The San Francisco call., 1896-02-22
The Deceased Woman Had Been
Ill for More Than
Two Years
HERS WAS a PECULIAR CASE.
1t Is Supposed That Medical Students
Are the Perpetrators of
the Crime.

A sad illustration, as 1t were, OF the vlsl-
tation of misery always being IN the plural
has been impressed upon William Clarke,
his sons and daughter, of 317 Fell street.
1t was only on Wednesday last that they
buried Mrs. Rose Anna Clarke. the mother
of the family, and force of circumstances
compelled repetition of the ceremony
yesterday morning at Mount Calvary Gem
etery.
1t was fearful and perplexed gathering
in which some detectives in civilians
clothes and the officers of the cemetery
mixed.
The CALL of yesterday morning gave,
exclusively the cause of the reburial OF
Mrs. Clarke.
Further investigation, however, reveals
story of ghoulish work which, although
heard of from time to time in the North
west, has been almost unknown in this
City.
Superintendent Peter Mohun of the GEM
etery said yesterday that there Tere rs, 900
people buried iH his graveyard and never
before had an attempt been made there to
disinter corpse for illegal purposes. But
the superintendent, faithful to his pledge
given the family of the principal in the
resent case, refused to give the name Of
dead woman.
Il cannot tell you who she is" he said
"She was buried Wednesday morning and
one of the workmen waited until Thurs
day morning to place the hedge around
the plat. He went there at o'clock and
found the grave dug out and the coffin
exposed He reported the matter to my
foreman and then to me. | notified the
police and she family of the deceased.
The corpse had not been touched, and
while We are unaware of the reason that
prompted the crime, or who were the
perpetrators, we do not want to speak on
the subject"
The following death and burial notice
appeared in Mondays CALL, and is the
only one fitting the case at issue:
CLARKE-In this city February, 16. 1886, Rose
Anna, beloved wife of William Clarke, mother of
Mag lie William j. and Cornelius Clarke, and
Kenny and Daniel Curran, native of County
Armagh, Ireland, aged 56 years.
fully invited to attend the funeral WEDNEs-
DAY, February 49, at 8 O'Clock A.. NJ, from her
late residence, 317 Fell street. thence to Sacred
Heart Church, where solemn requiem mass
will be celebrated for the repose OF her SOUL COM
mencing at 80 O'Clock A. N. Interment Mount
Calvary Cemetery.
his daughter, were called upon at their
residence last evening and their statement
of the case is somewhat at variance with
that of Superintendent Mohun.
The eldest son, broken down by sorrow,
but manfully attempting to repress his
tears, told the following story:
''Yes, we had to bury mother over again
this morning. When we were notified
that something was wrong we went out
there and found that some people had dug
away all the dirt over the box containing
the casket The lid was cast aside and th e
entire top OF the casket, plateglass quar-
ter of an inch thick and all, was smashed
as with an ak. The body of mother was
found to be in full view, as if the thieves,
or whatever they are, had not had time to
do their work and had fed. The shroud
had been pulled up and lay over the face.
This fact makes me believe that some
medical students did the job and intended
not to carry the body away, but to make
an incision right there and take away
those parts they wanted.
'You see," he added, "mother's case
was a very peculiar one. She died of
heart disease after lingering over two years
and half. and her condition during that
time excited much comment. l and my
family believe that it was on this account
that some medical people wanted to make
an investigation to satisfy their own curl
osity. Our family physician, l want it to be
understood, Is a good and honest man and
we do not want any aspersion cast upon
him. We think that medical students are
the guilty ones and if | could only find
them out they would never again have an
opportunity to go srave-robbing.
The young man, like Superintendent
Mohun, did not believe that the guilty
parties were after plunder. The rings and
other valuables possessed by Mrs. Clarke
had been taken from the body and dis
tributed as mementoes among her rela-
tives.
Chief Crowley, when apprised of the
case, detailed two officers to watch the
cemetery. They were there again last
night, but it is not likely that the ghouls
| will return.
The chief is speculating on the cause oi
the hasty departure of the robbers from
the graveyard and the fact that they left
| their shovel behind. He believes tha,
| they must have been scared away by the
| noise of people passing by the cemetery
| on their way from a wake held Wednesday
| night on Masonic avenue. Young Clarke
the son of the deceased, believes that the
robbers became frightened at the noise
| they made when they broke the plate
glass in the casket.