The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-07-14
SELL G|)RPSES FOR CASH
THAT SEEMS TO BE THE CUSTOM
OF SOME RAMSEY COUNTY
PEOPLE
BOARD OF CONTROL EXCITED
Undertaken Joseph ROckstroh Is
Summoned Before 1t in Connec-
ton With RequisitiOn for
schmidt's Body.

There has been some strange tampering
with the dead of this city without any au-
thority Of law, and this knowledge re-
suits from a meeting which the board OF
control held yesterday-an unusual one.
It was a meeting not down on the calen-
dar, and yet of great Importance, and
the members, Messrs. Kerw1n, Judson
and Langford. including the secretary,
seemed very much in earnest
The board, on account of recent develop
for the body of Schmidt, who died at
the city hospital, made an investigation
to ascertain why a requisition for that
particular body had been made to
learn who was the promoter in the enter
prise They were not long on the trail,
for circumstances soon pointed to I'm
dertaker Jacob Rockstroh, who is the act
ing authorized agent for the board, and
whose acts in such a case as this one
might render the whole board liable to
grave charges, to be subject to heavy
fines and many other serious complica-
TONS So as soon as the promoter of the
enterprise was located he was directed
to report to headquarters forthwith.
On arriving, he was informed of the
nature of his offense, and had his duties
fully explained. Then he was cross
fired with direct questions from MeSsrs.
Kerwin, Judson and Langford. who piled
him in vigorous manner. One of them
stated to Rockstroh that this board is
not authorized to suggest to you, but you
must know, without any instruction from
the board, what bodies are the proper
subjects for requisition. If we had done
as you are endeavoring to do, there would
have been one of the worst disturbances
ever heard of in this city. You are not
paid nor hired by the board to find out
whether this man was fit subject for
dissection or not"
And one ofthe surprises about the whole
thing was that the requisition papers
were signed by DR.. Murphy, Of the ana
tomical committee, but who could not
legally exercise any official authority, as
his resignation had been rendered and &C
copied one week before he had appended
his signature to the instrument This is
the statement made by the board of con-
troll members.
There was another side issue that de-
veloped during the investigation that
proved uncommonly interesting. In the
conversation as to the prices paid for
bodies, Rockstroh called attention to a
case in which q body that had been taken
there several months ago was now offer
ed to be returned by the university fac
ulty for burial, as it could not be used for
dissection at present. Rochstroh contin-
ued his narrative about the body in de-
tail, until the board members de-
manded where and by what authority the
state university secured that body. NO
body got any authority from here" ex-
claimed member. At this point Rock
stroh said he only referred to that in-
stance to show how honorable the uni
versity faculty are. =
One of the members spoke of the acts
Of the ex-commi tteeman, who signed the
requisition after his resignation, and said:
There is an act to punish any person
who usurps the authority Of an official"
Why did you want Olson's body, too2"
Rockstroh was asked, meaning the in
diyidual who died in the city hospital
about the time of Schmidt's death. ''Be-
cause that body was not claimed by rela-
tives," said the undertaken.
you keep acquisitions six months
ahead in your desk, don't your" was ask
ed of Rockstroh. Then a special case
was called to mind, and he remembered
that he did in that instance. They told
him that they wanted to deal honestly
and squarely and have their agent do the
same with them, or have all dealings
stopped.
The members became wrathy and could
hardly desist, and they said to him that
eff we had given the decision that the
body could have been delivered, we know
very well, as soon as you got it, where
1t would have gone. You went to DR..
Ritchie, and the doctor said, don't
know, and I don't care "
Mr.. Rockstroh, who was seen by
G o b e representative at his undertake
ing establishment on East Seventh street,
last evening, made the following state
ment:
1.-THE papers for requisition were
made upon the board of control, and so
far as 1 am concerned l know nothing
about the matter. I buried the body
as soon as we got where we ought to
bury it by the board of control. 1 made
no attempt to dispose of the body what
ever, except at the county cemetery. I
did not attempt nor dispose of it, nor do
anything else except the orders from the
board. If they want these bodies they
must get them through the board of
control, not through me. The state
university cannot get them of any other
person, but the county board. and not
from me. I did not know that these pa
pers were served upon the board until
1 read it. 1 have thirty-six or forty
eight hours in which to bury body after
1t is dead and both these bodies were
buried within twenty-six hours. 1 re-
ceived my orders from the board at 2
o'clock in the afternoon, and they were
buried at 8 o'clock the next day. I know
nothing of where DIR. Richie got his In