Twenty Mile Stream-Grave Robbery

For Halloween, and Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) this year, the Cavendish Historical Society (CHS) will be distributing treats (appropriately socially distanced) as well as providing a chance for anyone who wants to pick up a book, puzzle, CD etc. as part of our one night expanded CHS Cares Closet. Hours are 4-7 on Saturday, Oct. 31. If you have questions, call 802-226-7807 or e-mail margocaulfield@icloud.com

 

In keeping with Halloween, below is one of the  stories  from “Cemeteries of Cavendish, Vermont 1776-1976 Bicentennial Project” by Mary Churchill. Following the story is more information on the practice of “grave robbing.”

 

Oliver Whitney, Sr., lived on a farm northwest of the so-called Bates Farm on Twenty Mile Steam. Part of the farm was in Ludlow and part was in Cavendish. It is now included in the Bates farm.

 

Sometime in the early 1800’s, perhaps 1820 or so, James Whitney, son of Oliver, was ill from a cause doctors were unable to diagnose. The boy became morbid and seemed to have an overpowering presentiment that “the doctors” as he expressed it, would endeavor to possess his body after his decease because they could not determine the cause of his illness. He knew there was a Medical College in Woodstock and also knew medical students that had to rob graves in order to get their cadavers. He begged his brother, Oliver, Jr, to solemnly promise he’d guard his grave for as long a time as he felt it necessary. Oliver, to allay his brother’s fears, promised, altho’ he hardly believed there was any danger.

 

Whitney Grave

James died on Saturday in July and was buried in the Twenty Mile Stream cemetery near some Whitneys. They were Oliver, who died 10-3-1865 aged 75 years and 11 months, Mehitable d 5-31-1863 aged 75 yrs and Sarah who d 12-9-1843 yrs. Perhaps they were James grandparents. That night his brother, Oliver, accompanied by Robert Barrett, a next door neighbor’s boy who lived on the Ashton Spaulding farm just west of the Bates’ Mansion (now known as Mad Wives Stables) [today its known as Bates Mansion again]

Twenty Mile Cem.

stationed themselves on the west side of the road from the cemetery (on what is now the Churchill farm) and where they could look across to the top of the hilly part of the cemetery where James was buried. As time passed by, the boys became drowsy and dozed off but were soon awakened by the sound of shovels removing gravel. They could see the outline of two forms near the grave. Quickly they searched for and collected all the cobblestones within their reach and carefully ascended the hill. When nearly to the top, they rushed at the robbers and sent a volley of cobblestones while shouting at the “top of their lungs” at the same time.

 

The grave robbers rushed down the backside of the hill toward the brook. They landed in a jungle of blackberry bushes, coming out into a meadow and soon pitched headlong into a bog hole, filled with slimy water and frog spittle, which from that day to this, has been known as “The Doctors Hole.” It is exactly on the line between the Churchill and Spaulding farm.

 

The robbers had left their horse and carriage near the old cheese factory, which stood a little below William Spaulding’s stone house. (now James Spaulding’s). They finally made their get-away.

 

Going back to the grave, the boys found a rope with a slip-noose, two shovels, a hammer and a key-hole saw. On the handle of the hammer was the name of a well-known physician in Woodstock, who, when the hammer was shown to him, acknowledged it was his, but had no idea how it got there!

 

How did the medical student know the Whitney boy had died? Is seems one of the College students had taught school in an adjoining district and somehow word had been sent to Woodstock.

 

James Whitney’s body was removed from the cemetery and interred near his home just over the town line in Cavendish and some claim his parents were buried beside him and also, some others who had died from the “spotted-fever” epidemic.

 

Woodstock Medical School (1827-1856): Dr Joseph A. Gallup started the Clinical School of Medicine in Woodstock in 1827. The Woodstock Infirmary became a site for bedside teaching, a concept stressed by the school and unique for its time. The infirmary became affiliated with Colby College in Waterville, Me, which granted medical degrees until 1832. Between 1833 and 1837, the school was affiliated with Middlebury College, after which it was chartered as the Vermont Medical College and could confer its own degrees. The History of Surgery in Vermont Arch Surg. 2001;136(4):467-472.

 

While the school was founded in 1827, efforts to secure a charter from the legislature failed in four successive sessions. One factor blocking the charter was the opposition of both the citizens of Woodstock and surrounding towns who feared, and rightfully so, that a medical college in the vicinity could lead to grave robbing. In 1829, the college issued the following notice, “We pledge ourselves to the community that we will not use or suffer to be used as far as may come to our knowledge any human body that may have been disinterred hereabouts. It may appear invidious to set limits but we are willing to say the State of Vermont. We are well assured of securing competency of the means from remote parts and in a manner that ever will be justified by the well informed and judicious part of the community.”

 

Given the dates for the Woodstock Medical School, the events described by Churchill would have taken place in the early 1830s.

