The Rugby gazette and east Tennessee news. (Rugby, Morgan Co., Tenn.) 1884-188?, 1886-01-30
EMPTY GRAVES.
Decatur, Georgia, in a Furious
y Fever of Excitement.
Body-Snatchers' Work-Several Coffins Ex-
huined, but the Silent OCCUPANTS
Were Gone.

DECATUR, Ga, January 22.-This COLI
munity is greatly excited over the repeat
ed dissertation of its graveyard by body
snatchers and the discovery of the COM
plicity Of the sexton in the crime. Deca-
tur has handsome cemetery, located in
the edge of the town. The incosure is
large, and many of the lots are we'll cared
for. There the bodies of The dead have
been laid to rest for three or fourscors
years A part of the cemetery is set aside
as Goods acre." and there the poor are
laid away. Up to week ago no one
dreamed that the bodies in the
cemetery had been disturbed, but
last week Joe Smith, the sexton
of the cemetery, directed suspicion on him
self, and was watched that night. With
George Vaughn, the negro janitor of the
Atlanta Medical College, he was detected
in the act of robbing the grave Of Israel
Sanford. Vaughn gave bond, while Smith
was lodged in Jail. The body was never
recovered Smith is still in Jail About
two weeks ago Simon Read colored man
aged seyenty-fiye years, died. He was
buried in Goods Acre" When it was
found that the body of Sanford was missing
man Reads had gone the same way,
Public opinion ran high, and pressure
was brought on the Mayor and Council for
an investigation. Yesterday Mayor Kirk
patrick, Councilman Austin, Marshal Chi
vers and several other gentlemen went to
the graves, accompanied by force of ne
gro men to open them and see il there was
anything missing The first grave exam
med was that of Simon Read. The ne
groes with shovels set upon the grave and
were soon at the coffin. 1t was empty,
save pair of breaches and one OF two
minor pieces of wearing apparel The
body of the old man had been taken
away, and was then, no doubt, being
well cured in some deans watts. The ne
groes who were shoveling dirt grew very
much excited and did not need to be urged
to greater exertion. AS soon as it was
clearly seen that Reads body was gone they
were put to work on two other graves that
were very near together. Both graves Of
colOred people and when the coftlns were
reached it was found that one
body was gone. The men We're
then put to work on the grave
of white lady whose death occurred some
weeks ago. When the. planks over the
| coffin were reached Mayor Kirkpatrick
said; 1T is no use to go further in thss
grave. / saw this lady buried and kno "
those planks have not been disturbed" The
| coffin was therefore not disturbed. There
were no other suspected graves that
the Mayor felt authorized to sQtan,
I anu the WORK was abandoned at
that point. There are other graves in
the cemetery that are thought to be
empty, but so far there have been no other
Investigations, as the relatives of the dead
| people object to the graves being opened.
| IL is not improbable, however, that there
will be still more graves opened. The gen
eral impression is that there has been a
good deal of grave-robbing in the vicinity
of Atlanta. OF late several robberies have
been detected, and it is believed that about
these parts many mound rises above an
empty coffin