Campbell - Charles - ghastly Christmas box
Source: Des Moines Iowa Leader 29 Dec 1901 p 9
Crawfordsville, Ind Dec 28 – the citizens in and about Bowers, a small place near this city are greatly excited because of a ghastly Christmas box sent to Charles Campbell, a farmer. Mr. Campbell had been on a visit in Dakota for some weeks and before he left home instructed his two small boys to open the Christmas box he expected to send them. On Christmas day a box which had contained package coffee was received and delivered at the Campbell home. His sons opened the box and were horrified to find it contained the body of a woman. The limbs and arms had been severed close to the body to allow the ghastly object to be crowded into the box. The body was taken from the box and hung up in the barn where it was viewed by scores of people. As soon as the health officers heard of it they ordered cut down pending an investigation. It was learned that the body belonged to Dr. Campbell of LaFayette who procured it at a medical college at Indianapolis and was shipping it home for dissection. He was able to convince the officials that everything was regular. Dr. Campbell secured the body and took it to LaFayette.