An American Sensation.

Timaru Herald, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 12027, 28 March 1903, Page 1 (Supplement)

An American Sensation.

WHOLESALE ROBBERIES OF GRAVES. More than one thousand tombstones are standing over empty coffins in Indianapolis since Rufus Cantrell, minister, exhorter, j chef, hearse-driver, embalmer, and King ol the Ghouls, organised his gang and began his wholesale traffic with students of surgery and medicine to supply " subjects" tor the dissecting tables all over the United States. Nothing in fiction or .Irama equals the almost incredible midnight exploits of these grave robbers, as ca'nlly confessed by Cantrell, the robber chief. A certain Samuel Woods, for several years a working member of the gang, accompanied the King of the Ghouls and several others to the Mount Jackson Cemetery one night. A grave had been partly uncovered, but 'the coffin was. not yet exposed. Wood was down oa his knees .u one end of the rough box, busily engaged in sawing tlnough the head of the box. " Here c,omes old Ault and the dogs," the' man on watch shouted, and immediately there was a scurrying of the gang. The man in the grave clambered out as best.he could, and the loose clods rattled down on the box lid as he got to his feet and started after his companions. The eld watchman shot twice after the fleeing ghouls, and Wood in his flight ran headlong into one of the tall tombstones and cracked his skull. Partly conscious, he managed to make his way to the road, where he was later picked up by the others, who reappeared after the scare was over. Wood lingered a little, and died the next week. The body [ remained in the ground twenty-four hours, and was then snatched and placed in the vats at the side of dozens of other bodies which this same ghoul had filched from their sepulchres. When telling this story. Cantrell laughed and said : " That is what he deserved. It was only an episode in our history." While preaching the Gospel, Cantrle! en several occasions was called upon to conduct funeral services over bodies which were later stolen by him and his gang. One most shocking case has been recalled in particular—the service the Rev. Mr Cantrell held i>ver the body of a little girl named Minnie Dickson. The services were held at the child's home, and

before the hour of the funeral'' Cantrell, attired in a neatly-fitting frock coat, with "the Bible in his hand, walked up the steps of the modest-looking little cottage. Even during the progress of the funeral the chief of the grave robbers held his hands to his face in mockery, and cried out " Darling little Minnie." Little Minnie was buried, and Cantrell insisted upon saying a few additional words and conducting a short service at the grave, which he secretly marked for robbery that night. So that same night the body was stole:;' and carted away to the medical college, and the next Sunday, after his sermon, the dominie walked down the aisle of the church, and, grasping the hands of tho parents of the child, offered words if condolence. The coffin was found .empty when the grave was opened during the investigntior. A man named S;nith was a member cf the gang. His wife died, and Cantrell was called upon to preside at the | funeral. The body was taken in a covered

waggon to Mount Jackson Cemetery. During the journey Cantiell slid off the seat beside the driver, lay down alongside the coffin, took out the corpse, hid it undei the driver's seat, screwed down the lid again, and buried the empty coffin in the presence of the relatives and friends, making a fevent final prayer as the grave was bei-g filled up. Then he sold the corpse One of the favourite spots which these ifhouls have robbed is the 'extremely fashionable Crown Hil! Cemetery, where exPresident Benjamin Harrison and his wife lie buried. Cantrell. among his confessions, says their graves have not been disturbed. The idea of stealing the exPresident's body was discussed by the band, but was quickly given up on account if the stir it would make if it should happen to be discovered. Head bodies have been stolen from over one hundred cemeteries in Central Indiana. . The dead people stolen from the pence of their graves have been shipped from Indianapolis •u barrels and boxes, with rope handles. I! ; s known that bodies have been shipped tf i Chicago, Louisville. Ciiu.'ir.mvti. and eve" •n medical colleges a-- far east as Pittsburg Thirty-one dead bodies were fourd in the cold storage room of one ice-cream factory

at Louisville, Kentucky, dining the investigation. Some of them, at least, have beau .shipped from Indianapolis. Already 102 empty graves have been opened. These represent a small percentage of the graves robbed, as graves have been opened only when relatives made inquiries or weie Svitlir.g to pay for tho expenses cf exhumation.