The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-08-26
CHOULS ROB A TOMB.
Mrs. KTOuSkOff'S Grave Broken Open
and Her Skull Stolen.


Taken From the Decayed Coffin.
The Motive for the Deed a mys-
terry. but Believed to Have Been
to Secure the Dead Woman's Jew
els Which Were Buried With Her
No Glue to the Vandals.
The discovery was made yesterday that
the grave of Mrs. Josephene krouskOff,
late wife Of Mr.. $. Erouskof, in Bona
venture cemetery, had been broken open
and the remains despoIed. The deed is
one of the most ghoulish in its plan and
in its execution that has ever been known.
The earth was dug out from the marble
Enclosure in which the CONN rested. The
glass over the face was broken and the
head of the body was carried away.
Mrs. Krouskoff died in August, 1885.
nine years ago. The coffin and the box
that had surrounded it were decayed and
little was left OF the body but the skeie-
ton. The flesh had long since disap-
peared.
The grave is in the KrouskoH lot
short distance from the bluff, on a slight
elevation overlooking the river and the
marshes. The avenue divides Just in
front of the lot, one drive extending to
the river and the other around the slope
and back into the main avenue.
THE GHoUL's WORK.
There is nothing TO conceal the lot or
the tall blue granite monument which
stands at the head Of Mrs. Krouskof's
grave. The robbery was committed
night or Two before it was discov-
Ln
back into the grave and smoothed
of so carefully that the evidences of the
horrible despoilment were partially con-
cealed. All around, though, were traces
OF the work of the ghouls. A few feet
from the monument lay lady's wig, the
hair as well preserved as if it had just
been dressed. Pieces Of the decayed cof-
fin and fragments Of broken glass were
scattered about and just outside of the
Enclosure trampledinto the sand, were
punches of matted gray hair, where
it had been removed or had dropped from
the skull. \ wagon track led up to the
entrance to the lot The rains had par
TALLY obliterated the track, but the ruts
were deep enough TO show that they
were made by the wheels of a wagon
rather than buggy or carriage. The
wagon stopped in front Of the lot, and af-
ter it had received its CHASTITY freight it
was turned around and driven
back into the main avenue where
the tracks became confused with these of
other vehicles, and its course could not be
followed 1t must have been driven into
the cemetery through the south gate, as
the gates at the main entrance are kept
locked at night. A night, and possibly
two nights, having interviewed before the
robbery was discovered, it was difficult
to follow the tracks OF the wagon
afterit left the avenue and it was impossi-
BILE to tell in which direction it went.
BROUGHT THEIR TOOLS.
The robbers brought their own tools
and carried them away with them. There
was no difficulty in opening the grave 1t
is surrounded by marble coping extend
ing several inches above the ground and
reaching to the bottom Of the grave, form
ing a walled excavation; at the bottom of
which was the coffin. Above it the earth
was heaped up. The base of the monu-
ment is at the head of the grave. The
robbers began by digging away the earth
at the head, but finding it impossible to
reach the cofin In that way, they I'M
earthed the entire body, piling the earth
over the sides of the coping and scatter
ing the pieces of the decayed coffin and
box over the lot. AS soon as the robbers
had reached the body they removed the
head, reflled the grave with the loose
earth and smoothed it over, 50 that the
evidence of their work would be as little
noticeable as possible.
Supt. Fennell and Frank Masters dis
covered the robbery. Old Charlie, the
old negro grave-digger, had noticed, too,
that the grave had been disturbed An
investigation was at once begun Supt
Fenneu mad the grave reopened, and at
once saw that a ghoulish robbery had
been committed. The earth had been
thrown in loosely, and it took but a few
minutes to dig to the bottom of the grave.
THE HEAD MISSING,
The body was unearthed its entire
length, but nothing was missing except
the head. In removing it the wig, which
was found few feet away, had been
dropped. II was then carried outside of
the Enclosure to the wagon, and there. a
few inches from the wagon tracks, in the
sand, were mats of hair. The
robbery could have been done in
half an hour and in a
remote part of the cemetery the robbers
were able to work without fear of detec-
tion. They did their work quickly,
though, there is no doubt, and in
few minutes their tracks were covered,
and the evidences that might lead to
their detection were in part destroyed.
Whether there was more than one con.
cerned in the robbery it was impossi-
bic to tell. The cemetery authorities are
inclined to believe there was more than
one.
THE MOTIVE A MYSTERY.
The motive for the deed is its greatest
mystery. If for robbery why should any
part of the body have been carried away
II was evident from the care exercised by
the ghouls in concealing the traces
Of their work that it was not intended
that it should DO discovered. To one
passing the lot there was nothing TO in
dictate what had taken place. Mrs
KrouskofT's is the only grave but one in
the lot The other grave was undis
TURNED a careful search Of tho lots na