Body snatchers, ghouls, resurrectionists – These were the names given to those who stole from the dead, stole dead bodies, and those who dug up the dead for sex.
From the mid-1800s to the early 1900s, ghouls were extremely active in the United States. There was good money to be made from the dead, and those who were incapable of getting a legitimate job would often turn to robbing graves for the easy cash.
Shot Through the Eye
In March of 1913, Omaha, Nebraska was hit with a deadly tornado followed by a blinding snow storm. There were over a hundred fatalities and things were getting worse due to the weather conditions and sudden homelessness.
In an effort to stop looting and ghouls, the county attorney warned the populace that all looters and ghouls would be dealt with harshly, but that did not seem to stop some people from preying on the victims of natural disasters.
One ghoul in particular was looting dead bodies in the ruins of homes. A soldier spotted him, lifted his gun, and shot the body robber through the eye, killing him instantly.
Other men were arrested for looting and stealing the personal possessions of those most affected by the tornado. [1]
One Bullet Per Monster
As Nebraska was facing its disaster, Ohio had its own natural disaster. Rain and severe flooding in the state caused numerous deaths in 1913. Like Nebraska, it was announced that looters and ghouls would be shot on sight. In fact, the order was one bullet per looter.
In one case, bystanders spotted a suspicious person and when they searched him they found the severed hand of a dead woman concealed in his pocket. The ghoul planned on removing the rings from the hand he had hacked off after he got to a private place.
However, the bystanders who caught him had other plans and they beat the man severely. He was eventually turned over to the soldiers to be dealt with.
In another case, soldiers spotted three men searching through dead bodies and pulling off their jewelry. A shooter was called to the scene and he fired three fatal shots, a single bullet for each ghoul. [2]
Medical School Defense
While some ghouls only stole objects from the bodies of the dead, other ghouls worked for the medical schools. These ghouls were perhaps considered the worst type of thieves because they stole the bodies from freshly dug graves and then sold them to doctors.
What did the doctors need the bodies for? Mostly for teaching anatomy in medical schools. The majority of the bodies were dissected. Some were cooked down and made into skeleton displays. A few others were used for medical experiments.
The medical schools did what they could to protect their body snatchers. For example, in 1902, a gang of body thieves was taken to trial. The bill of their defense was paid for by the Central Medical College in Indianapolis.
The gang consisted of both medical doctors and local thugs who had no problems stealing the dead. [3]
Body Traffic Headquarters
The trial against the body snatchers was an absolute sensation. At the same time, people were beginning to question whether or not Indianapolis was the central headquarters for body trafficking in the United States.
There were numerous ghoul gangs within the city. Each patrolled their own set of cemeteries within both the city and the entire state, and they did this with ruthless efficiency.
The gangs would go out at night, armed with shotguns, and when they spotted a recent burial, they were able to quickly dig up the coffin, smash it open, and empty the contents.
It was not until one of the ghouls decided to come clean that the city detectives were able to start locating, arresting, and breaking up the body snatching crime rings. [4]
The Ghoul of Boise Idaho
Sadly, newspapers were filled with stories of ravaged bodies, most of the bodies being those of girls and young women.
In 1904, it was reported that the daughter of a minister had passed away and was buried. The day after her burial, however, her coffin was discovered opened. The girl had been stripped of her clothing and her long braid of hair hung limply over the side of the casket.
It was a horrible sight and the girl had to be redressed and reburied. A watch was set up for several nights to see if the ghoul would return, but he didn’t. Whether or not he went on to bugger other dead girls is unknown. [5]
Her Feet Stuck Out
In 1895, the body of a young woman was stolen from a cemetery near Keytesville, Missouri. The community was angered and watchful eyes searched for her stolen remains.
A few days later, when an ice dealer made a delivery to a local drug store, a large wooden box was spotted behind the prescription case in the store. Upon closer inspection, the feet of the deceased woman could be seen poking out of the end of the box.
The part owner of the drug store was also a medical student and he had a side business in selling local corpses to the nearby medical school. The student was arrested and charged for his crimes. [6]
Ghoul Squad
Ghouls were so hated and despised that they made for perfect propaganda.
In World War I there were rumors of German “ghoul squads.” These squads were part of the German army and were charged with stripping the dead of their clothing and anything of value.
The allied forces believed that the Germans were so short on supplies that they would take anything they could get from the dead and put it to use.
While there is no doubt that there were soldiers and people who stole a trinket or two from the dead during The Great War, the notion of the ghoul squad was a fabrication. [7]
