The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1895-12-12

cut open and held back with pins.
Finally Lillis said; 81 believe this is
the body. l can tell by the wasted limbs.
She was two years in dying, and there
wasn't anything left of her"
Someone asked Lillis if he knew his
mothers height, and he said "Five feet
eight or seven." The body was measured
and found to be five feet seven inches
without shoes or hair.
"Coustable Ross take charge of the
body. l claim the body. 1 am satisfied
that it is the right one," said Liilis. Then
as he tenderly spread the cover over
the horrible sight which was to
him dear form. II tell you, boys, this
is pretty hard. If could find the -
who did this 1 would furnish
their damned institute with subjects for
a while"
When the officers visited the college
for the body of Mrs, Van Fleet Ser
geant Tim Donovan had looked at the
body of Mrs. LilIis, which was then un-
disturbed, and had thought he recog-
nized it to be Mrs. Lillis. He lifted a
hand to see if the corpse was
old, found that it was not. Dono-
van sat up part of the time with the
sick woman before her death, and was
one of the pail bearers. He kept his
knowledge to himself, however, feeling
sure that it would be found out if the
body was that of Mrs. Lillis, and if it
was not hers he thought if he said any
thing it would put him in an unpleas-
ant light.
At the foot of the table which was
near the north wall of the dissectlng
room hung six aprons used by the stu
dents. A penciled placard which hung
near announced that students must
keep these tables clean" A set
of dissecting instruments from Kan
sas City house lay by
the skull of the corpse on
! the table. A rusty wash dish sat on an
like brains in it, while new tin pail
stood near the table partly filed with
pieces of flesh. The odor was dreadful.
Before Lillis fully identified the re-
mains the two rooms opening to the
north from the dissecting room were
searched, but no bodies were in them.
BY the time the officers went to these
aud found them both locked they were
pretty angry and two jumped against
them with all their weight. There are
| two broken locks at the college today.
When the searching party went down
stairs all the doctors and students who
| had been there were gone. Sergeant
! Ellison had sent the students away
When the searching party arrived a
number of the students announced that
it was all ''tom foolery," and Sd fool
| ishness," and this made a poor impress
sion on the officers and others. It would
be advisable for the students to suppress
their opinions for time.
Soon after Undertaken Hogan arrived
and took tao body away. He said he
knew it was the body of Mrs. Liflis from
marks which he found on il which he
made in preparing the body for burial.
Owing to representations made to
| Governor Morrill, by the Medical col
lege faculty he ordered the Lawrence
company of militia to hold itself in readi-
ness to come to Topeka at a moments
notice and also ordered Battery B out,
but these precautions were unnecessary.
Captain Mcclure and Lieutenant Charles
! Elwell came up from Lawrence, but
none of the rest were sent for.
At 9 o'clock, however, the governor
| offered a reward OF $500 for the grave
robbers. The proclamation reads:
"Whereas, have received information
that an Infamous crime has been com
mitted in Shawnee county by the desecra-
ton of graves aud the mutilation of the
remains of certain deceased persons;
Now. therefore, l, E. n. Morrill,, gov
ernor of Kansas, do hereby offer a re-
ward of $500 TO any person or persons
=
to the arrest and conviction of the parties
who committed this outrage.
"Given under my hand, this 18th day
of December, 1895.
E N. MORRILL,
There was not the excitement up town
that would call for the heroic measures
taken to prevent the sacking of the col
lege. Ever since the hanging of Oil
phant by the mob there has been mob
talk in Topeka, but no mobs Police
Captain Gardiner said last night: "They
won't do anything. They always talk
pretty hard. That OIiphant hanging,
while doubtless the man deserved it, was
bad precedent for Topeka, bad prec-
edent."
The talk of the formation of mobs in
North Topeka was utterly foolish. 1t
was quiet over there. People left the
streets early, and no more activity than
usual could be noticed.
In front of the lodge rooms of Apollo
lodge 1873 A. o. U. W. between Seventh
aud Eighth streets on Kansas avenue a
hundred men were congregated talking
over the latest news of the grave robbers.
This crowd was composed of the curious
and the usual notoriety seeking gang
and they passed the time away by shout
ing Bring the rope" Somebody lead
ahead" "Ill go with six other good
men" and "joshing" expressions
Five hundred members of the A. o. L.
W. attended the meeting in the rooms of
the lodge of which A. n. Dake is mem
ber. The pass word was used and none
but lodge men were admitted. While
there was some inflammatory talk, the
session was orderly and proper resolu
tions were adopted. Special Officer
Mathews in citizens clothing and Officer
Frank Parsalls in uniform attended the
meeting, but had no occasion to inter
fere.
Lawyer Joe Ensmiuger made a sensi-
BILE speech which pleased even the po-
licemen. He said: "Gentlemen, am
opposed to any kind of mob violence or
any proceeding at variance with law. To
do anything of this kind would. indeed,
be a grievous mistake. While l believe
lila hnt thi-r-