The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-04-01
SCENES AND INCIDENTS.
Identifying the Tweuty-six INITIATED Corpses
at Habig's.

Cincinnati News journal.
In the dead room at Habig's yesterday morning
was spectacle which formed the most awful
scene OF the terrible tragedy of Saturday night
Down the middle and sides of the room were ar
ranged the bodies of twenty-sx men, who were
few hours previous in the full vigor of their
manhood. There they lay. cold and rigid in
death, with CLASSY eyes staring blankly at the
ceiling their heads and breasts disclosing gaping
bullet wounds from which the life blood had
flowed and spread over the features, rendering
them almost unacceptable. The sickening ar
ray was headed at the entrance by powerful
Irishman with bullet hole the size of a silver
half dollar directly between his eyes. and with a
fendish expression on his face which showed the
poor fellows determined spirit. At his feet,
stretched on the top of an uptuIned coffin, lay
the father of a family, his tongue severed and
his teeth knocked out by the cruel rifle ball.
which crashed into his skull through his mouth.
Next in order lay a man whose gray
hair, chin beard and powerful physique pro
claimed him a man of fifty years. No mark
dishgured his cOuntenance, and it wore rather
pleasant expression. But small red mole, u1-
rectly over the heart, told its tale rather in
teligentlooking young German with smooth
face and long hair, next attracted the attention
His bare breast showed where his soul had es-
capped from its prison of clay. In the next boX
a round object covered with blood could only be
distinguished as a mans head by the rest OF the
body. The poor fellows head had been peItor-
ated in several places. The entire top of the
skull of the next victim had been torn off, evil
IDENTIFY by Gatling-gun shot. Others lay with
mouths open as if gasping for the breath which
would never return, forming a most ghaSty
spectacle
At an early hour crowd began to assemble
ali fbp of az h1lild rlanOrinO Tor
adInittance. They We're allowed to enter, sew
eral at a time for the purpose of identifying the
dead. They passed through and out, some sat
| isfied while many regretted doing SO, as well
| they might, for sight better calculated to I'M
| string mans nerves is hard TO imagine.
Once in a while body would be identified and
| recorded. After several hundred people had
| looked at them idly one-haf had been claimed
by relatives or friends and removed to their Late
homes or the family undertakers Fathers look
| ing for sons, brothers seeking brothers. and
friends looking for friends passed sadly from one
to another, fully expecting to find them yet hop
! ing for disappointment. But where one sought
! friends, twenty were prompted by morbid curios
| ity.
! A woman enters whose red eyes announce hel
mission. She tmidly asks if she can look fol
| was hurt Yes, she can She nearly tainted on
| entering the room, but was supported by the
| guide. Slowly she passed from face to lace.
| breathing a sigh of relief on leaving one and
! hesitating apprehensively before looking at the
| next she has almost run the terrible gauntlet,
and gathers courage. Near the far end lay a
smooth faced, honestlooking youth, whose intel
! lgent countenance had elected many expressions
! of pity from strangers during the morning
! Several pairs of noistened eyes anXlously watch
| the poor woman as she approaches him. She
is there and takes a single glance. A low moan,
and she falls senseless across the inanlmate form
of her boy, whom she had begged to remain at
home. They took her out, and the line passed