Jc Devine - Just Ghoulish!

[philasteen]

Article published Oct 15, 2005

 

Civil War bones will not be auctioned Sunday

 

By Kevin Landrigan

Telegraph Staff

 

The bones of an unknown Civil War soldier buried in Virginia became, 140 years later, item No. 134-105A in an auction house catalog in Milford.

 

Veterans and state legislators expressed outrage when they learned of the planned sale of the soldier’s remains at an auction Sunday run by the J.C. Devine auction house – and now the remains will not go to the highest bidder.

 

Senate President Ted Gatsas, R-Manchester, said Attorney General Kelly Ayotte told him late Friday that she had spoken with a representative of the auction house, who had agreed to withdraw the bones from the auction at the Wayfarer Inn in Bedford.

 

“I’m just happy to report it’s not going to happen. For the life of me, I couldn’t understand the appeal for anyone to buy such a thing,” Gatsas said.

 

State officials said the remains were of a New York resident who had been buried in an unmarked Virginia grave.

 

No one could be reached for comment Friday at the Devine auction house, which has been in business for 30 years.

 

An online version of the auction house catalog no longer lists the item, but it is listed in Google’s cache of the page from Oct. 3. The item is listed as “Civil War Items from Gravesite at Haxall’s Landing, VA.”

 

Although there is no direct link to it on the Web site, a photo of the remains is still available on the site. It shows an array of items displayed on a red burlap background in a frame: “US” and “NY” buckles, a coin, and bones that appear to be a leg bone and pieces of a jaw with 13 teeth.

 

Haxall’s Landing is on the James River, south of Richmond. It was the site of a minor confrontation in July 1862, part of the Seven Days battles that ended the Peninsula Campaign, the unsuccessful Union attempt to capture Richmond, the Confederate capital. It was 1864 before Union soldiers came so close to Richmond again.

 

The matter exposes an apparent loophole in state law, which does not prevent someone from selling body parts that have come from another state. New Hampshire law outlaws removing body parts from any grave in the state and selling them but is silent on the sale of bones coming from somewhere else.

 

Sen. Robert Letourneau, R-Derry, an avid Civil War collector, said he would prepare legislation for next year to address this.

 

“We can’t let this kind of thing take place here in the future. It’s got to be nipped in the bud because the whole idea is just disgusting to me,” Letourneau said.

 

The sale of human bones is allowed under federal law, and human bones and skulls can be found for sale on eBay.

 

Kenneth Leidner, director of the Statehouse Visitors Center, said he learned a soldier’s remains were on the market at the Bedford auction from Dennis Viola, executive director of the State Veterans Council.

 

“Dennis asked me to respond to some e-mails he had received from some civil war association folks from in and outside the state who were very upset by this,” Leidner said.

 

“I was pretty shocked to learn that there is neither a state or a federal law that prevents this from happening.”

 

Leidner and Letourneau both are members of a commission that is working on a monument dedicated to Civil War veterans.

 

“The plain and simple matter is that everything to do with the Civil War right now is extremely hot and very valuable and we’re seeing an extreme example of this right here,” Leidner said.

 

Leidner said he intends to send a letter to members of the state’s congressional delegation to look into changing federal law.

 

Letourneau said he’s been at Civil War auctions where some of the most lucrative bids are not made in person.

 

“They accept bids over the phone and that’s when you can get a real competition going,” Letourneau said. “New Hampshire has become a magnet for big auction selling because we don’t have a sales tax.”

 

A Maryland antiques dealer, Todd Hughes, told Maine Antique Digest in a January 2000 story that all items relating to death are big sellers, including bones.

 

“Bones are neat because they’re more or less permanent,” Hughes said. “The person is dead and gone, but the bones will last thousands of years if taken care of. And they’re interesting to look at, too.”

 

Staff writer Stephanie Hooper contributed to this report. Kevin Landrigan can be reached at 224-8804 or landrigank@telegraph-nh.com.

 

http://users.rcn.com/philistine/bones.jpg

 

[full auto 45]

I thought that is was illegal to sale human remains except for science purposes and only if the person agreed. Maybe the feds will get wind of old JC before his ego grows even more!

What next for JC, "I have here for auction, the complete body of King Tut holding a Golden Thompson!"

[Ron Mills]

He does seem to have his own special brand of greed. I hope the Feds can stop this one too.

[Sgt]

Ebay lists complete skeletons, skulls and anything not dripping, as long as it's stamped with "for scientific or medical purpose." I'm sure that it would be a diffult sell for the Civil War remnants just mentioned. It is baffling that even auction ghouls would try such a thing. Very disrespectful!

 

Tut and golden Thompson is a good touch, Mike. LOL!

[Z3BigDaddy]

QUOTE (Sgt @ Oct 20 2005, 05:59 PM)

Ebay lists complete skeletons, skulls and anything not dripping, as long as it's stamped with "for scientific or medical purpose." I'm sure that it would be a diffult sell for the Civil War remnants just mentioned. It is baffling that even auction ghouls would try such a thing. Very disrespectful! Tut and golden Thompson is a good touch, Mike. LOL!

Really, what search do you use? I can't seem to find any of that stuff....

[Arthur Fliegenheimer]

If the auction proves lucrative, Yale will consider putting up their skull and bones.

[Sgt]

Big Daddy--

Do search: Real Human Skull or Real Human Skeleton

 

Here's one link that should be up for another 24 hrs:

 

http://cgi.ebay.com/Real-Human-Skeleton-Fo...1QQcmdZViewItem

 

 

 

 

[Zamm]

QUOTE

"I have here for auction, the complete body of King Tut holding a Golden Thompson!"

 

That would no doubt be "Tu-Tut-Thompson" the Bully Boy King of the12 Dynasty.... http://www.machinegunbooks.com/forums/invboard1_1_2/upload/html/emoticons/rolleyes.gif

 

Z

[PATHFINDER]

Is it just me or has every skeleton you have ever seen used for ‘scientific’ reasons have the cranium opened? You know, like medical students in gross anatomy class do? Sort of like NONE of these skulls on ebay?

Here is great web site. If you have ever seen the film of the Chinese executing criminals? The one where the officer in charge gets mad because the one guy shoots the prisoner in the head? Nightline or 60 Minuets said is was because he destroyed harvestable organs. That may be true but here is another reason he was mad!!

 

Human Skulls from China

Our regular selection of Human Skulls come from China.

Generally, these are large, uncut skulls with unattached mandibles.

 

CREEPY!!

[colt21a]

i kinda liked the "alien " skull on the wall in "predator II"

 

it kinda gave you a glimpse of thing's in the future. alien's vs.predator.

 

yeah baby!! alot mo fun then civil war bone's.and much rarer.

 

how many time's ya get the chance to catch a alien...wink!

 

cheez..........can't we all get along???

 

take care,ron

[full auto 45]

My brother works at a cemetery. They unearth old graves all the time. I'm sure I could get a deal on one there for you! http://www.machinegunbooks.com/forums/invboard1_1_2/upload/html/emoticons/laugh.gif http://www.machinegunbooks.com/forums/invboard1_1_2/upload/html/emoticons/wink.gif

[Z3BigDaddy]

I don't think my driving buddy is a southerner but hey what do I know.....

http://mail.roadfly.com/z3bigdaddy/drivebud.jpg

 

 

[Zamm]

Damm Big Daddy, I have allways wanted one of them!

Zamm http://www.machinegunbooks.com/forums/invboard1_1_2/upload/html/emoticons/mad.gif