The Body Snatcher's Wife

Mary Cunningham who, in the 1870s, with her husband William were in the business of aiding many young Cincinnati medical students in their studies by providing them with cadavers upon which to examine. They were grave-robbing body snatchers! Irish born Mary was a fun-loving woman that liked her whiskey and was rough around the edges. At the time you “see” Mary her beloved husband William, known as the “Ghoul of Cincinnati,” had passed away. Mary, dubbed as “Alligator Jaws” will enlighten you of the fine arts of bodysnatching, which was a very lucrative market in Cincinnati during that time. What else we know of Mary are from the many Cincinnati newspaper articles about bodysnatching.

Recorded on October 14th, 2021