St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-04-10
TWO PAUPERs BURIED.
A Plain Wooden Box That Held Two
Bodies Buried at the Public
Expense.
Statements of the Actuary at the Gene
terry, the Physicians and the
Undertakers.
Henry Stewart and Gust Olson the
Paupers--Why They Were
Doubled.
The Law Governing the Burials OF
Those Whom Nobody
Owns.
TWO i'm One Oaffin.


A rumor having gained currency that it
was customary to turn over bodies of pau
pers who died at the city hospital to the
doctors for disseeting purposes, and
that there was custom of
bringing more than one body
in one coffin, GLoBE reporter started out
yesterday to investigate the matter, and
ascertain what foundation existed for the
rumOrs. The reporter approached Coroner
Quinn upon the subject. Said the coroner:
Who told you about itI / haven't anything
thing 10 say upon the subject. The matter
doesn't belong to me, anyway-its II matter
for the health Off ser 10 look into, If two
bodies have been buried in one grave.
Going to the health Office the reporter
asked Health Officer Jones. Said the doc
tor:
don't know anything about It. It doesn't
belong TO my Office, but is a subject for the
coroner TO examine into. Go TO DIR. Quinn.
DIR. Jones, however, cheerfully submitted
the records to inspection. Turning over
the papers the reporter came to the name
OF III. w. Stuart, whose nativity was given
as an Englishman, age As years,
cause of death enlargement of the
heart, aud date OF death March
10, at the city hospital. The
certificate was signed Z. j. Abbott, NJ. d.,
per DR.. Burke. This was step forward.
THE SEXTON
of Oakland cemetery was sought out He
was found in the cemetery grounds engaged
in burning rubbish. He spoke very eau
tiously and with some reluctance. III sub
stance he said:
i found the box which came with the per-
NIT for Stuart to be very heavy, and l exam
H.. s.Nsl 49, NVrrl.N xrNN h.
one OF Mccarthy & Donnelly's men, and has
been in the vault awaiting burial. When
opened 1 found IL contained two bodies,
both men, one recognized as answering for
Stewart. The other was that of man with
dark hair, short dark whiskers and man of
about 80 years of age. The body showed
that post mortem had been held
upon IL but it was not mutilated.
/ reported the matter, thinking something
was wrong. but it will all be fixed up and set
tied, for DR.. Quinn was out here to-day. The
doctors have tried me often enough to know
that wouldn't sell. myself, or allow anything
wrong 10 go on here.
Mr.. Lanpher, the actuary of the eeme-
terry, was approached, but communicated
very little. He said something about 1.-THE
doctors buying grave when they wanted
subject for dissection" but the meaning of
buying grave" was not made very
clear.
The mystery for the reporter 10 solve
was. who was the second corpse? Clearly
If Stuart's body had come from the
city hospital direct. the second must
have been placed therein a the
institution. Visions of dark and awful
crime doomed up before the imagination as
the reporter made his way to the city hos
pital in search of DR.. Burke. That gen.
tleman said:
DIR. BuRKE's STATEMENT.
After a death in the hospital the body Is
turned over to the undertakeTs, and know
nothing about what is done with IL, nor is it
any of my business. i make certificate OF
death, which goes TO the health officer; fill
blank for the undertaken to present to the
almshouse and hospi al board and like one
for the actuary. There my duties cease.
1t was learned that a Swede answering
fully the description given by Mr.. Lampher
had died on the 14th of March, and that
his body had gone away at the same time
as Stuart's. His name was given as
Gust Olsen, aged 35 years, and
his d ,ath caused by Bright's disease. DIR.
Burke said that never before within his
recollection had two bodies left the hospital
at the same time. When Stuart was taken
two others had gone-Olsen and a man
named Cole. Cole, however. was taken
away in a coffin, but Stuart and Olsen
were taken to the undertakers to be
| placed in collins. The ProtestantS are
| taken out of the institution for burial and
carried to Oakland cemetery, while the
| Catholics are taken to Calvary cemetery.
An autopsy was had at the city hospital
before they were removed. No
friends claimed the bodies of either
of them and they left no effects
of any value. had learned that Stewart
was respectfully connected and made an
| effort to find some one TO take enough in
terest in him to give his remains interment,
but without avail. The only thing
that / could do was to turn the
body over to the public I'M
dertaker for burial. which /
did / told young Mr.. Donnelly when he
removed the bodies that had reason to
believe that Stewart had relatives who
were liable to turn up and claim the body
and in no event to permit requisition to
be made on him for the body,
but 10 have it decently Inferred.
DIR. Ancker was absent at the
time and attended to the matter in his
absence. / know nothing of what DISPOSE
ton was made of the bodies after they
passed into the hands OF the undertakes,
as we had no further control of them.
know that they had not been disturbed
while in our possession beyond the post
mOrtem examination have spoken of, and
there was no mutilation. The hospital is
under excellent management, the patients
are well cared for and every respect paid to
the remains who die.
Light was beginning to shine upon the
case, and with the hope of gaining further
further information Charles j. Mccarthy OF
the undertaking firm of Mccarthy d. Don
| Ixr ont fF o.
planned:
There is state law which allows any ply
stefan TO make a requisition for the body OF
an unclaimed pauper. Men who are KILLED
| or who drop dead and taken TO our place
can be secured by physicians for dissectine
the remains Paupers who die In
the hospitals are taken TO the
medical college, usually after midnight. By
an understanding and common consent OF DR.
Aneker, Health OfScer Jones. Coroner Quinn
and the hospital officials the bodies are takeT
to the college. After being dissected the bones
are buried and we are notified when ar
interment is to take place. Sometimes there
are a numb er and they are placed in one boz
on straw and buried. There were twelve once
and think they wentinto three boxes. In the
case of this man Stuart we were notified thai
there were two to buried and we sent
two boxes to the college. DIR. Miller said one
box would do, but to leave the second as il
would be needed soon for another buria
which was near at had. Our man took the
box and carried 1t TO Oakland. In the winter
there are no interments, as The
ground Is frozen, and bodies are
placed in the vault to await burial The ac-
tuary noticed blood and corrution exudlnG
from the cracks in it and opened it to SEE
what it meant. He found therein two
bodies, and at once sought DIR. Quinn
Not finding him he came TO
our place and reported It. There is a pop
| ular prejudice about such matters and the
| people are sensitive on the matter. 1t is not
| ,rnrfh uhila 10 make mnoh of IL