1862

went to his house and made a serch and they found
many Bundles of graves cloathes about his house in
various parts they also found a large Box filled full
of the clothing of the dead from little infants to the aged of
both sexes. Mr Baptiste was at the grave yard at the
time the poliece went up to him and he was picking up
cobble stones & took him up to the grave of Clawson
and accused him of robing the dead body He denyed
it but after being choaked a while He confessed it and
then confessed that th he had been robing the dead for
Two and a half years they then took him down to prision
and all of the clothing of the dead found in his possession
was taken to the Court House and there Exhibited so
that any persons who had buried friends since He had
been diging graves might se if they could recognice the
grave clothes Mrs Woodruff & myself went down to
se if we could recognize the grave cloths of Father Woodruff
but we could recognize Nothing as the Aprons were all
destroyed and the robes taken to peaces. There lay the grave
cloths of fifty persons or more some twenty pair of little
childrens stockings and the clothing of all ages male
& female which that man had striped from the dead
Bodies of saints & sinners He done his work mostly
nights He had a house nearest to the grave yard so that no
person had detected him in his diabolical work. The anoun-
cement of it to the public created great consternation through
the city. On Being questioned Baptiste acknowledged that
He had been carriying on this Hellish work for three years and
a half his ownly motive was to seell the clothing He said the
devil was in him which I think was true

January 28, 1862 ~ Tuesday

28^th The Poliece took up Baptiste to the grave yard to day
to point out the graves which He had opened. But there were
many persons in the Grave yard who felt Exasperated in there feelings
and He did not point out more than a doz graves which
He had opened for fear he would be killed. No Estimate
can be made of the Number of the dead He has robed

1862 went to his house and made a serch and they found many Bundles of graves clothes about his house in various parts they also found a large Box filled full of the clothing of the dead from little infants to the aged of both sexes. Mr Baptiste was at the grave yard at the time the poliece went up to him and he was picking up cobble stones & took him up to the grave of Clawson and accused him of Robing the dead body He denyed it but after being choaked a while He confessed it and then confessed that he had been robing the dead for Two and a half years they then took him down to prision and all of the clothing of the dead found in his possession was taken to the Court House and there Exhibited so that any persons who had buried friends since He had been diging graves might se if they could recognize the grave clothes Mrs Woodruff & myself went down to se if we could recognize the grave cloths of Father Woodruff but we could recognize Nothing as the Aprons were all destroyed and the robes taken to peaces. There lay the grave cloths of fifty persons or more some twenty pair of little childrens stockings and the clothing of all ages male & female which that man had striped from the dead Bodies of Saints & sinners. He done his work mostly nights He had a house nearest to the grave yard so that no person had detected him in his diabolical work. The anouncement of it to the public created great consternation through the city. On Being questioned Baptiste acknowledged that He had been carrying on this Hellish work for three years and a half his ownly motive was to sell the clothing He said the devil was in him which I think was true

January 28, 1862 ~ Tuesday

28th The Policce took up Baptiste to the grave yard to day to point out the graves which He had opened. But there were many persons in the Grave yard who felt Exasperated in there feelings and He did not point out more than a doz graves which He had opened for fear he would be killed. No Estimate can be made of the Number of the dead He has robed