Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1893-10-29


Chris's appetite After the bodies have
been dssected he boils the bones. The
caldron he uses for this purpose Is
very ordinary looking affair. and not the
least bit suggestive of. a witchs Kettle.
The remains Of the bodies are all care
fully collected and buried, and under no
circumstances are the students a.
lowed to exhibit or expose them.
But why and wherefore IL Chris. Baker
the outcast and the scspegoat OF the col
ored race? All, there's the rub. He Is an
ex-graye robber and an ex-offcio body
snatcher That's where the dark ana
blood-curdling part OF his life comes In.
His dissectIng-room antics are nqtnins'
in point of ghastliness compared TO his
former career, but all the same, he ~ a
worker I'm the cause of science. What ne
has done Is only what was necessary 10
aid the study of medicine.
In olden times, and even up 10 rev
years ago, the corpses OF paupers ana
convicts were not turned over to the
college as they are now, and the instl-
tuition had to procure "stins' as best
II could. This was not an easy Joo,
especially as the college uses at least ilIty
cadavers a year, while the school at the
University OF Virginia requires as many
more And so the material used had TO De
stolen, and where else could IL be gotten
except from the last resting places OF the
dead? 'Tis true n few corpses were
shipped from northern hospitals. but they
were hard 10 obtain, and towards the last
the premium on dead men rose so high
that the institution really could not
afford TO buy them. The cadavers, at
the lowest, would cost ten dollars, and
then the freight-rates would ADD greaty
to the expense. AS a general thing the
defunct subjects were shipped in barrels
and morked oil" To avoid detection
the barrels containing the bodies were
made to correspond in weight with the
article they purported to contain.
THE AUTHORITIES KNEW 1T.
The authorities. OF course, knew that
grave robberies were a necessity under
these circumstances, and so they winked
at the body-snatching process or ignored
Il altogether. But just before the present
law supplying corpses was passed, the
public began to get stirred up about the
matter, for on several occasions the re-
mains OF respectable people were recog-
nized In the dissecting-rooms. sew
eral times Chris and party OF
students. who went forth under cover
OF darkness to rob the graves OF their
dead were seen about the cemeteries,
and an effort was made to capture them'
but they escaped. The thing got into the
papers, and the negroes throughout the
city came thoroughly alarmed and put
all sorts of rumors into circulation. some
of the colored people believed that CHRIS
was in the habit of numbering his breth-
rem I'm order to get their remains. and his
name was feared in every Afro-Amerlcan
household He was ostracised In burnt
sienna society and fashionable circles or
Jackson Ward knew him no more.
But Chris. and the students kept on
stealing corpses all the same. ana the
cemetery officers got 10 watching them
| closer and closer. Finally they were cap
tured. or 80 near being captured that
grand expose followed Chris. shook
the Indignant dust Of Richmond from ms
ghoulish heels and stayed away from the
city for several months. Finally he came
| back and resumed his duties at the Cot
/ lege and likewise. his old habit OF steal
/ ing the dead. His party was captured.
and while the students escaped punish
ment at the hands Of the law, the unfor-
/ tunate darky was sent to Jail.
| "Yas. sab" said Chris, recalling the IN
! cident. and describing the lameniable CIR
] cumstance to me. they catched me, ana
| was In iall all that Christmas. Then
/ they catched me agin the next year ana
I missed Christmas agin. But ! wouldn
/ eat that jail 'vittels,' for they USED 10
! send me two meals every day.
/ On one occasion Chris. and his student
friends went forth one bitter cold night
"for the intention OF snatchlng a Few
cornses hut lust as they began their
work they heard the cemetery watchmen
approachIng. The jolly ghouls, VINO were
/ well armed, took to their heels whiie
/ the officers followed and finally surrouhu-
/ ed them. All of the fugitives hid them
| selves behind trees, and Il deahiocK en-
sued. for the guards wouldn't approach
and the students couldn't move IL M"s
n plain case OF freeze out lor ,nS
hIeak winds whistled over the graves ana
chilled the very marrow OF the ghculs'
The thermometer kept going down III the
/ region OF Chris. until his very soul
vearned for a stove. and he began 10
/ think that anything would be pre-
| ferable TO his situation. WINE
behind the tree he philosophical
thusly: "If | stays here I'll be 'frez: II /
goes out I'll get shot-Tll get shot ana
/ With that he stuck his head around the
tree and waved a rag as nag oil truc''
A general surrender then followed.
In vain | tried to get Chris TO tel me
tho number of bodies he had st0len' put
ne was as evasive as a POLITICIAN anu
nretended that he didn't know.
lie said II used TO be his custom 10
take away the cadavers in q light wagon
asked him II he removed the bodies III
tbeir collins. or left the caskets behind.
"T or. sab" said Chris. 1--WE didn't want
10 collins. De bodies was enuf for rs
The peculiar little darkey told me thht
no had practically been born and bred AT
the college His mother has been iau'
dress al the institution for years ana
stilI does work there. Chris has been
ianitor at the college for fourteen years
He has seen A summers and Is mar
rlad man with several children.