 

Anatomical Material for Dissection: Obtaining anatomical material was always a concern for professors and students. It is likely that few students chose to do their own dissections. At the University of Vermont, cadavers were most often procured from out of state, although grave robbing was not uncommon. It was even rumored that Ethan Allen's body was taken for anatomical study. Angry farmers from Hubbardton raided Castleton Medical College to retrieve the body of the wife of one of the town's citizens. During its early years, the school at Woodstock had to promise not to use bodies from Vermont graves. Considering the proximity of the New Hampshire border to Woodstock, one need only use a bit of imagination to determine the likely source of cadavers. The History of Surgery in Vermont Arch Surg. 2001;136(4):467-472.

 

At the time this story took place, the only way it was legal to obtain a cadaver for study was if a judge ordered that a condemned criminal’s body be given to doctor’s for dissection. Given that New England had few executions, other means of securing a body were needed.

 

In the late 1700s, the general public became aware of the practice of grave robbing for study by medical students. When Dartmouth announced they were opening a school of medicine, the NH legislature passed a law banning grave robbing.  The same year the University of Vermont opened it’s medical school, 1804, the VT legislature banned grave robbing.

 

The early laws imposed three types of penalties for such action-fines, imprisonment and public whipping. As it turned out, the vast majority of illegal body removals were not discovered and those that were rarely were apprehended.

 

Grave robbing was a felony in Vermont. From 1820 to 1840 there were only seven indictments for “disinterring the body of the dead.” Frederick C. Waite, in his article Grave Robbing in New England, estimates that 400 bodies would have been needed during this 20 year period to accommodate the dissection need of the three medical schools operating in the state.

 

Grave Robbing, Body Snatching, Resurrectionist: All three terms were used, with the doctors more likely referring to those who plied this trade as “resurrectionists.”

 

Grave robbing for medical colleges generally occurred when school was in session. In the case of Woodstock Medical School, instruction was held in the spring.

 

Graves were robbed not more than twenty miles from the medical college to which the body was to be taken, a distance the could be driven with a span of horse in time to return before daylight so the early risers should not see suspicious activities around a medical college building in the early dawn. Disinterments were made in the early hours of the night to give time for this arrival. Grave Robbing in New England

 

Graves were opened  as soon as possible, often in the first night following burial. It was less likely to notice foot prints since the ground would already be disturbed from the funeral. Dissections were immediately carried out as embalming was not available.

 

A successful resurrectionist understood the need to be meticulous in their routine. Posing as a hunter, he would case out the grave, noting its relationship to the entrance of the cemetery and to an observable landmark that could be seen in the dark.

 

Three men were needed for this task. The driver of the wagon, who would drop off the other two and relocate to a position where he would not be seen. The others would carefully examine the grave, using a shaded lantern. Family or friends of the deceased would arrange on the closed grave a careful pattern of stones, shells etc. to detect disturbance.

 

A large tarp was laid out to hold the dirt being removed. Soil would be neatly replaced leaving no tell-tale signs. Next a three foot square was made at the head end of the grave. Going down four feet or less, once the coffin was reached an auger was used to bore a row of holes. Saws, axes and hatchets were not used due to noise.

 

The next step was withdrawal of the body, usually done with what was called “the hook,” a strong iron bar five feet in length; one end was turned up into a blunt hook of about two inches, which the other end had a cross bard handle. The hooked end was placed under the chin of the body and two able bodied men could draw the body from the coffin onto the second tarpaulin previously laid at the head of the grave.

 

Once on the tarp, clothing was removed and tossed in the grave in order to reduce identification.

 

Two able bodied men were needed to make the disinterment. Then the body was closely wrapped and tied or strapped in the tarpaulin. Failure to observe this step of the technique often resulted in something from the body, its apparel or ornaments being left near the grave and when found giving positive evidence that the grave had been disturbed. …Two able bodied men could complete a disinterment in an hour from the time they entered the cemetery and be on their way. Grave Robbing in New England

 

Preventing Disinterment: The efforts taken to prevent body snatching began with simple measures-insert bundles of straw, stones, slabs and other material to fill the grave making excavation difficult. This only delayed the removal. However, when heavy planks were placed lengthwise of the grave, it became necessary to excavate the entire grave, something rarely done.

 

While the United States did not adopt the English practice of “mort-safes,” they did adopt the construction of public vaults of heavy blocks of stone and iron doors which could be securely locked. The deceased would be placed in a vault for a period of time and then buried. This delay in burial made the body unfit for dissection.

 

A new occupation was created, “grave watcher.”

 

In many a town was a recognized person who could be employed to sit beside a grave from dusk to dawn with a shotgun across his knees, to repel grave robbers. This service was commonly continued for ten nights, at the end of which period it was believed that no one would want the body dissection. The efficacy of grave watching was often circumvented. An agent of those who planned a disinterment plied the watcher with whisky late in the afternoon to such extent that he failed to arrive at the grave side, or arriving, slept soundly at his post. The fee charged by grave watchers was so large only the well to do could afford them.

 

Temporary burial became a common practice, where the deceased would be buried close to a dwelling and then removed for final burial at a town cemetery.