The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-02-06
a woman's body. Her name was Neidlingcr.
We took IL TO the college-the Central Col

II saw Alexander few days later when
! went down there. l don't remember
hearing any conversation there. / next saw
him when we made the trip to the Ander-
son cemetery Before the trip Rufus went
with me TO the office. He told the doctor
ne was going out and the doctor SAID ne
was going along. We didn't get any
bodies that night, but the boys looked at
the grave and the flowers were so fine on
II the boys wouldn't touch ii. The doctor
came out in his buggy Rufus talked to him
but / didn't. L was over in the cornfield.
Il was along the night We got the col
ored woman at Anderson cemetery. we
took her body-it was the Middleton body
TO the college. i took another trip TO the
insane asylum. We got body and took
IL TO the Central College. i never went on
any more trips. never talked TO Alex
ander again. DR.. Alexander paid me 81 on
the Sunday after We made the trip TO get
the Middleton girl. / asked him IL that
was all and he said yes that was all
have never been arrested before. We always
started from the Hotel de Hoss livery
barn.
On cross-examination Donner said Eyes:
L am Cantrelfs cousin. l have heard him
preach, but l never pretended to belong 10
church. 1 was born in Tennessee and left
there eleven years ago and went TO Ken
lucky. / moved from there TO this city
about ten years ago. | am not married
years. 1 lived on West Twelfth street. 1
also lived on West Fourteenth street.
haven't followed the business of grave rob-
bling since 1 have been in jail. They kept
was put in the jail. know it was i'm July
that saw Alexander because that was the
month that / made the first trip
CONFUSION CAUSED.
Laughter at the witnesses earnestness in
answering questions caused confusion at
frequent intervals. Judge Bailey, to pre-
serve order. said that if it did not cease he
would order the courtroom cleared.
81 had several talks with Rufus in the
JAIL" continued Donnell. 81 knew the case
was coming up 1 talked with Ruckelshaus
about 1t and the detectives. Rufus told me
the name of the Neidlinger woman. 1t was
several weeks after we stole the body that
L found out her name.
Rufus, Walter Daniels and myself went
after the Middleton body to the Anderson
graveyard. IL is northeast of Indianapolis,
L am not sure which. / believe We went
out Tenth street. L don't know the direc-
tiOns out in the county. At the Anderson
Cemetery DR.. Alexander was in buggy
and the rest of US were in cornfed.
When questioned Donnell said that when
his wife died Rufus Cantrell drove the
hearse and later Cantrell told him that the
body had been taken TO college. Il can't
remember when he told me that, he said.
A point of procedure interrupted the case
long enough for Span and Brown, attor-
neys, to argue on the admissbility of testi-
mony calculated to injure the credibility of
the witness. In their arguments both at
torneys INDUCED in some talk for the ben
eft of the jury. The court finally over
ruled the objection offered to the evidence.
II got several letters about the disap-
pearance OF my wifes body, continued
Donnell. mo names were signed TO the
letters. When talked to Cantreii he didn't
tell me that the body was stolen, but told
me that he did not believe she was buried.
On REORGANIZATION Donnell said that after
he had received the anonymous letters
he talked with the undertaken about the
burial of his wife. The undertaken, c. M.
c. Willis, buried his wife from North street.
Donnell said. He said he did not go to
| his wifes funeral because he had never
gone to a funeral before, not even his moth
er's. He said Cantrell was working for the
that he had been instructed in his testimony
| by Cantrell at the jail
willis is indicted now, isn't he?" asked
Attorney Span.
Yes, sir"
Isn't it a fact that you remained away
| from the funeral because of an agreement
| to take your wife's body to a medical col
| lege?" asked Span.
| mo, SIR" answered Donnell, with de-
/ termined voice.
WILLIAM JONES TESTIFIES.
William Jones. another negro ghoul, was
the next witness. He also said that he
had been confined in the Jail since Sept. %
under Indictment He said he lived on
Miami street, and worked for VIII Roth
before his arrest. He said he had worked
for Horace Wood for twelve years. and is
thirty-fve years old. He had been ac-
quainted with Cantrell for about four years
and with DR.. Alexander since July.
He first met Alexander at the latter's
office. Accompanied by Cantrell. he was
! introduced to the doctor and the following
| conversation was remembered by the wit
| ness:
Cantrell-Here is man 1 want to work.
| 1 want him to drive and watch the road
DR.. Alexandria, you need man of that
kind we had better hire him.
My first trip was to the Ebenezer Gem
etery We went to the cemetery and got
it TO the college. The morning after l
went to see the doctor with Cantrell i
don't remember the conversation at that
time.
1.-The next time / went to the Anderson
yard, we got the body of a woman there
We took IL to the Central College of Physi-
clans and Surgeons. l saw Alexander the
next day. but did not talk to him. Cantrel
was along. did not hear them talk about
it. We went another time to the Anderson
cemetery, but didn't get body. We saw
a couple of squares from the cemetery. We
spoke to him. Rufus got out of our rig
and talked to him. saw him more.
DIR. Alexander paid me s. once, 81 once
and 50 was sent to me. DR.. Alexander
never told me that he sent the three dol.
lars. We always started from the livery
stable"
The witness said he had never been ar.
rested before.
When questioned on cr9ss-examinatior
Jones described the last trip to the Ander
son cemetery with detail. How he and the
other grave robbers had examined the lay
of the land from a neghborng cornfielC
and other infinitely small occurrences OF
the evening were remembered by the wit
ness. His best recollection of the date wa.
that IL was on the 10th 18th of August.
A series of questions relative TO the date.
| of payment of various sums failed to brins
out any additional facts and the witnes.
was turned over to the State by the de
| Tense.
On denomination Jones said he was ties
tifying from his own knowledge. He sais
that he had never robbed grave before h.
met Alexander.
You say you never robbed any grave
| before you met DR.. Alexander asket
Span. Yes. sir" replied the witness.
Neither did you rob any before you me
Cantrell. did your?
. mo SIR" the response.
The witness was excused and court ad
journed until o'clock this morning
KEEPING SOME SECRETS.
The prosecution and defense of Alexande
is being kept secret. 1t is understood tina
the State intends to Introduce in evidenc
all of the testimony Of the self-confesse,
r ghouls that will show DR.. Alexander t
have been implicated with them i'm thei
crimes. The liveryman who supplied tn
: horses and wagons for the grave-robbinl
business and the gunsmiths and pawn
! brokers, who sold arms and equipment
to the ghouls, will also be called to testif
, as TO who paid them for the service