Description
"How the Head of the Rapist was Buried Saturday." -- The head of the negro Charles Reese, also known as Stephen Didell, who committed rape upon Miss Nancy Stillwell, at Weston, two weeks ago last Sunday, and was soon afterward lynched therefor, was on Saturday buried in quicklime at Platte City. The headless remains of a human being found floating in the Missouri River last week was undoubtedly the body of Didell. After he was hanged on the bridge at Weston the rope was cut and the body fell into a skiff, placed beneath the point of suspension. “Here!” exclaimed a young doctor of Platte City who was present, “Don't take him away till I get his head. I want to dissect it.” The men in the skiff directed its bow toward the bank, and in jumped the doctor. The instrument that he used was a sharp, long bladed knife. Didell’s spinal column had been severed by the fall. The doctor placed the body so that the neck lay across the gunwale of the skiff. Then taking his knife he cut away, while a profuse flow of blood crimsoned the water. After the operation the body was taken to mid river in the skiff and dropped. Doctor Hollingsworth, for that was the name of the gentleman who removed the negro's head, dissected the ghastly thing and Saturday employed a darkey to bury the remains of the skull. As an indemnity against being “conjured” the darkey was given a dollar. The head was buried under a corner of a rail fence about a mile from Platte City and the body lies under the sod on the banks of the Missouri River near Liberty Landing, many miles from where the head is. Miss Stillwell, the victim whose head Didell beat with a club, is recovering. - Kansas City Mail. (Researcher’s note: Doctor Hollingsworth was Dr. Jephtha G. Hollingsworth, a dentist in Platte City, Missouri, and the son of Dr. B. F. Hollingsworth.)Date(s) of Creation
7/1/1881
