The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-02-11


but not convicted. l opened an Office IN
Noble street first, but year ago moved
to the Newton Claypool building.
Il am a married man, and married Miss
Groenwaldt. | became connected with the
Central College of Physicians and Surgeons
during the school term OF l9ol-lSOs- i was
appointed lecturer on osteology, or descrip-
tive anatomy of the bones My term as
lecturer ceased in March, 1902 1 practiced
medicine from my rooms, 2lS-z-V In the
Newton Clayp0ol building. DR.. Anderson
and L have a reception room in common.
Our telephone is placed there for our joint
convenience. My office hours have been
from 10 to II. 3 to L. and TO o'clock
My earlier life was spent in living with
my grandparents. My mother died when
L was five or six years old After ny
by marriage, and later with sister
After having completed my lectures on
osteoloSy at the college, L was recommend
ed for appointment 10 the position OF direc-
tor of the anatomical laboratory. My duties
included the securing of dissection mater
ial for the clinics. The college generally
used from possibly ten to twelve or fifteen
bodies in a college term, from October 10
March. When L went there only one body
was on hand-that of a woman. / succeed
ed DIR. Butz at the college. l don't know
whether he Is in the city or not. L haven't
seen him lately.
Il was paid s. a part from the students
for each of the six parts of the bodies. and
the same amount from the college, making
$50 for body the compensation for secur
| ing each subject for dissection. | was a
lecturer on the subject of anatomy, and
was paid.S an hour to lecture for 100 hours
a term, or 100 lectures. l had to bear the
expense of preservation of the bodies 1t
frequently cost $40 or sl2 TO prepare a body
for dissection. The bodies first were treat
ed with a chemical injected into leg ar
terry, and later the body was placed in a
brine, commonly called pickle.
MEETING WITH CANTRELL.
II first met Rufus Cantrell during the
last week of June, 1902. I never saw him
before that time and had never heard of
him. He called on me at my Office and
asked me what 1 could do for him. He
said he had worked at the college before
and wanted me TO employ him again The
college was then at South and Pennsyl-
| vania streets. 1t moved from there in Sep
TENDER. 1902. The new building is on North
Senate avenue. When Cantrill first called
| on me he was alone. Martin was not with
him. Cantrell was employed by me TO clean
| up the skeletons in the cellar. He was
| agreeable to the offer, and although l did
| not hire him then L told him to come back
and see me again. 1 called several doctors
by telephone to get authority to hire Cam
trell. L also wanted to find out what Can
/ trell worth He told me his name
was William Rufus. He came back several
| days later and told me he would work for
SIS. called up DIR. Allen and told him
what the man wanted for the work and
|
he might go to work, AT that visit Cam
/ trell was alone and Martin wasn't with
him. AT that time | gave him $3.50. He
told me he wanted $3.50 for overalls and
| 81 for meal ticket. A couple of days later
/ saw him again.
The State objected to a question put Alex
| ander as to how he ha6 tried to get bodies
! The court overruled the objection and
| Alexander said he had written TO various
county institutions, asking for dead bodies
II wrote TO DR.. Schulz at Terre Haute, DIR.
| Ross at kokomo, DR.. Lowry at Blooming
ton and DR.. Weatherbell at Lafayette.
Those men We're in position to help me
/ by communicating with various county Of
ficials. l did not get any bodies as a re-
| suit of that correspondence.
Il learned CantrelPs name about a week
| after l first met him. Some time after /
! first met him Cantrell told me his clothes
| were in pawn at Medeari's, on Indiana ave
nue.. He and l went down there together.
L did not pay for them then, but stood
| good for Cantrell.
shortly after this we had converse
ton about procuring bodies. Early i'm July
| the college before and would like to do
| it again. He said DR.. Butz had promised
him that he would continue with the work
| He said to me that he was acquainted with
the various county officials and could get
bodies. He said he had got bodies at the
| City Hospital and the Insane Hospital.
| He said he had an arrangement at those
places He told me he had been getting
| about $50 for bodies and wanted that price.
| NO one was present at that interview, and
|
the arrangement made Cantrell was to
supply the college with dissection material
and to Fay the expense of hauling it to
| the school. The bodies were to cost me
net at the college $780, My pay of $50 for
the body was all the compensation / re-
| ceived for lectures and all.
| AS demonstration of anatomy / had occa-
sion to visit the office of the Board OF
| Health to look over the death returns from
the City Hospital. coroner, suicides and the
like: My object in this was to look fol
| a ON,
Did you go there for the purpose OF
getting the names of bodies that you
might tell them to Rufus Cantrell so hs
| could rob their graveS?' asked Mr. Span
| mo SIR" replied the witness
Alexander continued his testimony as fol
lows: Il talked with DIR. Jobe, of the Cit,
Hospital. An objection was made to the
attempt to get the conversation. Martin
Hugg argued against; the judge sustaining
the objection and Attorney Brown replied
to the argument. The objection was over
ruled.
II had to go to the Board of Health fol
that information. The first body brough
Cantrell, was in the second week of July
did you buy tools, shovels brace ans
bit, shotguns or revolvers for the ghoulS
doctor?" was asked.
mo SIR" Alexander replied, EN-
phatically
did you give him an order on Medeari
for revolvers?"
mo sir
BODY BROUGHT IN.
II first the body brought in during
the month of July in the College building
at South street i'm the double cellar Their,
are two doors and two or three windows t,
the cellar where the bodies were kept.
did not carry keys to the cellar and did no
supervise the placing of bodies there.
was never in the cellar while demonstrating
anatomy when body was put in the eel
lar. l don't recall whose body it was tina
was put in the cellar during July.
learned of the body the next day. Some
one called me up by phone and / wen
down there and examined il and injecte,
preserving fluid into the cadaver while
lay on the table. 1t lay on the table for
day or so and was then put in a barrel o
brine. Later Cantrell came To me AM
said he came after his money. i didn't pa.
him the full amount because he brough
| the livery bill to me. After this L ad
vanced some money TO Cantreil, or rattle
to the collector of a jewelry firm for
ring he wanted to buy. At another time
got his clothes out of pawn. at a cost of
he was working for me. also paid Sc as
fine in court for him on his own request
i was merely advancing him his wages
! did you know that he was grave rob
ber?" asked Span.
mo sir"
bodies illegallyg'
mo, sir"
: why did you advance him money? BE
cause you and he were i'm an agreemen
to steal bodies because you owed hir
money!" asked the attorney.
Because | owed him money"
''The livery bill was run up by me ge,