KinSource - Tale of the Week

KinSource

Minnesota Tales

The St. Paul Daily Globe, January 3, 1885, p. 6

BODY SNATCHERS

They Rob a Grave at Chaska and in Their Endeavor to Bring the Stiff to College Hospital are Foiled by Sheriff Du Toit.

On Thursday the students at College hospital, having been informed that a body was at their disposal at Chaska, sent a Turk named Salibar with a team hired at Parcher's livery stable to get it. The information came from Dr. Schillock, of Chaska, a former student of the hospital. En route the Turk became blockaded by a snow storm, and did not arrive until Wednesday. Meanwhile Sheriff Du Toit had received notice that a grave had been robbed and he carefully watched developments. The body had been placed in the sleigh and started on its way for Minneapolis, but a short time before the sheriff and a deputy started in pursuit. About five miles this side of that place the sheriff saw the team, and the sheriff was discovered at the same time. The turk only drove a half mile further when he abandoned the team and the German boy that he had hired to accompany him and took to the woods. Consequently the sheriff recovered the body and took it back to Chaska. He then telegraphed Chief West instructing him to look out for the Turk, but that individual, however, succeeded in reaching Minneapolis and re-entering the hospital. While in the woods his feet became terribly frozen, and he is now in a very precarious condition. Possibly both legs will have to be amputated.

Sheriff DuToit arrived in this city yesterday with warrants for the arrest of the Turk and Paul Schillock, brother of Dr. Schillock. Paul is now a student at the college hospital. He had not been arrested last night.

The body stolen by the ghouls was that of Eugene Molzley, a Swiss, who had died from inflammation of the lungs.

Dr. Dunsmoore, of the college, states that he supposed the body was to have been obtained in the usual legal way, and that to his knowledge none of the [faculty] knew differently.

Dr. Schillock and Paul Schillock, the student, are well known and highly respected in Minneapolis. Paul resides with his mother at No. 1811 Fourth avenue south. He denies being criminally connected with the unhappy affair.

The Turk also states that Paul had nothing to do with obtaining the body. Being asked how he got out of the woods he replied that he found his way to Hopkins station, where he took the train for Minneapolis.