The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1884-08-21
IT'S TOO TRUE.

An Examination of the Remains of Lieu
tenant KisIingbury Establishes tho Fact
of the Terrible Straits to Which the Greedy
Party were Reduced-The living Owe
Their Lives to the Dead.
ROCHESTER,, N Y. August 15.
The disinterment of Lieutenant Kis ing
Dury's body, of Arctic fame, from its
grave in Mount Hope Cemetery was
made here yesterday with the consent
and in the presence of w. and John 2.
Klslingbury, brothers of the deceased.
The disclosures resulting from a subse-
autopsy are of the most revolving char
acter. Lieutenant Kislingbury's rela-
tions had become filed with horrible
doubts ON reading the sensational stories
recently published regarding cannibal-
ism among the starving members OF the
Greedy expedition, and they dete mined
to learn the truth by exhuming the re-
mains and having them examined by COM
petent physicians. Doctors Charles
Buckley and +. A. Vaudeville yesterday
afternoon made public their sworn state
ment as to the post mortem examination,
which was witnessed by eight persons.
The massive iron casket was first re-
moved as unearthed to the cemetery
chapel, where the fifty-two iron bolts
which secured the cover were IN
screwed. An unusual circumstance was
the absence of foul gas in the coffin,
proving that no decomposition had set
in. The mass of snowy cotton waste
was then removed from the lower por-
ton of the dead mans body The right
limb was missing from it's socket, and
was found to be fastened under the
left one. When the enshrouded
form had been lifted from its
receptac e, two large spots of blood were
bar ha hy hg fa6 aU
were pronounced a common occurrence
at burials. The body was packed in cot
ton batting and wrapped in cotton cloth
tied with strings. Within this covering
was another, consisting of single wool
en- blanket No wounds were visible on
the head, although the eyes were sunken
and wasted. ThG hair was thick and
from i've to six inches long, the face be-
ing covered with heavy reddish beard
and mUstache. The skin and muse es of
the face aud neck were intact,
but from the upper portion of the
sternum and claYicle to the filth rib the
skin and muscles had be- II removed on
both sides. The skin and flesh were en-
tire removed from both thighs and legs
excepting the skin upon the knee and
ankle points. Both feet were intact, and
no bones had been broken. There was
no vestige of integument or flesh upon
the right forearm alone remaining. Flesh
and muscles on both hands were found
we'll preserved. The examination of the
posterior portion of the body
showed that the skin and muscles OF
the Lack had been cut completely
away down to the bones with the eXcep-
tion of a few pieces of skin. The pelvic
bones were entirely denuded, and al the
cxtremities were attached TO the body
by igaments only. All the organs of the
Abdominal and thoracic cavity were pres.
ent, and there were no signs OF recent
/ inflammation in the stomach or bowels.
| Hardened Jumps of fecal matter dis.
| ten ed the large intestines, composed oi
hair moss and woody fibre.
| 1t is the opinion of Doctors Buckley
and Maudeville that the flesh had
! been cut away with a sharp instru
me It, and that remaining of the feet
hands and face showed no signs of de
! cay. The remains were fully identified
as those of Lieutenant Kislingbury.