The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1902-10-10

An effort will be made by the anatom-
ical committee of the state university
to locate man signing himself u. G.
F. who has been writing anonymous
letters in an apparent effort to bring
about investigation of the sources from
which the institution secures its ana
tomical specimens.
The writer of these letters claims
that graves are being robbed in Mime
apolis and St Paul and that the bodies
secured by such means are sold to the
university or shipped to universities in
other parts Of the country. The fol-
lowing is a sample letter:
my Dear SIR In view of the dis
closures at Indianapolis concerning whole
sale grave robberies and the connivance
of university medical authorities in va
riouS localities at graveyard desecration,
1t occurs to me that Minneapolis and st.
Paul would furnish as important chap
ter in this connection as any cities in this
country.
of an undertaking establishment in st.
Paul. He rooms with me and has re-
peatedly assured me that while the coun-
ty is charged with burial of pauperS, such
bodies are seldom or never buried, but
are sold to the university or shipped to
other places.
This involves fraud on the part of
the undertakers which seems to be w1nked
at by the authorities for many years, but
this practice seems to be the most IN
nocent of several that are resorted to
for purpose of securing bodies for an
atomical demonstration.
Bodies Snatched From Lakewood.
at is a fact that can be verified, that
undertakes In both cities are aware of
body snatching being carried on in these
two cities by persons whose identity could
be furnished by the medical department
OF the state university. l know at least
that four bodies were taken from the
exclusive Lakewood cemetery by snatch
ers.
There have been repeated raids on
cemetery at st. Paul, and last winter
nine bodies were snatched from one of
them to my knowledge. 1t is impossible
Tor me. to sign my name to this communi-
cation, because it would injure me mate
rally to be connected with any investiga-
ton that might be made of the matter.
My only purpose is to furnish you in
formation which know will bear looking
into. The man at the university who
looks after cadavers can tell story that
will startle the community if he will. In
conclusion may tell you that personally
advanced poor man the money to come
here and get his wifes body out of the
university picking vat not long ago. I
am, sir very respectfully yours.
j c. F."
DR.. c. A. Erdman is professor of an
atomy at the university and chairman
of the anatomical committee. He de-
MES that there is any truth in the
statements made by the anonymous
author of the above, so far as the uni
versity is concerned.
"U" Has Twenty Eight Bodies.
eve have twenty-eight bodies at the
university now" said DR.. Erd1nan.
I'VE need at least that number on
hand, but it is false that we have to
resort to any such means to secure
them. We have a statute in this state
which gives US unclaimed bodies of
persons who die in all state institu-
lions, and it is the duty of such in
stitutions under the law to report their
possession of bodies coming under the
classification named in the law to the
anatomical committee Of the univer-
Sity, of which I am chairman.
eve are able by legal means to Sc
sure all the bodies we require. If there
is any body snatching going on in Min
neapolis, and 1 do not believe there is,
the persons engaged in the work have
not now, nor have they had during my
incumbency, any connection with the
university. I am not answering for
what may have occurred before my
time, but [ will produce a record of
every body that has passed through
our hands since l took charge of the
work.
1.-THE probability is that the writer of
this letter has concluded, because GER
tain conditions have been reported as
existing in st. Paul that the university
of Minnesota must necessarily be as
ISOLATED with them.
LAS a matter of fact the st. Paul
situation has nothing to do with the
state university. There was some
crooked work going on at st. Paul some
time ago, but we had nothing to do
with it. I think the st. Paul board of
control knows what the facts are.
IT court q thorough investigation of