Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1889-06-05
BURYING THE DEAD,
Continued from first page-)
AsAD CASE.

| JoHNSTowN, June deputy Marshal
Dick is a man whose condition excites gen.
eral pity. His total bereavement Of wife
family and relatives has affected his
brain, it is thought, and he goes riding
about the country, giving all the assist
ance in his power, and keeping an especial
| lookout for lawbreakers and vandals. He
| has distinguished himself on several occa-
sions in the past week, it is reported, by
shooting the burgarians whom he detected
| pilaging the dead, but his last action is
| particularly noteworthy.
Detective McLighe and Officers Garri-
gan and Mulvihill had arrested two noto-
rious crooks that had reached town on
Monday evening. They were from Kan
sas City, and were probably travelling to
JohnstOwn for nefarious purposes. Nc
Lighe knew them and promptly hailed
them as soon as they stepped off the train.
and the fellows deity dropped several gold
rings They resisted furiously and struck
out with their fists, but with some diff
Guilty they were overcome and led to the
Cambria City lookup. This place was full
of mud knee deep, and it was impossible to
lock them in there. A box car was then
seized and while the officers were wrang-
ling with the railroaders as to the advisa-
bility of placing the crooks inside Dick
rode up. He was seated on a gray horse
and imperiously demanded to know the
cause of the trouble. 1t was explained to
him.
"Stand the fellows there shouted Dick,
refining up his horse. His features stitfen.,
ed into an expression of determination and
rage as he whipped out revolver, leveled
1T at the quaking wretches and muttered:
'1'll stop their thieving."
For Gods sake, DON'T" cried McLighe,
and he imploringly threw up his hands,
saying, Don't do that; don't do that. For
heavens sake remember we are officers Of
the law"
After some minutes parleying Dick was
called Oft and better counsel prevailed.
No accommodation could be found for the
Kansas City gentry, and they were given
five minutes to leave the town On the
backward to Sang Hollow. They left
with white faces and trembling limbs at a
remarkable speed.
At meeting of the Johnstown COM
mandry Knights of Pythias held here this
afternoon, Ely Grouse, secretary was ap-
pointed to receive funds. All knights of
Pythias funds will therefore please be sent
to Mr.. Grouse at Johnstown.
Six improvised morgues are in Johns
town and in these bodies are held until de-
composition renders it unsafe to keep
the dead are in churches and school
houses; the largest one of them
being the Fourth ward school house.
where planks have been laid over the tops
of the desks, and on them the remains are
placed. A corpse is dug from the bank; it
is covered with mud; it is taken to the
ante room of the school where it is placed
under the hydrant and the muck and
slime washed off. With the clash of a
knife the clothes are ripped off and the at
tendant searches the pockets for valuables
or paper that would lead to Identification,
Four men put the corpse on a rude table
and there it is thoroughly washed
and an embalming fluid injected into the
arm. Then with other grim bodies
the corpse lies in a large room until it is
identified or becomes offensive. In the
latter case it is hurried to the large grave,
a grave that will hereafter have monu
ment over it bearing the legend 'un
known dead" The number of the latter
is growing hourly, because pestilence
stalks in Johnstown and the bloated
masses of flesh cannot be held much
longer. Bodies of stalwart workingmen
lie beside the remains of dainty ladies,
many of whom are still decked with
costly earrings and jewels on their fingers.
Rich and poor throng these quarters and
gaze with awestrnck faces at the masses
of mutilations in the hope of recognizing
a missing one, SO as to accord the body
decent burial.