Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1892-01-20
A HUNTFOR CORPSE
The MYSTERY CONNECTED WITH
THE BODY OF A COZ REp WOMAN.
Her husband Accused Of Selling II to Doe.
tori. Butin Reality ne Turned II
over 10 the City.

Anc Oniy thlnG lacking 70 complete ~
rAngcmen,s for the. funeral of Mollie
Vaughan. colored woman who died on
Thursday, January 9Th. was the corpse.
The weeping congregation on the follow
ing Sunday had assembled at II o'clock in
the Fountain Baptist church, which 10
situated in the east end Of the city. and
Brother" Mosby, the clergyman, was on
hand to conduct the obsequies. Many Of
those present had seen the body Of the
woman, and she was Enthusiastically dead.
and yet the body did not arrive at the
house OF worship.
Colored people are always superstitious
and always mystified when 10 the presence
Of the dead, but when the remains of the
deceased woman failed 10 arrive they be-
came strangely wrought up.
Finally an explanation OF the affair was
made by Charles Vaughan, the husband OF
Aollie He said he was too poor to get
money to inter his wife. and that after
making strenuous efforts to raise sufficient
cash to lay the funeral expenses be found
himself unable to accomplish his purpose,
and was therefore compelled 10 get the
CITY authorities 10 take charge OF the
corpse. The story he told at the time
was certainly plausible one. and several
persons vouched for the truth of his as
sertioDs. for he visited all of Mollie's rela-
lions In his efforts TO get the necessary
money.
TAKEN AWAY IN THE pEAp-cAEr.
Under the circumstances the funeral did
not take place. and late in the afternoon
BLACK jane" the dead-cart OF the city,
drove up to the house where the remains
lay, near the corner OF Ihirty-second and
p streets, and carried away the body. The
ghastly vehicle, as II rolled up D the hum
Bic bowel where the body Of the deceased
reposed, was followed by large throng of
negroes. The driver of the cart or some
one remarked that the corpse would be
sent to the Medical College and cut up.
This, of course. greatly excited the darkies.
who since the days of Chris. Bakers ma
rauds have had q holy horror OF ghouls,
students, and Others supposed to be con;
pected Ia this way with the medical
profession. The rumor quickly spread
that Charles, the woman's husband, who
is o well-digger by trade, had cheated the
greve-dgger out of his work and sold the
body of the unfortunate Mollie TO be dis
sected. Indignation ran high, and, was IN
creased by the information that Charles
bad received SIS for the remains OF his de-
parted spouse The incident created the
most profound excitement among the ne
groes in the vicinity, and so great was pub
lie feeling against Charles that few nights
afterward an excited mob VISITED his
mousse. which Is Oh u ItLlOlt VI viz
city, and not finding hun tusiaded the
howell with pistols and other firearms.
Charles had evidently apprebended the
storm of public sentiment against him.
and was not TO DO found by his pursuers-
fortunately for hIm.
WHERE WAS TIE CORPSE?
No one knew what disposition was made
Of the corpse. except that 1t had been car-'
ried away in Black Jane" and the great
est wonderment and awe prevailed. When
Representative of the DISPATCH sought TO
Gam information of the affair yesterday
afternoon he found that every one IN the
vicinity knew something OF the matter,
and vet no ono could say anything deh-
nitely. The wife of Rev. Evans Payne,
the pastor of Fourth Baptist church COOL
ored), was positive that Charles had been
guilty of no wrong. as he had told her nus
band of his poverty and OF the fact that he
had been compelled TO ask aid OF
the city. The scribe thought the
whole mystery could be settled by
telephoning to the almshouse and
finding what had become OF the corpse.
The message was either misunderstood or
"bulled" in going over the wire but, at
any rate, the answer said that no such case
had been reported. and that the dead
wagon had not been TO the house men,
toned. The doctor at the phone sug-
eested that the Board of Health could
throw hight on the matter. but the latter
Office could not. In answer TO the phone
inquiry the clerk said that while such
cases were reported TO the Health Depart
ment. they did not have Mollie's name on
their books. BY aid of the phone Oak,
wood cemetery was next communicated
with. and the reporter asked If Mollie had
been inferred in the paupers' section
there. Mr.. Ellyson, who answered, SAID
that on the date mentioned no such
IL ht.rt npH
only Mollie Vaughan he knew bad been
laid under the sod q year ago.
HER HUSBAND TELKPHoSED FOR TIE VEHICLE.
An old gentleman in the neighborhood
was positive that he saw the desd-cart go
TO the house, and subsequently the re-
porter was told that the husband of the
woman had telephoned for the vehicle
from Slsughters drugstore. The scribe
proceeded, or rather swan. through the
mud and water to the apothecary-shop,
and one of the clerks said he had certainly
rung up the almshouse to send to get the
body and that they had promised to send
tor it.
This information. coupled with the fact
that the newspaper man had talked with
a person who saw the vehicle going TO the
house tangled matters still more, espe-
cially rs the doctor of the City Hospital
was positive that they had not taken
was DIR. Blankenship. physician OF the
poor in that district. He had attended
Mollie aud was with her few hours be-
fore she died, and, moreover. issued her
death certificate.
The great question after all this inyesti-
cation, was What has become OF the
corpsey" At last the reporter, knowing
full we'll that the gentlemen at the aims
house would not knowingly mislead him.
telephoped the institution a second time
On tins occasion he called Mr.. Carter, the
superintendent, AS the latter gentleman
was of course better posted than the young
physicians who only attend to the living.
Mr.. Carter said that they did not keep re-
cords of such matters. but corpses IN cases
similar TO this were generally turned over
to the State Anatomical Board, vino in
turn gave them to medical colleges for dis
section, etc.
THE BODY LOCATED AT LAST.
Mr.. Carter told the scribe to communi-
cate with DIR. Oppenhimer second time,
and the indefatigable news-gatherer deter
mined 70 visit the latter official. The Doe
tor was greatly puzzled after hearing the
contradictory statements gathered by the
reporter, but he instantly set to work to
investigate the matter. He could not find
the death certificate which should have
been turned III to him. but at the sugges-
ton of Mr.. Carter finally hit upon the idea
of telephoning Gr. Lauoe. VINO does the
hauling for the Anatomical Board. A, last
the mystery was solved and the missing
corpse located. MIR. Laube stated that it
was transferred by the desth-cart to him.
aud that he had given it To the Medical
College. He had delayed sending IN the
certificate, and this IS where the hitch &C.
Cured.
"Wel, Doctor" said the relieved re-
porter. where do you suppose the body
10 Just at this momept?"
Chopped to pieces by the students"
laconicslly replied the physician.
The house whore the woman died was
visited by the reporter. but it was securely
locked and therefore her husband could