Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1885-09-17
THOSE oHrnrsE BODIES.
Tho Coroner orders them Removed
to the morQue-t'he Excitement.

10 the mOrgue-rhe Excitement.
As'Ocia ell prsa Dispatch by Special wirsa,
SAN FRANCISCO, CAL, Sept. 15.-A hur
! rible discovery WIS innde in Chinatown
to-day. Information was given city coro.
ner that q frightful stencil was being
emitted from cellar on Pacific street.
He went to the cellar and found the floor
covered with human skulls and bones,
partly covered with flesh in the last stages
of decomposition. In an inner room the
coroner found a number of Cinnamon
engaged in boiling down the remains of
other bodies, while several other China
men were engaged in scraping the
boiled bones and packing them in boxes
for shipment TO China. II is estimated
that the cellar contained over 800 dead
bodies, which have been taken secretly
| from various cemeteries throughout the
state. As an instance of Chinese in
genuity, il is stated that those in charge
of these operations, fearing that the
stencil from the boiling pots would be SO
great rs TO attract attention outside, had
procured two living slsunks SO TINT TIE
odor of the latter might overcome that of
the former. The coroner has taken
charge of all the remains,
SAN Francisco, CAL, Sept. 16.-The
discovery yesterday afternoon of the
horrible operations of the Chinese in pre-
pairing the bones of their dead fellow
eountrymen for shipment to China,
which have been carried on under the
very nose of the city authorities, has
created deep and intense excitement.
The knowledge that such n mass
of putrefaction was lying exposed
in the very heart of the city, while, at the
same time the drainage and sewers of the
city are known to be in filthy condition,
has created feeling of fear for the
health of the city.
After all the boxes containing the
remains of the dead Cinnamon had been
removed to the morgue, the coroner was
interviewed in regard to the matter. He
stated that when he arrived at the cellar
in which the bodies were stored, and
in which putrefed remains, which
had still to be boiled, were lying, he set
to work to break open the boxes. There
were some 60 bodies in ALL Each box
contained tin case in which carefully
wrapped in oil cloths, were human
bones. The smaller bones and long
strips of skin were wrapped up
vi bCpulubt piNNl9 anu PsNSb
within the larger ones. On the outside of
each box was label bearing Chinese
characters giving tho name of the dead
persons within, SO that the remains could
ne itlrDiii,l 10y relatives in china. After
iaving opened several of the boxes,
The coroner concluded to seize
he whole lot and remove them to
the morguo. Express wagons were called
for the purpose. While the cases were
being placed in the wagons, some of them
rolled OF and fell to the pavement,
breaking open and exposing the contents.
The crowd which had assembled, upon
learning the cause of the excitement,
jumped on the bones and, in their indig-
nation, trod them under foot. The police
quickly interposed and the loading con-
tinued without further interruption. The
remains were removed to the morgue.
Most of tho boxes containing remains
were, on examination, found to have
come from cities in the interior of the
state. The remains were shipped from
these to San Francisco in common tea
boxes. Those that come from the
interior are boiled and prepared before
shipment, SO that no odor is perceptible
on the route.
Only those removed from Sen Fran.
cisco cemeteries have flesh still on them,
when brought for preparation to the
cellar. II was the intention to have
shipped all these on the steamer City of
Picking which sails Saturday next. II is
rumored that the Chinese six companies
will bring action against the coroner for
the removal of the boxes and remains.