The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-02-05


body of Rose Neidlinger from the Pleasant
Hill Cemetery. which is thirteen or fourteen
miles north of the city. Alexander told me
about her being buried there. asked him
which cemetery and / drove TO the Mount
Pleasant Cemetery, but told him that L
had been mistaken and it was Pleasant
Hill CThe two cemeteries are in the
same vicinity and a confusion in the names
caused the misunderstanding between Can
trell and his employer, IL was afterwards
explained.) He asked me if / knew the
name and I told him yes that it was Neid-
linger. i drove out that night but couldn't
find the cemetery. i went out the next
day and located the place by looking into
the graveyard from cornfleld. reported
to Alexander afterward that 1t looked 10
me as If there were two fresh graves there
and he told me 10 go out that night and
take enough men along TO lift both bodies
i got Williams. Donnell and Martin 10 go
with me. 1t was about the middle OF Au-
gust, / think, when l stole the Neidlinger
body and placed it in the basement OF the
college along with the other dissection ma
teridl. DR.. Alexander saw IL and said ii was
a good subject and paid me $50. He told me
he was the demonstration of anatomy al the
college the first time / saw him.
II went to Gus Habich's store with Alex
ander. Before l went there L told him
wanted better guns for the men for the
reason that we had been chased away
from Jones's Chapel and that by carrying
shotguns or Winchester rifles the farmers
might see them sooner than revolvers and
would be less likely TO run up on us. The
first time l got two guns and the second
time two more He was with me the first
time and gave his card to the clerk. He
told us not to use the guns nor to shoot
anybody. but to keep from being arrested
If we had to use them.
PAID FOR SERVICES.
II was paid for my services by DR.. Alex
ander. He made payment on diamond
ring for me and got my clothes out of
pawn. He bought me shoes and hired
rig for me. All of the rigs were hired from
Douglass Case at the Hotel De Hoss.
II saw DR.. Alexander at the Anderson
graveyard when went after the body of
Mrs. Dietz We went there that night
about 10 o'clock, Donnell Jones and Morgan
and myself. We met DR.. Alexander on the
road about two squares away from the grave
and he said he would stay on guard for us.
i looked for the grave and found it and
told him that it was too fine a grave to be
disturbed and l didn't want to do it. 1t
was covered with flowers and he told me
to use my own judgment.
From the Anderson graveyard we went
TO the Ebenezer cemetery. Alexander told
me he would meet me there and / started
In my rig, double-seated spring wagon.
When We got there 1 didn't see Alexander
and guards were watching the grave and
we couldn't get the body. The next day
l saw Alexander and he said he went there
but couldn't find me. He and l drove TO
the Anderson cemetery the next day and
located the Dietz grave. 1 don't remember
of any Others"
AIter questioning Cdntrell ADMITTED that
he had been arrested three or four times.
He said he was arrested twice for assault
ana battery, but wasn't convicted either
time. Another time he was charged with
empezzlement and acquitted. He was con-
Vlcted or provoke on one charge, and also
at another time for lettering, he admitted.
Direct Questioning caused Cantrell to
testify that DR.. Alexander had seen the
body of the Neidlinger woman after it had
been brought to the college, and had pro-
nounced 1t a good subject.
hnc mil
Span, counsel for the defense, asked
Mr.. Cantrell are you a Christian"
SOMETHING OF A BELIEVER.
Cantrell replied that he was a believer in
some part of the Christian religion, and
acknowledged his belief in a God. He was
then questioned relative to his part in a
Thanksgiving dinner at the Jail, an account
of which was printed in the Journal and
was cited yesterday in court. The story
stated that Alexander had asked benedic-
ton on the meal, but Cantrell denied this,
and said he merely asked blessing. Cues
tioning as to his religious belief and his
experiences as a preacher brought out the
facts that about eight years ago he had
preached in various churches, the first time
| in the Pewee valley in Kentucky and later
at the Mt. Zion Church in Indianapolis
Cantrell admitted that he was an itinerant
preacher. and had robbed graves during his
pulpit service.
Il don't remember when 1 robbed my
first grave" said Cantrell, 'but ii was
about six years ago, and in the Lick Creek
Cemetery, think. l robbed three or four
graves during that winter / rested for
two or three years. but about two years
ago took to robbing graves again. / took
bodies from graves in this and other conn
ties. L have never called myself the king
of the ghouls, nor signed myself to that
title in letters to the newspapers. 1 have
been known as the king of the ghouls for
two or three years. and was first called
that by physicians who employed me-
Examination as to Cantrells sanity oc-
cupied half hour or more. after which an
effort was made by the defense to prove
that undue influence had been brought to
bear on Cantrell to secure his testimony
Tor the prosecution: In reply to direct
with photographer named Simpson and
Detectives Asche and Manning one day he
had taken drink of beer at Heiers saloon
He said he bought 1t himself and no one
but Heller and the photographer had drank
with him. He also testified that at an
other time in company with detectives he
| had drank bottle of soda in a Virginia
| avenue saloon. He said that at various
| times he had received $50 in various
amounts in white envelopes at the Jail and
| used IL to purchase necessaries with.
A REORGANIZATION of ms history and
| record in Indianapolis by the defense
| brought out his connection with Big Four
| Railroad coalyard, where he was employed
as night Waterman, and from which place
| he was discharged for alleged dishonesty.
| He said he had been arrested for drunken
| ness twice, but was not drunk either time.
| Cantrell said he was twenty-three years
| old and was born in a little town in Ten
| nessee on the Cumberland river, about
| twenty-seven miles from Nashville on the
l.. & n. Railroad He left there when he
| was thirteen years old and came to In
! dianapols and has lived here since then
| Cantrell said that he had Travelled nearly
| all over the country, but had never got in
| any serious trouble, except four months
| ago. when he was arrested for disturbing
| graves.
The court adjourned at 5 O'Clock with
| Cantrell in the witness chair. 1t is ex-
pected that his croSS-examination will oc-
| cupy most of the forenoon to-day and his
reorganization by the State the entire af-
ternoon.
A SORE SPOT
The progress of the trial has brought out
| a fierce antagonism between the prosecut-
| ing attorneys and Henry Spaan, counsel for
! the defense Spans conduct of the case
| is sore spot for Ruckelshaus. as his sar-
| casm is cutting and at times approaches in
| science. BY persistent questioning and con-
| tinued talk TO The witness he succeeded yes
| terday in securing score OF objections
| from Ruckelshaus in as many minutes. To
each objection Special Judge Bailey would
] rule instantly. something's sustaining and
/ sometimes everything the objection. His
/ frequent changes from one side 10 the other
/ were trying 10 the minds of many people
i in the courtroom, many of them attorneys.
| who could not see the reasoning that
/ prompted adverse rulings on the same ques-
| tons at different times during the examina-
! ton. Arguments between the attorneys
/ and personalities were frequently INDUCED
| i'm and on three occasions Judge Bailey eau
/ toned them to delay their personal CONVEX