Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1892-07-07
CHASTITY FRAGMENTS.
A Human Arm and Leg Found in an
Ash Dump.

The arm and leg of a human being
were found on Thursday in an ash dump
on lot back of the residence of Mrs.
Margaret Earhart, on the causeway near
the old Delaware Western railroad
crossing. The discovery was made by
Mrs. Lena Plum, who lives at No. 1905
Railroad avenue. The lot is owned by
Mrs. Earhart. 1t is naturally low, but
has been made higher by heaps of refuse
dumped there to fill ii up.
Mrs. Plum visits ii daily and rakes
the rubbish in quest of articles that she
can sell or use. While she was at work
on Thursday colored man drove on
the lot and deposited there small load
of ashes. Immediately after his de-
parture she proceeded to the pile and
began rummaging through it. Suddenly
she uncovered an arm and then leg.
The CHASTITY find produced a severe
shock to her nerves, and she ceased the
investigation. She at once notified Mrs.
Eathart and the latter sent for Coroner
Sparks.
The coroner responded instantly.
When he reached the place large
crowd, mostly colored people, was as
sembled there, eagerly scanning the
limbs. The news spread rapidly and
soon thereafter many more people con-
| gregated. The limbs are in an advanced
state of decay. They are fleshless and
are mere skeletons. There is no indica-
ton of what their color was. The arm
is from the shoulder down and the leg
from the hip down. Both are long and
| indicate that the individual of whom
they formed part was large. The
fingers are long and slender and the
hand looks like it might have been that
of man. On the fingers there are
| nails of whitish tint. The arm was
bound near the wrist with white towel
bordered with broad red band. The
foot is large and looks like it might
have been cut.
When the coroner appeared on the
scene Mrs. Plum took a hay fork and
made the debris fly while going through
the remainder of the heap. The coroner
assisted with u rake. The pile was
quickly leyeled, but no more parts were
found. While resting after her violent
exercise Mrs, Plum stated that the
driver of the team is stout and probably
So or 60 years old. She had seen him
drive to the lot frequently, she said
and she could easily recognize him
His wagon was a furniture car. A boy
said the colored man often carted
shavings to lot beyond Third street
bridge.
While the coroner was investigating
the matter two police officers came and
viewed the limbs. Subsequently
Deputy Coroner Giles obtained o box
and removed the limbs to the morgue
Police Surgeon Baird has been re
quested to examine them for the pur
pose of ascertaining the color and seZ
of the individual to whom they be
longed. The case will be investigated
by the police department, but the cor
oner will not hold an inquest unless the
remainder of the body is found.
Various theories are advanced, but
nothing tangible has developed. Som,
people think it is case of murder anc
others are of the opinion that the limb
are part of a medical students subjec
for dissection. The mystery has created
considerable excitement.
The mystery surrounding the finding o
an arm and leg in an ash heap south of Mar
ket street bridge, Thursday, was penetratet
Friday morning by Coroner Sparks am
Deputy Corner Giles. The members wer
anatomical specimens which DR.. q. w
Mann inspected ten years ago at Jefferson
Medical College.
When he recently moved from the east
ern part of the city he neglected to tax
the specimens with him. He left them il
the cellar of his late residence. Thursda
colored man was engaged by the neN
tenants to remove quantity of rubbs
from the cellar. Among the debris wer
, the arm and leg but the colored man no
his employer knew they were there.
neighbor who read about the finding o
the limbs informed the coroner and hi
: deputy of the removal of rubbish from tn
! cellar of DIR. Mann's late residence an
] after working on the clue a short tim
these officials succeeded in solving TIL
mystery. From DR.. Mann the corone
: obtained the following certificate:
THIS is to certify that the arm and leg fouu
, in tire dump lot belonging to Mrs. Aheart
South Wilmington are anatomical specimen
Of mine, which / dissected at the Jefferso
Medical College af Philadelphia in 1852.
q. W. MANN, NJ. D.,