Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1884-10-03
The Carnival Of GhOuls.
From the Whig.1

From the wing.
One of the most Infamous laws
passed by the present Democratic
Legislature is that which turns over
the dead bodies of the poor persons
buried at the bubble expense to the
doctors for dissection. Two Demo
cratic lawyers, Senator Berry and
Delegate Cardwell, were the spe-
cial champions of this raid on the
poor people of the State. Both of
these lawyers, who were elected
by the votes Of poor men, offered
bills in their respective houses, and
the following section in both
bills:
"All public officers, agents, ser
wants, and all officers, agents, and
servants of any and every county,
city, township, borough, district,
and other municipality, and of any
and every almshouse, prison, NOR
que, hospital, Jail, or other public
institution having charge or con-
troll over dead human bodies re-
ouired to be buried at the public
expense, are hereby required to
notify the said board of distrlbu-
ton or such person or persons as
NAV, from time to time, be deslg-
mated by said board, or its duly
authorized officer or agent, when
ever any such bodies come to his
or their possession, charge, or con-
troll: and shall, without fee or re-
ward, deliver such body or bodies,
and permit and suffer the said
board and its agents, and the ply
sicians and surgeons, from time to
time designated 10y them who may
comply with the provisions OF this
act, to take and remove all such
bodies to be used within this State
for the advancement of medical
science; but no such notice need be
given, nor shall any such body be
delivered, except in case OF crlml-
nails. Ifany person claiming to be
and satisfying the authorities III
charge of said body, that he or she
is of kindred, or Is related by mar
riage to the deceased, shall claim
the said body for burial, it shall be
surrendered for interment; nor
shall the notice be given or the
body delivered if such deceased
person was traveller who died
suddenly, in which case the said
body shall be buried"
The law as it passed does not
alone effect paupers and criminals,
but any person who is buried at the
public expense. For instance, there
are thousands of men and women
who are able to support themselves
during life, but being poor they
leave no money to pay for their
burial and frequently such persons
are buried at public expense. All
such bodies are turned over to the
tender mercies Of the ghouls. The
public are deluded with the idea
that no dead bodies shall he deliv'
cred except criminals; but mark
the cunning of the law as it passed
the Democratic Legislature. 1t
authorizes the body.snatchers, ste
take and remove all such bodies, ,'
that is, "de ad human bodies requir-
ed to be buried at the public ex
pense.'
The law as it passed was amen
ded so as to provide that this act
shall only be in force in the cities
of the Commonwealth having not
less than 10000 inhabitants but
through ignorance or meanneSS
this proviso is worthless, for al
luws. and parts of laws inconsistent
with the authority given to tak'
and remove all dead bodies was re
pealed at one full swoop. The sec
ton making it a felony to unlaw
fully disinter or displace a dead
human body, or any part OF dead
human body which shall have beer
deposited in any vault or other
burial place, is simply worthless, nj
all laws making it unlawful to rot
a grave was repealed. The result
of this masterpiece of Democratic
legislation leaves us without a law
for the protection Of our dead, and
instead of being san act to promote
medical science, and to protec
graves and cemeteries from desc
Grafton within the Comm onwealtl
of Virginia." it is an ac t to promot
body snatching and to legalize tn
? robbery of the graves and cemeteE
les of the State.