Richmond planet., 1896-08-01
DR.. Matthews Position.
UNIVERSITY SURGEONS
" ERE HUMANE.
The Tender Relationship
Recognized,
MORE ABOUT THE BARREL AND
THE ARREST.
A Sad Story.

That the secretary of the Anatomi-
cal Board, DIR William L Matthews
fully intended that the weeping widow
of Solomon Marable should not have
the body OF her own husband after he
had complied with the laws demands
was foreshadowed by his treatment OF
Funeral Director William 5 Seiden.
He approached the gentlemen who
were said TO have authority i'm such
matters and all were favorable except
the official referred to.
Funeral Director DOyne (white) of
Farmville, performed the duty assign
ed him md the arrival of the remains
at the Byrd st. Station duly noted.
The action OF DIR. Paulus A. Irving,
the treasurer of the University College
of Medicine was kind, considerate and
humane
Mr. Whitehead, the efficient clerk
was as accommod atIng as it was possi-
BILE for gentleman TO be.
DIR. Hunter Mcclure, the distinguish
ed president won go den words of
praise from the ministers to whose re-
quest he so readily acceded
But let us consider the troubles en-
countered. The Anatomical Board had
not complied with the law. 1t failed
to have an agent at Farmville TO take
charge of the remains, and it had not
guaranteed the expense.
THR sHERIFF's RESPONSE
Sheriff T. H. Dickerson's indignant
response to the demand that he be-
come an agent for the board by declar-
ing that if it did not have some one at
the gallows to receive the remains and
no other demand was made for it, he
would bury it in Potter's Field was
as earnest and as emphatic as he in
tended it should be.
But the body was shipped to Rich
mond by express to the University
College OF Medicine and that institu-
tion had control of it.
When President Mcclure ordered
the transfer of the remains to other
hands it passed there absolutely. The
Anatomical Board could deal with the
sheriff and with the medical college,
but its right to exercise Jurisdiction
over the ministers and ourselves was
another question.
After having secured possession OF
the body, the easiest way was to secure
the consent of the parties claiming an
interest and this we proceeded to do
WOULD NOT WAIT
But before this could be consummat-
ed, DIR. VIM 2. Matthews insisted up
on having the remains removed TO the
Medical College of Virginia, across
which doors might we'll be inscribed
so far as cOrpses are concerned who
enters here leaves hope behind"
lt was TO prevent, just what occurred
that we expended time, money and
patience in an effort to secure the
peaceful possession of the body OF
Marable
When it became apparent, that his
evident intention was to have the bO-
dy for dissecting purposes, regardless
of the feelings of the widow and child
rem who had no part or parcel in the
crime committed, it was evident that
legal fight was unaVoid able ad that
the aid of the courts would have to be
invoked in constituting the require.
ments under this law
MOTE ABOUT THE ARREST.
DR.. Matthews had us arrested, Mr.
W. s. Selden experienced similial
treatment. A search warrant was Sc
cured and the body removed, not K
the Police Station or the City Morgue
where it should have gone, but to TIT
Medical College of Virginia where
should nOt.have gone until the ques
tiOn of ownership had been decided b,
the Police Justice
Moreover, the disturbing of the re
mains by removing them from tn,
coffin, was plain violation of law
Thus it will be seen that the mos
high-handed proceedings marked ever,
stage of the drama in the effort to Sc
cure possession of body which unde
the laws Of God and man belonged t,
the man himself and next to his owl
relatives.
Our intention was to make DIR. Mat
tbews produce in the court the thinj
alleged to have been stolen, namely
the body of Marable.
When the case was called on tn,
Monday following, it was speedily dis
missed. Mr.. Selden never appeared
he was in North Carolina with tn,
corpse. Mr.. IL. +. Jonathan wa
surety for him, while Mr. William
Isaac 10 hnson acted in that capacity
or Us