The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1893-01-16
BOLD GRAVE ROBBERS.
They Rob Washington Cemeteries
of the Silent Dead.
RICH AND POOR SUFFER ALIKE.
At Least Four Hundred Bodies Removed
Each Year TO supply Subjects for
Medical schools-Ths People are Very
Indignant and Have Set Traps.

WASHINGTON, Jan. 16-An expose OF
the systematic robbing of graves here to
supply the four medical colleges located
in the city has created a sensation.
The colleges concerned are the ones con-
nected with the Columbian University,
Howard University, Georgetown Univer-
sity and the National University.
Annually over 500 students attend these
four medical colleges, aud 10 instruct
students in the science kof anatomy 300
subjects ~ are necessary.
To equip their dissecting rooms the col.
leges nave bought annually 100 bodies
stolen from the graves belonging To the
lot owners I'm the cemeteries where the
well-to-do and the wealthy bury their
dead: The other 200 bodies required are
obtained from Potter's field.
The chief resurrectionist is alleged TO
be a colored man named Marlowe, who
lives In an old barrack out in the west
part of the town.
The cemeteries upon which the resur-
rectionists prey are the Congressional,
at Il and Eighteenth streets South east);
Mt. Olive. on the Blaudensburg road;
Good Hope, on the Hamilton roal; Ma
tional, on Harewood road; Oak Hill, at
the head of Thirteenth street; Hollyhood,
on Thirty-second street; Prospect Hill,
on Lincoln avenne; ST. Mary's German
Catholic, on Lincoln avenue; Harmonia,
on Brentwood road; Gracelane, fifteenth
aud II Streets; the Baptist. Methodist
and Presbyterian cemeteries aud Potters
field, Ninth street
The other night the guards at the
Harmonic cemetery fred at couple of
body snatchers in the act OF robDing
grave. Both ghouls escaped. but one
OF them was hit with bullet, for ne
lett trail OF blood behind him.
Last October the Fourth Street Meth
odist Episcopal cemetery was depopu-
lated all the bodies Icing remov,d TO
the Congregational There were 1900
tombs and III over 10J OF them body
snatchers had been at their work OF
resurrection.
The number of graves that have been
ROBBED III the Congressional Cemetery
can never be told unless an examination
is made OF each grave.
The statement is freely made that the
graves OF the wealthy are visited rs often
those OF Potter's field.
Last night so great had become the
storm oil popular indignation that "A
guard was set at the Co ,gressional Gem
e,ery, at Glenwood and at Potter's field.
Az 1880 this morning the watchers at
Potters Held saw canva>-covered wagon
occupied by three and possibly four men
drive up TO the gully along side the pau
per's burial grounds.
At about A. NJ. two men got out; one
carried what looked like pckaxe. He
aud was followed by another whD carried
an indistinguishaDle object No lights
were displayed.
The watchers gave no sign, and the hor-
riDle WORK OF desecratiul went on unin-
terrupted. A fresh grave was located
aud the earth auger was set to work.
In few minutes the shallo coffin was
reached. Then there was crunch as the
boards gave way.
The auger was withdrawn from the
grave. rope run down into the n irrow
aperture, and the horribly disigured oc-
cupant of the grave drawn forth ia all It's
ghastliness moment later.
1t was thrown upon u sheet of rubber,
wrapped up, and while one OF the men
hastily removed traces of their hellish
work upon the grave the others carried
their prey to the wagon aud tea minutes
later the wagon had driven down the
law determined TO discover it's des tina
tion.