In this episode, I’m joined by fellow body snatching enthusiast Chris Woodyard, author of the popular series Haunted Ohio as well as the fabulous ‘The Victorian Book of the Dead’.
We get down to the basics of body snatching and compare the practice between Britain and America and for us two, nothing is off limits!
From repurposing clothes from cadavers to the 'Coffin Torpedo' and everything in between!
All the gory details can be found at:
2:37 How to take a body out of the grave
4:42 Digging up putrid cadavers & what to do with the grave clothes
8:09 Body snatchers and their side hustles
9:00 Packing cadavers ready for shipping & a trunk murder
17:33 Body snatching prevention, the ‘Coffin Torpedo’ & how to get a body out of the grave
28:46 The snatching of Senator John Scott Harrison
34:18 Punishments for body snatching & the role of the anatomists
38:50 The anatomists & their relationship with body snatchers
39:08 William Cunningham aka ‘Old Cunny’ & his ‘apprentice’ Charles Keaton
42:20 Anatomy Riots & Anatomy Acts
44:22 Chris’ favourite body snatchers including an American burking Case
49:58 A final Body snatching legend to finish with
Books Mentioned In This Episode
- Brian Bailey: The Diary of a Resurrectionist
- Curt Dalton: Body Snatching in Ohio
- Ruth Richardson: Death, Dissection & The Destitute
- Michael Sappol: A Traffic in Dead Bodies
If you’d like to read about Waterloo Teeth head over to my website for the post Waterloo Teeth: A History of Georgian Dentures
For more on the Liverpool Body Snatching Scandal of 1826, listen to Episode 2 of the podcast or head over to my blog where you can read the story in full and see the accompanying pictures.
Want to follow Chris and find out what she’s up to?
You can follow Chris on Twitter and Facebook
Chris’ fantastic website Haunted Ohio Books will keep you hooked for hours!
Chris is also the author of the Haunted Ohio Book Series and fabulous ‘The VIctorian Book of The Dead’
Want a mid-week fix of all things body snatching? Then head on over to my blog at diggingup1800.com
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