The Washington times., 1894-10-23
KING OF BODY-SNATCHERS
Paralysis Seizes Percy Brown, a
Noted ReSurrectiOHist.
DYING IN "RYDER'S CASTLE"
His Record for Boldness in His Uncanny
Profession" Not Surpassed -Gruesome
Incidents in His Career-Connected with
the Russian Nobility.

One OF Washington's most noted criminal
characters was stricken with paralysis yester-
day. and is said TO be in a dying condition in
his room in "Ryder's Castle. the old tumble
down tenement No. 429 New Jersey avenue
northwest, next to the Sixth precinct station
house.
Percy Brown, aged, sin-hardened, and no
torious, and who proudly wears the soubri-
quet of King of the body-snatchers. is the
character mentioned. For several years past
he has resided with his sister, Maud Brown,
and her husband in the old rookery. Percy
has not been able OF late owing TO his feeble
condition to follow MS uncanny profession of
resurrectiOnist but his past record Will vie
with that Of any other body-snatcher in the
world, not excepting that of the desperate
Jansen, whose bold exploits in this city are
so well known.
In years gone by Percy, Maud and their
confederates made big money unearthing
bodies from neighboring gravevards and sell
ing them TO medical colleges here and else
where His fondness for drink. however al
ways kept his cash account low, and now as
the setting sun of his illy-spent life is disap-
pearing, Ihe old fellow finds himself penniless
and destitute.
Percy Brown was born in Russia where he
claims 10 be connected with the nobility of
the Cars domains. He is about sixty-ilye
years OF age and could always easily be dis
tinguished by his long. reddish beard, heavy
flowing eyebrows. and piercing, bead-like
eyes. He was typical resurrectionist in ap-
pearance and was feared by the unintellgent
class of negroes, who declared he was slap
doctor" and captured live subjects for the dis
secting-rooms.
THE CORPsEs ROLLED OUT.
al h., ,,l1
arrested for body-snatching, said Police
Sergeant Byrnes, of the Sixth precinct, TO a
TINES reporter last night 1T was in 1873.
He was captured at the Baltimore and Ohio
depot by Officers Atchison and Dubois. Percy
had four stiffs in a long box, and wanted 10
ship them TO Baltimore college, where he
was TO receive S15 for each body. The box
accidentally broke open and the corpses
rolled out on to the depot platform, creating
great excitement Rumors were circulated
that four murdered men had been found,
and crowd OF several thousands of people
congregated about the old Seventh precinct
station-house, at the corner of First and +
streets northwest, where we had the cadayers
laid out in a ghastly line in the back yard.
AT that time there was no law which spe
cihcally punished body snatching, and we had
10 arraign prisoners charged with that Of
fense under the vagrancy act. We captured
Percy and Maud Brown and another as
sistant in an old shanty near the brick yards,
on South Capitol street. The house was
known as the headquarters of the body
snatehing craft in Washington. and the loca-
rion was an admirable one for the purpose.
There were but few houses in the vicinity and
the surroundings were gloomy and isolated.
The threa prisoners were tried in the
police court as vagrants by Judge Smell, it
being the first case of the kind ever tried in
IL Me- all sd
sent down for three months. The police also
captured all Of Percy's parsphernalia, com
prIsing grave hooks, bags, crowbars, spades,
etc.
wAsHINGToN's GRAVE NOT SAFE.
Several years later Percy's second head
quarters, in Northeast Washington, were
raided by the police, who discovered beneath
the house damp cavern. wherein the bodies
were kept before shipment. When Brown
was on trial before Judge Smell he was asked
If he robbed graves as means OF livelihood.
Yes he answered, proudly, land I would
rob the grave OF George Washington il
could get the chance"
On another occasion Percy got drunk while
taking a cadayer to the old dissecting rooms
which were formerly on the top floor of the
building at the northeast corner Of Tenth and
l. streets northwest Instead of placing the
body in the hallway leading TO the dissecting
rooms. he got il into the adjoining one, which
opened into a private residence. Then he
staggered of down the street with the con-
sciousness. no doubt. of duty well done. OFF,
Ger Slattery, who was on that beat, came
along n short while later, and while trying
the door it opened and the corpse pitched for
ward out Of the hallway and fell at the police
mans feet. This event also caused much ex-
element, and reports of a horrible murder
were rife that night and the next day.
Numerous other ghastly incidents could be
related of the man who has followed for many
years the business Of resurrectionst, but who
Is now himself about to investigate more
fully than ever before the interior of the
grave