Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-04-25

VIII be stnt to-day. To be used in the
| college there.
design which had been placed on the
coffin, and with this he drove back 10
! his country home.
| THE SECRETARY'S EXPLANATION
Dr Mathews was seen by q Dispatch
man last night IN reference 10 his refusal
I TO accedc 70 thu Isquest OF Hopkins's
father and he made the following state
ment:
THE secretary OF the Anatomical Board
has no authority without first referring
| the matter 10 the board to deliver a body
( legally turned over 10 him 20 any one
/ other than the representative OF medical
college I'm this State II nee e was i'm
/ possible for me 90 have compiled with
the request OF Morr.s's father Had !
done 80 | would have established n very
dang rous Ivecedent The bodies Of cr!mi-
nails ana pdupers arc the only subjects
we now have In our colleges. and without
them the colleges would not be able 10
operate. Therefore we could not afford
20 establish a precedent which Nigh. be
/ hurtfui 10 our institutions. The body will
not be used roughly or carelessly, but
only for the advancement Of medical
science. We DO not claim 1t without a
/ due regard for the public sentiment in
| such cases. We regret the necessity for
having TO take II from the relatives. but
this is tbs only method by which the
board can get subjects and subjects We
must have"
THE LAW on THE SUBJECT.
The State Anatomical Board was crea-
| ted by an act passed in 1885,, bat Il did
not get actively T. work until 1887. The
section Of the Code bearing on the sub
ject reads: AN officers. agents, and ser
wants Of every city in the state. and Of
every almshOusc, prison. mOrgue. hOspi-
tai. Jail. or other public institution In
such city, having charge or control Of
any dead human body which Is required
TO be buried al tho public expense. and
every officer or other having charge
or control OF the body Of any person
upon whom the sentence OF death Tor
crime has been executed under the law,
shah notify the said board or such per
son or persons IA may from time 10 time
be designated by the board or their duly
authorized officer or agent. whenever, and
as soon as any such body comes to his
or their possession. charge. or control:
and shall without fee or reward, deliver
such body and permit the said board
and its agents. and such physicians ana
surgeons as may from time TO time be
designated by the board. and shall nave
given the bond required by section
] Isl 10 take and remove any such body,
to be used for the advancement OF meei-
cal science: but no such notice need be
given. nor shall any such body be de-
livered Except i'm the case Of criminals
n any person claiming TO be- and satls-
tying the authorities in charge or sald
| body that he is Of kin, or related by
marriage to the deceased, shall clam
the body for burial and pay the expenses
therefor: nor shall the notice be given
or the body delivered Il the deceased
was q traveller who died suddenly.
THD CASE OF CLUVERIUS.
DR. William H. Taylor, city Coroner
ana member Of the faculty Of the Medi-
cal College Of Virginia, when asked last
night what he thought about the dispo-
eition of Hopkins's body, said he really
| knew nothing about II. He was. how
| ever. somewhat surprised to learn mat
tho wishes Of the mans parent were
not complied with. I'm the case OF
Cluverius." continued the Coroner.
(Which was the last hanging here prior
10 that Of to-day. the body was turned
over to the unfortunate mans family.
| | did not make a post-mortem or hold an
iuoueet i'm that case. Indeed, ! never
do. though this is a matter that Hes
| entirely in the discretion of the Coroner
The Anatomical Board had not gotten
well to work when Cluverius was hunS
TO have seized his body.
A pathetic incident Of the execution
was the finding OF little sister Of Nor
ris's by judge Wickham. crouched down
behind the Jail shortly after the hanging
CRYING bitterly. She had hoped 10 see
her brother once more before he died. ana
as even a glimpse OF the remains was de
ried her she refused to be pacifed' ano
was driven off by her father, crying az
hTgaK
Crime for Which lie Was Hanged
The crime for which Morris's life was
sacrificed was n most atrocious one nc
was employed for some time as brlck>
maker AT the yard OF Messrs. Hooker q
Phillips. I'm the West End. just beyond
the corporate limits. and on the ith or
.Jura. lSq3 he got into an altefcatloh Win
Mr. Henry Parsons, manager or the HaIH'
concerning a sum of money claimed 10y
the negro to be due him. The result OK
this was that while MI parsons at
tention was directed elsewhere motifs
crent IN behind him and with heavy
oaken stick struck him behind me eaN
and felled him to the ground. lie then
got upon the PROSTATE manager ana
stamped him. The skull was very badiy
shattered, and conclusion or the pralh
resulted Mr. Parsons fingered untl inc
2sth of the same month, when an opera
ton was performed on him. ana the next
day he died 49,.
s warrant was sworn ont 1or the
arrest of Morris. charging him with the
murder OF Parsons. but he fled, and all
trace of him was lost. The search Tor
him was abandoned. and the case was al
most forgotten. when one morning, ABOUT
four months after the murder, me dc>
cused. accompanied by his father, APP
neared at the county fail and surrendered
himself to Deputy-Sherif RUSSELL "A re-
ward of sl00 had been offered Tor hN
capture and the father claimed the re-
ward. but for some reason it was neVes
paid. The prisoner remained In The gan
until April 18th Of the next year Wheh
he. was brought up for trial before the
County Court Mr.. Parsons wars a men,
Der of the order of Red Men, ana theN
took an active part in prosecuting his
murderer. They employed Mr.. H. NJ
Smith. Jr. TO assist in the prosecution.
SOME TIME TO AGREE.
Morris was represented by Messrs. w.
NJ Justis Hay Il. Garnett, q. w.
Thomas. and Henry A. Atkinson, Jr. Inc
trial lasted three DAYS. and for some tim"
the Jury was divided. An agreement was
finally reached on the afternoon OF the
third day after the jury mad Deeh iocheu
M for almost twentyfour hours. ana
was rendered.
Some time afterwards the negro was
sentenced to be hung by Judge WICK,
ham hut n stay OF execution was granted
by Judge Wexford in the Circuit Court
while he considered an appeal Tor a WIN
of error which he ultimately declined
10 grant. The case was then certilee
back to the County Court and Judge
Wicl<ham rcsentenced Morris TO be hahs'
ed on Wednesday. April 3. 1895 He had
been in Jail under a death watch ever
since, and had conducted himself with
stole Indifference both 10 his situation
and surroundings. His counsel were es-
pecially energetic in his behalf. and every
means possible for securing an ameilora-
ton OF sentence was tried. The Gov
ernor was appealed 10 as last resort
and granted reprieve until yesterday
He refused, however, 10 Interfere fur'her'
and the execution was carried out.
Is GRADED No. 1.