Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-12-21
REsURREcrIoNIsrs AT WORK.
A Lively Exchange of shots I'm Columbian
Harmony Cemetery.

A Lively Exchange of shots I'm Columbia
Harmony Cemetery.
Persons residing in the vicinity Of Ivy City
and lexington were alarmed ct hearing u great
many reports made BY the discharge Of fire.
arms, and judging from the number Of shots
fired they expected to hear Of at least six per-
sons having been killed. Inquiry a. 70 the To-
cation and cause Of the firing revealed the fact
that resuirectionists had visited Columbian
Harmony Cemetery and that there had been .
pitched battle between the midnight intruders
and the watchmen on duty in the cemetery.
Several weeks ago IL is thought resurrection
lists we're plentiful and when the superintendent
Of the cemetery discovered that several graves
had been disturbed he decided to put watch
men on duty all night and three wstchmsn
were employed Being certain that the in
truders would again visit the cemetery the
newly made graves were marked order to
make sure that they would be the last resting
place Of the departed, instead Of their finding
their way to the dissecting table.
ONE GRAVE MARKED.
Lime was sprinkled on top Of grave Q day
or two before Sunday, because it vhitensd the
grave and could be seen from = distance by the
watchmen while on duty in the darkness
That particular grave was in the northwest
part of the cemetery. where many dead are
now being buried, and it was not far from the
fence inclosing the cemetery grounds. The old
fence that inclosed the grounds had been taken
away and q new and more secure one put In its
place. Until the discovery made Q couple Of
weeks ago it was thought that the city Of the
dead was comparatively safe, but the discovery
caused a change in the minds Of the persons in
charge.
DARK AND MUDDY NIoHr.
Sunday night 1t Was dark and the roads and
grounds were muddy. The appearance Of the
resurrectionists not looked for, although
the watchmen made their usual rounds. When
they started out on their rounds at q few min
utes past IL O'Clock they evidence Of in
truders until they got into the bottom near the
north end Of the cemetery. Then one Of them
looked over for the lims-marked grave, where
be heard what sounded like q man at work.
Still it was too dark to see any one, but fall
u-e to see the lime on the grave convinced the
men that there was something wrong.
One Of them carried q Winchester repeating
rife while each of the other two had shot
They are there" whispered one of the
men.
They've stopped working" said another.
AREouLAR FUsILLADE.
Then the command fire was given and the
pulling Of the trigger of the Winchester sent
bullets flying in the direction Of the grave.
Hardly had the first shot been fred when the
resurrectionists returned the fire. Then the
shotguns were used and from the volley Of shots
coming from the new-msde grave the watch
men judged that there were fully six men in
the party.
There were between twenty-five and fifty
shots exchanged, and when the ammunition on
both sides had been exhausted there was .
scamper from the grave and the men disap-
peared over the back fence.
The watchmen did not pursue them any
further than the fence and they escaped.
An investigation of the cemetery showed that
the marked grave had been opened, and had
the snatehers not been discovered they would
have secured the body in a very few minutes.
THE POLICE ON THE LOOKOUT.
The police were soon notified and they have
since been on the lookout for suspicious-ap-
pearing persons in the county after dark.
The superintendent of the cemetery has been
taking extra precautions in closing graves since
he discovered that some Of the graves had been
disturbed and has used cedar brush and blocks
In order to render it more difficult to remove
the bodies.