Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1892-07-15
A Luck Bone.

4 Luck Bone.
A grave robbed, the body of a young
wife mutilated-and all for a luck bone
That is the story which Detectives
Bedford and Palmer brought back from
Meriwether county yesterday morning.
They have found the solution of the
mysterious grave robbery which has so
excited the people of Lutherville and
that vicinity, and clever piece of de
tective work it was.
The crime probably has no parallel
Grave robberies there have been, and
the motives that have prompted them
have been many and various; but the
motive for this is unique gambler
insatiate desire for luck bone.
The story of the death Of the young
ard beautiful wife of Mr.. Barnie Al
mand, and the husbands terrible dis
covery that the grave had afterwards
been opened and the body mutilated
by the removal ofthe index finger of the
right hand, has been told in the Coasti-
tuition.
Mr.. Almand is one of the most prom
inent and prosperous young farmers
living in the rich section Of Georgia sur
rounding Lutherville and Rocky
Mount, in Meriwether county. On the
18th of June his young wife died, and
on the goth she was buried. Three
days later there WAS another funeral
in the little church yard, and at that
time the discovery was made that the
newlv-madc grave Of Mrs. Armand had
evidently been tempered with.
The grave was opened at once, Mr..
Armand being present. Then it was
the discovery that the finger had been
removed was made. 1t was thought
that some of the intestines had also
been removed, though no thorough eX
animation was made. And the result
of this last discovery was theory that
the deed had been done by somebody
interested in having post-mortem eX-
animation made.
This story was soon on everybody
lips. 1t involved Dr. Matthews. who
attended Mrs Armand in her last illness.
DIR. Mathews is one of the most prom
inent physicians in that part of the
State, and as soon as this story reached
his ears he went to Mr.. Armand with =
request that he be allowed to have the
body examined again, so the exact facts
concerning the extent of the despolia-
ton might be ascertained. This re-
quest was readily granted and on the
9th another examination was made
in tie presence of half dozen of
the most prominent of Mr.. Armand 5
friends. 1t was found then that only
the finger had been removed-that the
body had not been disturbed in any
other way.
The mystery was as great as ever
Why should anybody want the finger Of
the dead lady? And who had taken
it? The examination thoroughly exon
Grated DR.. Matthews; but that gentle
man determined to have the mystery
solved, and for that purpose wrote 10
Atlanta for detective. The reply he
got wasn't altogether satisfactory, so he
came here himself Then he secured the
services OF Detective Shacklcford, who
took Detective Palmer, one of his best
men, to Luthcrville They looked over
the ground. and Detective Palmer re-
NAMED to do what he could with the
case.
Detective Palmer found that gang
of young negroes about Lutheryille de
voted all their time to gambling, and
that number of crimes had been com
mitted by them. He turned his atten-
ton 10 this gang. One day he over
heard a negro woman talking about n
wonderful luck bone which Rich Mitch
ell, notorious member of the gang.
had, and upon further questioning he
learned that gamblers consider the bone
of the index finger of the right hand Of
q woman as one of the lucliest of luck
producers that the possession ofsuch q
luck bone meant great good fortune and
big winnings.
1t didn't take the detective long to find all
the evidence lie needed to convict Rich
Mitchell of grave robbery. One woman had
heard him tell his partner that he had gone
into the grave.
Am Use now fixed he said, so 1 can
crawl out with every game l can't be beat.
The negro had shown the precious bone on
several occasions He carried it next To his
heart, in small red flannel bag, but he
was very careful to refuse TO tell where ne
got it.
When arrested Mitchell had succeeded in
hiding the finger. and it has not been found.
He denied the crime, but the evidence in the
preliminary trial before Judge Hobbs. AT
Rocky Mount, WAS conclusive, and he WIS
promptly sent TO jail.
The arrest and trial created great deal OF
excitement. and, when il was found that there
was no doubt of the negro's guilt, there were
many threats of lynching.
Cooler heads counseled against this, how
ever and on Monday the negro was safely
lodged in the Greenville Jail There he IS
now, and the chances are that ne will pay
very dearly for that luck bone 7-Atantr
Constitution.