The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1912-05-21

THE CORPSE WAS MUNoHING A PRETzEL.
cluded to cut it up before morning;
but, being tired with the work he had
done, he went to a saloon near by with
small pitcher and returned with 1t
full of beer. besides pretzels. These
he placed on a table beside the corpse
and, noticing that his tobacco pouch
was empty, went out again for tobac
co. When he returned this second
time and entered the dissecting room
he was paralyzed with establishment
The corpse was munching a pretze.
and was just reaching out for the
pitcher of beer
So long was the draft Ia man who
has been several hours under cold
ground certainly needs all the stimu
liant he can get that Jernegan. fear
ing there would be none left for him
self, called halt. The corpse paid no
attention to the interruption. continu
ing to drink till the last drop was ex
hausted. then got back on the dissect
ing table and closed his eyes Jerue
gan to determine the fact of life or
death pricked the corpSe's cheek with
the point of knife. knowing that ii
the subject was dead no blood would
flow \ red drop stood on the cheek
The subject opened his eyes and. see
ing a man standing over him, asked
where he was
Jernegan told him that he was sup
posed to he dead. had been buried
resurrected and had he not revived
would soon have been cRt mp in dis
secting room.
The vigor of Blackiston's mind
seemed to have been at least In a
measure restored and went right on
IN the vein that had been interrupted
by his stroke or whatever it was.
you're body snatcher," be said.
Lucky for you that | am. If
hadn't resurrected you you'd have died
a horrible DEATH
That may be, but / wonder If
have not cause for an action against
your
"Actioc for whatT'
I'm not sure whether it would come
under the law against body snatching.
trespass or disturbing my repose"
Disturbing your reposeI Well.
like thatp'
There is another point Of law in
volved. certificate of my death has
doubtless been made out by the doc
tors. and in the eye of the law I'm a
dead man.
you came very near being dead
min in the eye of the medical profess
SION
1.-THE case interests me- am sensl-
Bile of the obligation ! am under to you
for saving my life, but you wouldn't
mind my bringing a friendly suit
against you to try this singular case.
would your
mot a bit. if you'll pay all the COSTS"
"I'll do that"
Mr.. Blackistou got down from the
dissecting table and tried to walk. but
failed. He sat down and asked Jerne
gan If he would kindly call carriage.
When it arrived Jeruegan attended
him to his home.
Blackiston sued Jernegan for tres
passing upon his grave. The case ex-
cited so much attention among the
members of the legal profession that
the bar association volunteered to fur
nish counsel for Jernegan's defense
and retained their most brilliant men,
Der for the purpose. Blackiston con-
Quoted his own case.
Your honor" he said in his opening
remarks. II shall proceed to show by
competent witnesses that the defend
ant did with malice aforethought in
wade and tt spass upon my grave, in
terfere Wit my repose. felonious!y
steal my dy. place it in bag and
carry it to ! dissecting room. He then
and there was making preparations to
take apart my members for the pur-
pose of study when | returned to con-
seriousness. This suit is brought with
desire to learn the legal status of
corpse. 1t is a principle of common
law that there are no property rights
in dead body. No one owns it but it
self. That it has legal rights has been
established in the case of the estate of
Swiback versus Oppenheim. wherein
1t was decided that the body of Swi-