The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-02-10
IS A MORAL MONSTER.
Defence So Brands Prosecutor in
Grave RObbing Cases


Indianapolis, Feb. 9.-The evidence
in the case of DR.. ]. c. Alexander,
charged with grave robbing, will be
finished tomorrow and the arguments
begun.
DR.. Alexander will take the witness
stand tomorrow morning in his own
behalf Aside from his testimony,
there is little evidence to be intro
duced, except that of a few witnesses
as to his character. The argument
will then be heard and the case will be
in the hands of the jury some time
Wednesday,
The defense is that DIR. Alexander is
man of irreproachable character,
that Cantrell is insane, and that his
testimony cannot be believed for that
reason. A general denial is made that
DR.. Alexander had any knowledge that
the body of Rose Niedlinger, or any
other body, was Illegally obtained.
To-day was consumed with the
opening statement of Attorney Span,
the hearing of witnesses as to charac-
ter, and expert testimony that Rufus
Cantrell is an epileptic, insane person.
Three expert persons testified that
Cantrell is insane. They were DR..
William B. Fletcher, DIR. Ernest C.
Ryer and DR.. William C. White, all of
: whom have made the subject of in
sanity special study.
Tho ~ CD
Mr.. Span. The defense, according to
Mr.. Span, proposed to show that DR.
Alexander was of good moral charac-
ter, while the negroes who testified
against him were disreputable and I'M
worthy of belief The defense is that
when Cantrell and Martin went to Dr.
Alexander's office, they went there for
the purpose of securing employment to
clean up the college, as they had done
that kind of work at Chicago, and
other places.
DIR. Alexander told them that such
employment was out of his department,
but to call again, and he would give
them an answer. In the meantime he
consulted with several members of the
faculty and was told that he might
employ Cantrell, and Dr. Alexander
agreed to pay him $50 for the work. On
the second trip Cantrell told him that
he was furnishing dissecting subjects
for other colleges, and would like to
furnish some for DR.. Alexander DR..
Alexander replied that if he could get
the bodies legitimately he would pay
him for than.
The defense said that 1t would show
that while Cantrell was before the
grand jury he went to a telephone and
called up DR.. Anderson, whose office
was across the hall from DR.. Alexan-
der's office, in the Claypool building.
Cantrell, the defense asserted, made
himself known and asked DR.. Ander-
son to inform DR.. Alexander that he
need not fear, that he (CantrelD was
being paid for what he was doing, and
that no harm should come to DR.. Alex
ander. The defense said it would show
that Cantrell had received SOS, and
that this money came to him at differ
ent times in a white envelope, with no
signature, and the address printed in a
disguised hand.
The theory of the defense as set
forth to the jury was that some one
had sent this money to Cantrell to pay
him for the testimony he was giving
before the grand jury. Mr.. Span said
that the defense would Introduce ex-
pert testimony to show that a man
afflicted as Cantrell was-as shown by
his discharge from the army-was a
moral monster and has no conception
of right and wrong.