The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-10-26
Twenty-Five Indictments Returned,
stances Are withheld.
FIVE PHYSICIANS INCLUDED
RUFUS CANTRELL WILL FARE NO
WORSE THAN THE REST.
Where Capiases Have Not Been
Served the Names VIII Not BE
Made Public at This Time.

The grand jury in partial report sub
mitted to Judge Afford in the Criminal
Court yesterday afternoon returned twen-
ty-fve indictments in the grave-robbing
and ghoul cases. The indictments returned
are against the seven negro ghouls now
confined in the county Jail and other per-
sons, OF whom five are said to be physi-
clans prominent in the city. The indict-
ments against the negroes were made pub
Tic with the report, as those men are in the
custody OF the sheriff, but in the other
cases the names were not divulged and
Will not be until after the service OF the
capiases, made out after the return of the
indictments. OF the indictments returned
the charges are for stealing bodies and
concea,ing Them two counts to each, and
the bond in each case is fixed at 81, 900.
The negroes indicted are Rufus Cantrell,
the chief ghoul and self-confessed grave
robber, whose testimony before the grand
jury secured all of the indictments for the
State; Isom Donnel. William Jones. Bur-
ford Cooley, Walter Daniels, Sol Grady and
Samuel Martin. William Harrison Speer.
custodian of the Mount jackson Cemetery,
who is accused of completely in the crimes
and who. Cantrell says, aided the ghouls
in their systematic robbing of the graves
in that cemetery, was indicted on charges
similar to the other men. He appeared in
the sheriffs office yesterday at o'clock p
m, with his attorney, Newton Harding
and filed bond for his appearance in court
when his case is called.
The indictments made public all name
the place of concealment of the bodies as
the Central College of Physicians and Sur
geons and the motive for the crimes the
sale of the bodies. The form of indictment
returned is: "Unlawfully and feloniously
removing and taking from the grave of
-, deceased person, the dead body
Of such deceased person, for a purpose
other than the lawful reinterment of the
same, TO wit: for the purpose of barter and
sale to the Central College of Physicians
and Surgeons, there being such, so removed
as aforesaid, without due process of law
and without the consent of the surviving
husband or wife, or next of kin of such de-
ceased person.. The second count of the
indictment includes the same statements
and further charges the unlawful and fe-
lonious concealment of said body in viola
ton of the statutes"
CHARGES AGAINST THE MEN.
In the indictments returned Isom Donnell
is charged with two crimes. two counts to
each of the indictments. He is accused
of the robbery of the graves of Rose Neid-
linger Aug. q, and of Stella Middleton Aug.
25 William Jones. another negro. has two
indictments against him also. He is
charged with stealing the bodies of Glen
dora Gates on July 10 and Catrina Doehr-
ing Aug. q. The other ghouls are charged
with but one offense. Rufus Cantrell is
accused of stealing the body of Stella Mid
dleton on Aug. Is, Sol Grady that of Glen
dora Gates on July TO-. Murford Cooley the
body of Catrina Doehring on Aug. q, Wal
ter Daniels the body of Stella Middleton
on Aug q and Sam Martin that of Joanna
stilz on Aug. q. OF these offenses the
with the above-named corpses, but
it is said that the evidence Sc
cured by Prosecutor Ruckelshaus and
Deputy Charles Benedict could easily
have caused indictments in a number OF
other cases. The confession of Cantrell
and the other ghouls, the testimony made
possible by their confessions and the dam
aging admissions of witnesses before the
jury made the evidence so conclusive that
the indictments were returned with little
difficulty, it is said.
OF those persons indicted whose names
are not given 1t is said the list includes five
prominent physicians of the city, including
the men now under arrest and out on bond
and two other physicians whose names
have never been mentioned in the news
papers for completely in the crimes These
names will be made public when the serv-
Ice OF the CdpldSeS Is competed, and this,
II is thought, will not be accomplished UNI
til tomorrow. The law specifically pro-
vides for the holding of indicted persons
names until after either the bond or body
of the indicted person is in the custody of
the sheriff
The grand jury, in submitting a partial
report indicates its intention Of continuing
the investigation, and from the new facts
in possession of the Indianapolis detective
department and being investigated by the
county prosecutor many more indictments
are expected. The trial of those men in
dicted will not be held until after the in
vestigation is closed, it is thought by men
familiar with the status of affairs, as the
of the trial of all of the men
already indicted will depend on the intro
duction of evidence against them that will
warn other persons accused In time for
them to leave the State If they become !
at the prospect of a trial for the |
crimes.
The grand jury also indicted William
Caldwell and Belle Caldwell on the charge |
of murder. The two persons are accused |
Of killing Daniel Sullivan on Oct. II by |
beating him to death with blunt instru- |
ment the character of which is unknown. |
The Caldwells are now imprisoned in the |
county Jail.
The report of the grand jury is signed by |
William j. Schleicher as foreman.