CANINE GHOULS

Digging Bodies Up at Harris Cemetery and Eating Them

On the authority of a family named Stober, who reside near the Harris Free cemetery, in the vicinity of the arsenal, where colored people are interred, it is alleged that the bodies of persons buried at that cemetery have been dug up and eaten by dogs.

Mrs. Stober, when asked about the horrible affair, said: “Did I ever see the dogs digging in the graves in that cemetery? Of course I did it’s a common occurrence. Last summer the dogs had what seemed to be the backbone of a child out in the yard here and were making a meal of it. I know they got it over at the cemetery because we saw them digging there and then dragging it over. We examined it when they came.”

Mr. Stober said that one day last summer he noticed two black hounds at a grave in the cemetery. He went over to chase them away when the brutes, hyena-like, turned upon him and he was compelled to retreat. Nothing but a shot gun drove them from the cemetery, but soon afterwards he saw the animals with what appeared to be human flesh and bones.

Mr. Stober continuing his horrible story said that on one occasion he noticed the dogs owned by Mr. Henry Herr eating at the lower part of a Negro’s leg, the flesh and black skin being well preserved. Through the summer he has been compelled to quit work in an adjoining field on account of the disagreeable stench arising from the half buried bodies.

There was no effort made at a proper burial. He also had seen men working in the place at all hours of the night.

Major Simpson [Civil War Veteran, John Simpson], one of the trustees of the Harris Free Cemetery, stated this morning that if the stories of the Stobers were true, and he disbelieved them, there was no help for the state of affairs that now exist.

The ground was given the colored people of Harrisburg for a cemetery by the John Harris heirs,” said Maj. Simpson, “and they elect trustees. Lots in the cemetery are free or rather any colored person may be buried there free of charge.

In 1877, the soldiers called here during the riot, tore down the fence surrounding the cemetery, and animals could roam at pleasure over the graves.

I went to Gen. Reeder for damages, he referred me to Gen. Latta, and he in turn referred me to the military commission, which said it had no power to pay money for damages and advised us to go to the Legislature, which we did, but the bill twice failed to pass for lack of time.

No revenue is derived from the sale of lots. There was a movement started at one time to sell lots and use the revenue to make repairs, and this was done, but the cry was made that the trustees were discriminating against poor colored people, and the next board of trustees reversed the rule made, and things went on in the old way up to the present.

None but poor people use the cemetery now.

Those who can afford it, and there are many, go to the Lincoln colored cemetery on the Progress road, where they purchased lots. At the Harris people are allowed to select burial lots indiscriminately on a permit from the trustees, and may dig graves for those they wish to inter, if they choose. I do not believe the story that bodies are buried under but a few inches of ground, but if they are, there is ample chance for dogs to dig them out. The trustees intend to inquire into the matter, but they have no money to make repairs, and can’t be expected to do much.”