The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1888-06-02
OLD. TIME BoDY.sNATcHiNe.
How the T.esurrectionists Worked q
Century Ago-Pcriis of tho Guild.

How the Isesurrectionists Worked q
Century ARo-Pcriis Of tho Guild.
The Monthly chronicle of North
Country Lore and Lege d (England)
prints some stories of the body-snatcli-
ing days, when the bodies of the new
ly-buried dead were stolen at night out
Of their graves. when every suspicious
looking person observed near q church,
ward was at once set down rs resur-
rcctionist, and when armed men watch
cd the graves all night One Sunder-
land rcsurrectionist was caught in q
curious way. He had got body. said
10 lie that of young woman. put it
INTO a sack. fastened rope around the
middle. and carried it to the church,
yard wall in order to drop it over. The
wall was only about three feet high on
the inside, but fully twice as high on
the other side. So when the man had
lifted the body on to the copestone and
was getting over the wall himself the
rope somehow 81 pped over his
head. and he fell and hung suspended
on the side toward the outside, while
his sack fell back toward the church,
yard. He was found thus by one of
watchers going his rounds. The body
snatcher was still alive when he was
cut down. but soon afterward d.ed. HIS
memory still survives among old Sum
derland folks as ''Half-Hanged Jack"
The son of an old sexton at the bor-
der village of Cornh II tells this story:
"One morning early in December.
about 1880, Jamie Marchall. the sexton
in question, was reused from sleep by
a loud knocking at the cottage door
and voice that he seemed to recoc-
nize called out: Get up. Jamie! For
Gods sake, be quick. man?' When
the blacksmith opened the door he saw
the son of well-known farmer lately
deceased. The young man was at the
time studying medicine in the Univer-
sily of Ed nburg. Before he uttered a
word Marchall noticed that his arm
was through the brIdle-rein of a horse
from whose side the steam rose in
clouds, while the young mans face was
haggard and pale. The young man
called out, Get your spade and mat
took, and come with me to the church
ward quickly The blacksm tn took
his tools in silence and followed. On
the way the young man exclaimed, I'll
lie satisfied soon whether it is him or
not. Think. Jamie. of having your ain
father laid out on the dissecting. board
for you 10 cut up. I had the knife in
my hand when saw it was my father.
But I'll be satisfied before 1 sleep. l
left the hall. and have ridden here,
jamie, 10 satisfy myself When his
fathers grave was reached he took a
spade and helped the bewildered SEX
ton TO open it The coffin having been
reached, he called, Break the lid with
your mattock. and put in your hand
Marchall did as he was ordered,
and put his hand inside. is he there,
Jamiep' was the anxious inquiry.
AYE. aye, he's a right Naebody's
flashed m, Robert; ye haze been mis-
ta'en. was the sections reassuring re-
ply"
The following extract from The Gen.
Heman's Magazine Of March 1776, will
show that then body-snatching was
ca rried on in London with no attempt
at concealment 'The remains of
more than twenty dead bodies were
discovered in a shed in Nottingham
court-road. supposed to have been de-
posted there By snatchers to the sur
geons, of whom there is one, it is said
in the borough, who makes an open
profession of dealing in dead bodies.
and is known by the name of The Res
urrectionist