The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1897-10-26
'TTE BODIES STOLEN.
0,,her Mysterious Affair at a
''' County Institution.
.n0rr wATcHMEN wEaEONGU

s., some One Drove UP to the Morgue In a
Len Loaded Five Bodies into IL and
ooye Away-The Perpetrators Of
n.ed supposed To BE Medical stu
,.-Their Work Very Deliberately
Watchmen Suspended.
,,,ooco oct. 26.-Five bodies were
from the morgue in connection
''O .n the county institutions at Dun
W." carly in the morning. The crime
H"e committed despite the presence of
va. uatchmen, all Of whom have been
M" ,..od suspended by President Healy
', tho county board pending an in
,n,, as TO their responsibility. The
",o, hodies were those of Anna q.
,Snuson John Humpal, Henry Fen
'snorrer Frank Gray and Dominick
worcas The first-named three had
hon inmates of the insane asylum and
..o remaining two OF the poorhouse.
,,.,nloves about the institutions aWoke
- The morning to find the morgue,
~.hiob Is a short distance from the main
buildings. presenting an unusual APP
noorance Opaque shades were hanging
~ the windows, where the day before
,Se sunlight had been freely admitted.
What an Investigation Showed.
This unusual state of affairs excited
orriositv. and an investigation was
made 1t was found that the lock of
The morgue door had been burst in and
nf no
hodies that had reposed on slabs when
the morgue keeper closed the door were
missing. Superintendent LANCE was at
once notified and the information COM
municated to President Healy, who or
dered that a most vigorous investiga-
tion among the employees be set on foot
at once. Word was also sent the police.
There is a suspicion that either the
watchmen or other employees of the in
stitutions may have been identified with
the crime. The appearance Of the in
terror of the morgue would indicate that
the robbers, whoever they were, took
their time about accomplishing their
grewsome crime. 1t is supposed the
shades were put up in order that the
body snatchers might have an oppor-
tunity to light up the morgue without
attracting attention, and the belief is
that the gas had been burning brightly
while the thieves made their selection
from the twelve dead ladies'.
Would BE an Easy Matter.
The grounds surrounding the poor
house and insane asylum are EXTENSIVE
and uninclosed, and it would be an easy
matter for a wagon to find EXTRA nce
thereto by roads other than the usually
travelled driveways, but the mystery
President Healy is trying to solve is.
how, once at the morgue, team could
have stood there without being OBJ
served. 1t is the rule to allow bodies
TO remain in the morgue five days, and
at the expiration of that period, If un-
claimed, to allow them to be taken by
an organization of medical men for dis
trbution among the colleges of medi-
cine for dissection and autopsy pur-
poses. The theory is that medical stu
dents, who were not satisfied with what
their colleges were giving them In this
line, stole the bodies for use in tnei,
studies. President Healy is much dis
turbed over the occurrence, and will
make a most thorough investigation
looking toward the punishment of any
county employee who may be foun1 t.
have been an accomplice Of the ghoulisf
marauders. Several detectives from the
Chicago department. have been detailed
on the case.