Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1891-04-17
THE STOLEN CORPSE
rHE HEARING IN THR CASE OF STATE vs..
PIPES AND FOREMAN
Commenced Before Justice Arkls, Last Night,
But Not COmplstsd-Ths Testimony So
Far Adducsd Of Very Inter
sstng Nature.

The preliminary examination OF DR..
John r. Pipes and Taylor Foreman,
charged by William Brandstroup, the
engineer at the County Inilrmary, with
stealing corpse from the 1nhrmary
graveyard, on or about the night OF Jan
uary nth last, came up before Justice
Arkle last evening and was very inter
esting. There was a big crowd al the
office OF the Justice, and much concern
was manifested In the proceedings.
The defense was represented by Capt.
B. B. Dovener and Prosecuting Attor-
ney Howard appeared for the State.
Ten witnesses were summoned for
the State and two, w. L.
Chambers and Fred. Hartleib, OF Elm
Grove. for the defense. The States
witnesses were VIM. Brandstroup, the
complainant, Thos. liiggs, James Creigh-
ton, Miss +. NJ. Douglas, Mrs. Cracraft,
Mrs. Terrell, John Halpin. Isaac Litton,
VIM. Kemp and John Anderson. or
these witnesses two were excused. The
examination was not concluded, being
continued until 7 o'clock this evening,
when Miss L. NJ. Douglass will be put
on the stand by the State. IL is eX-
pected her evidence will be somewhat
sensational. and 1t may bring TO the sur
face some matters of Importance now
only hlnted at by gentlemen on both
sides OF the case.
WM. BRANDSTROUP
The first witness called for the State
was William BrandStrOup, who testified
that he was employed at the lntirmary
as engineer, and knew an inmate Of the
Institution named Henry Wadesbecker.
lie died January 18th, and was buried
over a quarter OF a mile from the In
firmary. He had seen the grave opened
Tuesday, and the coffin was emptied.
Isaac Litten and an inmate named Joe
Campbell opened the grave. Witness
did not know when the body was re-
moved. TAYLOR Foreman was Superin
tendent at the time the body was buried.
Witness saw DR.. Pipes talking to
TAYLOR Foreman on the evening Wades-
becker died. He came out on the
o'clock motor. He saw the two COM
ing from the Hospital to the house. The
dead body was then at the Hospital
The body was buried that evening after
DR.. Pipes left. He saw DR.. Pipes there
once since then. He came out with a
lady in buggy, and the Doctor was in
the office talking to Foreman. He
could not say how long 1t was after the
death Of Wadesbecker. Witness was
not at the graveyard when the body was
first Inferred, but he saw it on the fol-
lowing evening. He aud others went
out and dug up the coffin. and the body
was then in the coffin. The body was
taken to the grave by James Creighton
and some of the inmates, in the wagon.
To Capt. Dovener witness said he had
seen other physicians at the lnlirmary.
Q.-You know about political matters
in this county? There has been several
changes at the Institution. haSn' I there?
Ayes.
Q.-James Creighton was superin-
tendent at one time? A.-YeS.
Ole was Democrat? A.-fes.
Q.-Taylor Foreman was a Superin-
tendent, wasn't he? A.-YeS.
Ole was Republican, wasn't he?
Ayes.
Q.-And he was recently changed for
a new man? A.-YeS.
About this time Mr. Howard entered
an objection TO any further examination
OF that sort, and said he did not think
politics could be material, and 1t was
not proper to attempt to prove any
mans politics In this matter. The evil
dence could not be material, and he
thought he knew enough about the case
TO know there was no political matter
entering into the case, and the charge
could not have been inStigated by such
motive.
On the other hand Capt. Dovener
thought IL was proper to 90 into IL. He
was willing to exhonordte both Mr..
Howard and the complainant, but he
feared others might not be so innocent
OF political motives and hatreds.
After quite discussion IL was agreed
to "throw down the bars" and allow
everything to go in.
The witness then resumed, and said
Mr. Walters, the present superintend-
ent. was Democrat. The warrant was
then read 10 the witness. and he said he
did not swear the two men charged
with the crime actually did the act, but
only to the best OF his knowledge and
belief. The witness and the Captain
then got into 4 little wrangle. which
ended in the Captain asking witness II
he did not meet w. Il. Chambers in Elm
Grove and tell him he never signed the
affidavit shown him in the REGIS
TER. Witness said he did not
say il, but had said he signed
the warrant upon information and be-
lief. He told Chambers the suppositlon
was that Pipes and Foreman had robbed
the grave. He did not say he would
come into town 10 see about the war
rant.
Witness knew the witness. Miss Doug
lass. then in the rear room OF the Office.
He said the lady said that was her name,
and he did not know her statement was
false. Miss Douglass had come there In
response to an advertisement IN
serted by Mr.. Creighton. The lady
came over into the Iniirmary
part OF the building, and made up the
witness bed frequently, and sometimes
he went TO her room and spent some time
there Witness said he had heard Mr..
Foreman had a disposition" to ais
charge Miss Douglass, but he did not
hear her boast that, when the committee
came out, he found out she had more In
iluence with them than he had. lie
said the question Of her discharge ran
along, and frequently she told witness
she had got a notice TO leave April lst.
4Wltness had a suspicion about the
body the day it was buried, but he ala
not inform any one because 1t was not
his business.
Q.-When did it become your busl-
ness? A.-When the body was missed.
Q.-Who missed it. Litton and Camp
bell, inmates, went out to dig grave
for a cOored man. and opened the ola
grave. think, to put the colored man
in-in the same grave. They were sent
out by Mr.. Walters, the new Superln-
tendent. The violated grave was No.
o.. and il was the intention to put the
colored man in the same grave.
The witness then told about the hrSt
burial OF Wadesbecker, as detailed In
the REGISTER Wednesday morning, and
said that account was exactly how 1t
happened.n When he was asked
II he concluded his suspicious
were wrong, when they dug down
and found the body was still
there, he said probably he thought his
suspicious were wrong then, but ne was
again suspicious when Higgs and Creigh-
ton told him Foreman had attempted to
hire them to aid them in taking up the
corpse. Witness told VIII Cracrait
about il. Both men were 10 go, out
| LIZ. hnnl.od ont Witness did not