The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1891-04-15
ON A SERIOUS CHARGE.
Or. John R. Pipes and Taylor
Foreman are Arrested
ACCUSED OF GRAVE ROBBERY.
Asensa.IonaI Case OF whGeh Dr. Pipes
Processes to Know NothIns-.rhe
Statement he makes about
it..Hearlng Tomorrow.

strop, engineer at the County Intirmarr
appeared before Justice OF the Peace
George Arkls and swore out warrant
charging Mr.. Taylor Foreman and DR.
John B. Pipes with having disinterred
for the purpose ofremoving unlawfully
the body Of Henry watsbecker from the
cemetery on the Poor Farm, used for the
burial Of paupers and those who die in
the Infirmary. The time Of the alleged
crime is stated in the warrant as jan
uRry II, 1901.
DR.. Pipes and Mr.. Foreman were ar.
rested forthwith and taken before the
Justice, who set the preliminary hearing
for tomorrow evening at seven o'clock.
Both men were placed under $1,000
bond, and were released at once on.fur-
nfshing security.
Inquiry was made at the Infrmary,
and 1t was learned that WatsbeCker died
Of paralysis about the time named in
the warrant. A few days ago the grave
Of WatsbsCker was opened for the pur-
pose Of removing the remaina TO the q.
a. 3. plat in the Stone Church csme-
terry. The grave was found to be empty,
hence the issuance Of the warrant.
What reason there is for suspecting
Mr.. Foreman and DR.. Pipes could not be
learned at the In6rmary, as Branstrop
was not there and tho Superintendent
knew nothing about it.
At the time the robbery ia alleged to
have take place Foreman was Superin-
tendent Of the Institution.
The case excited q good deal OF com.
ment about town last night. There has
often been talk OF the prevalence OF
grave robbery in this vicinity, aud while
nothing very tangible and nothing that
would excite suspicion was even re.
ported, the Impression somehow got
abroad that body. y.stealiDg was common
in the cemeteries OF Wheeling aud
vicinity. So generally was this imprts-
sion circulated that cases are reported
where beraved families bave employed
guards to watch the graves OF the dead
until the bodies had reaGed a stage OF de-
cay at which it was not supposed that
grave robbing would be thought OF.
Many stories have been told OF graves
despoiled Of the bodice, but none OF
these we're substantiated upon inquiry.
The case Of the reported robbery OF the
grave OF DR.. Shuchardt, over in Bel
mont county, may be remembered by
the public. That etory, which seemed
to come very direct, was thoroughly in.
vsstigated by the 1NTgLIIaRNoRR, and
found 10 be untrue. The attempt
to dcapoil the tomb OF the late
Bishop Whelan, under the Whelan
Memorial Chapel, in Mt. Calvary ceme-
terry, also made so profound an impres.
sien at the time that it has not been for
gotten. These two were the only cases
mentioned in the public prints in many
years, and in neither case was there q
robbery OF a grave.
In the case Of WRtxbecker, there seems
to be no room for doubt that the grave
was robbed Of its contents, but what
reason there is TO accuse Mr.. Foreman
and Dr.. Pipes must appear upon the
hearing.
Late last night an INTELLIGENcER re-
porter found DR.. Pipes, and asked him
what he had to say about the case. DR..
Pipes at first was inclined 10 be reticent,
refusing TO say anything except that he
wss innocent OF the charge and did not
know anything about the case. Persist.
ent questioning, however, induced him
to talk little more freely, and he seemed
to talk with entire frankness.
He said that the frat intimation he
had OF the case was when he was arrested
by Constable Lauchlin last evening
when on the way to see a pstient, gravely
i'll with pneumonia. He wss told that
Brandstrop, the complainant, had said
that he had been in consultation with
Mr.. Foreman half adoSen times. The
fact was that he hsd driven out TO Elm
Grove once with friend, and
visited the 1nfrmary, when Mr..
Foreman was superintendent. He
met him then, the only time he had
ever seen him in his life to know him,
except once when he met him on the
street. He understood that Brandstrop
further said that he and another person
drove TO the Infrmary one night In q
two.horse wagon, went to the graveyard
and stole the body. He did not, as q
fact, he said, know where the graveyard
at the County Iufirmary was located,
never visited It, could not find 1t with.
out assistance in the daytime, never was
In a pauper or criminal graveyard in
West Virginia in his life, with the
exception of the burial ground
Of the Moundsyille pepitentiary, never
stole q body or helped to steal one, and
would not know what to do with one II
lc had 1t.
He continued that he owned skele.
ton, obtained while he was at college.
He did not know the exact date atwhich
he was accused OF stealing this body,
butif his information was correct It waa
at time when he was on q trip TO the
NEinanOially," said Or. Pipes, "there
is nothiEg in body.snatching. The low
price, due to the ease with which bodies
are now obtained legally, and the risk
attendant upon the procuring Of the
bodies, makes the business lnproA table.
have no use for body or Q skeleton,
and II ! were to want another, could
not clean body in Wheeling without
getting the Health Officer after me. The
charge is really preposterous, and Iregret
itmainly because Of It's effect on the feel.
ings OF my mother, who hes had trouble
enough without this addition, which
mhgt seem 10 Ter very grave. 1regard
the case as persecution, pure and simple,
and cannot conceive why / should be
singled out 20 the object, when so slight
an excuse exists for such Charge.n
DR.. Pipes has retained Captain Dove.
ner as his attorney, and seems entirely
confident Of q favorable outcome.