Tenth and Samson
streets. Meyer did the hauling of sew
eral loads of corpses, and then had
dispute with the demonstrator of anat-
omy concerning remuneration. He
threatened exposure, but the dispute
was settled and Meyer quilted the bus
mess and until recently WAS proprie-
tor Of beer saloon at No. 1926 Germ
antown avenue. Now he is bartend-
er in New York. While on German
town avenue two reporters, who palm
ed themselves off as doctors, obtained
by skillful manouvering from Moycr
the whole story of his connection with
the work, and also the admission that
the present resurrectionists were the
three people whose names are mention
ed in the warrant and who were CAP
ured last night. He also told the re-
porters that Levi Chew's brother was
superintendent of the graveyard down
town, and that he (Chew's brother)
knew all about the resurrection busi-
ness, but he did not take any active
part in it.
SHADOWING THE CEEETRY.
On the information thus obtained an
elaborate investigation was inaugu-
rated, and the plans for the exposure
completed last night. The ameteur
detectives had been steadily working
since Jim Wick's death, and the un-
guarded hint by the student in Doom
er's led to speculation and subsequent
investigation. Reporters shadowed the
graveyard; McNamee's stables, at No.
924 Sansom street; the saloons in
the neighborhood of the college; No.
9S3 Lombard street, the residence
of colored undertaken by whom Levy
is ordinarily employed, ard other
places where it was likely important
testimony pointing toward the COM
plicity of the parties mentioned, could
be obtained. As far back as March
and April last sufficient had been
learned to establish the guilt Of these
parties, but shortly after the sessions of
the college ceased, and it was decided
to suspend the proceedings for a time,
SO that the climax could be reached
when the ghastly work was resumed
with the 1e-assembling of the college.
This occurred some time ago, and the
| investigation was recommended. 1t
disclosed the fact that the demand for
| dead bodies had alao begun, and that
the same parties were engaged in the
horrible business.
The elimination was reached last
night. The men shadowing Nc
Namee's stable saw wagon drive out
and away down town. The word was
passed to others In waiting, and five
reporters, Mr.. Megargee and Detective
Henderson, jumped into a couple of
carriages in waiting and rode to Passy-
unk road and Broad street. at II
o'clock this point was reached and the
party walked up to the avenue. They
were all armed with revolvers, and af-
ter a short time separated in two par
ties of three, one on each side of the
roadway. A wagon drove out of the
cemetery and dashed down the road
way. The leader CT the investigators
stepped into the middle or the street
and cried to the driver:
"Hold oni | want to see you."
sPeering into the wagon, which pull
ed up, he saw the dusky features of
Levi Chew and levaIino q roiatoI at the