The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-11-23
Application Of DIR. Alexander Attor-
uey for Change of Venue from
Judge Afford Granted.
AN ARRAY OF LEGAL TALENT
wELL-KNOwN CRIMINAL LAWYERS
WHO ARE IN THE CASE.
Both Sides VIII BE Wary in the Sc
lection of Jurymen-Cantren
Talks No More.

DR.. Joseph c. Alexander. demonstration
OF anatomy In the Central College OF
Physicians and Surgeons. will be tried in
the Criminal Court Dec. /. before special
Judge on the charge of aiding in the feloni-
Gus disturbance Of graves and in the con-
cealment of human corpses. The applica-
ton for change of venue made by DIR.
Alexander's attorney was granted yester-
day in the Criminal Court and the an
nouncement made that special judge will
be appointed TO try the case. Judge AL
ford. it is expected, will appoint Charles F.
Coffin as his substitute.
The preparation for the trial of Alexan-
der is being taken care of by Prosecutor
Ruckelshaus. He has announced that his
deputy, Charles Benedict, will assist him
in the trial, and IL is said that several
other lawyers will appear to help the prose-
cution of this and other ghoul cases. WILL
lam T. Brown has been employed by many
people interested In the punishment of AL
exander and the funds for his fee were
raised yesterday. meeting was held in
the Office of William T. Long, brother-in-
law of Wallace T. Johnson, whose body
was stolen from its grave and concealed
that the ghouls and custodians of
1t caused it to be placed in
dry-goods packing case and left on
the sidewalk of a street in the wholesale
district. A number of farmers attended
and expressed their indignation at the
operations of the ghouls and their SYM
pathy for the families which have been
robbed of their dead, and discussed the
r.rnh a n Ia Qfrf1 Of trfo 0f
William L. Long headed a subscription
list for the employment of legal representa-
ton with subscription of s25 and his
ample was followed by many others. 1t is
expected that Long will succeed in raising
$500 TO help prosecute Alexander.
LEGAL TALENT
The lawyers employed by Alexander for
his defense are nearly as numerous as they
are famous In criminal practice in Marion
county. 1t Is understood that most of the
lawyers fees will be paid by the faculty of
the Central College, of which Alexander is
member. AT meeting held at the time
Of the indictment of Alexander the faculty
decided to stand by him and put up any
sum that may be needed. William p.
Herod, Pertle Herod, Joseph B. Healing
and Martin Hugg have been announced as
the men who will conduct Alexander's de-
tense. Other attorneys who will appear as
grave robbery and completely in the larceny
of dead bodies are Frank McCray, w. n.
Harding. A. p. Hovey, Cass Connoway.
James Lott and w. E. Henderson.
The belief is that among all the grave
robbing defendants there is a common in
terest which compels each individual to
help the other. The object of most of the
attorneys is to keep out of the trial as
much of the grewsome facts as can be con-
sistently done with the facts established by
the grand jury. In order to establish CEN
q In 6nfa Of oh,
prisoner an attorney will be at hand, con-
versant with all the facts and evidence,
who will be instructed to sidetrack any
questions which might be dangerous to the
defendants collectively or individually.
A venire Of fifty will be drawn tomorrow,
and this number is said to be small consid-
ering the difficulty which will be encoun-
tered in selecting jury. The defense in
tends obtecting to any man juror who
has read much of the grave-robbing stories
in the newspapers, who has ever discovered
that bodies of his own relatives have been
stolen or who has any sentimental reasons
for opposing the dissection of human bodies
for scientific. purposes. The defense will
try to find for jurymen men who believe
that the theft of bodies, where they are
unobtainable in any other manner, is justi-
fable in the pursuit of scientific study.
Also persons who are benefited by medical
colleges and who realize the good of them
TO the communities where they are estab-
lished.
SELECTION OF JURY.
The prosecution, In selecting jurors, will
try to avoid the selection of physicians
medical students undertakers, hack drivers
or any other person who has been con-
nected with the burial business. Scientists
and students of medicine and surgery, who
hold the scientific view of the dissection
of bodies will be objected to. The prosecu-
ton intends selecting jury which will
not deal with either the sentimental or
material side of the case, but with the law
and the evidence.
The likelihood of a change of venue from
the county is not so pronounced it was
at the time OF the indictment of Alexander.
Then 1t was the opinion of many attorneys
that justice could only be got outside of
Marion county. The indignation was said
to be so strong that proper trial would be
impossible. In the rural districts 1t was
thought that the residents would not know
so much of the cases nor Of the feeling
of the people of indianapolis and would
consider the cases only on the testimony.
Now IL Is thought that Marion county pe0-
ple knowing both sides of the case, the
physicians side and the criminal side, are
unprejudiced and a jury may be selected
which will not let sentiment enter into
it's verdicts- In the country. where medical
colleges are unknown, and corpses never
thought of as eadayers. the horror and re;
prejudice the jurors and preclude the pos
| sibility of an acquittal, it is said.
| Should DR.. Alexander be convicted there
might De an dppllCdllOn IOT a c0duge OF
venue from the county in the case of DIR.
| Wright, DR.. Wilson and others, but this
has not been definitely decided. The at
| torneys retained for the defense of the men
| are not talking with anyone about their
plans and their intentions are only known
| in a general way.
CANTRELL CLOSES UP.
Henry Hartman was, among the visitors
to Rufus Cantrell yesterday. Hartman
wanted to find out the identity of the in
formant of the ghouls in the vicinity of
Five Points, small hamlet on the old
| Michigan road. southeast Of the city. When
bodies were buried in that section of the
county the ghouls were notified. IL has
been ascertained. and their information did
not come from the records of the Board of
Health nor from indianapolis undertakers.
That Ii was supplied by resident OF that
section Is believed by the farmers and they
| are anxious TO know which of them is
| guilty.
/ Hartman's father-in-law, Henry Hard
/ ing, was buried some time ago and before
| the burial an effort was made TO steal the
/ body. The funeral was postponed for one
! day Unexpectedly and the ghouls, not
/ knowing of the change in dates, visited
| the burying ground and were disappointed
when they found empty grave. The
night of the burial the body was stolen,
Hartman says. and he called on Cantrell to