The Fate of the Grave Digger

By M.P. Pellicer | Stranger Than Fiction Stories​
Criminals are sometimes undone by their stupidity or desperation, but there are others who are discovered by sheer bad luck. Such is the case of a gravedigger named Jean Baptiste.

---

John W. Dawson, governor of Utah c.1861-62

Utah, 1862
Four men were arrested, and two were sought in an assault upon John W. Dawson (1820-1877) the governor of Utah who had been nominated to the post by Abraham Lincoln. One of these men was named Moroni Clawson. Ironically three weeks before they had been hired to protect the governor until he reached the eastern boundary of the Utah territory, but then something changed.

It all started in the last days of December, 1861 when Dawson had been confined to his house reported by his physician, to be suffering form some type of mental derangement. At first the populace didn't believe the diagnosis, but eventually it came to light as being accurate. Questions were raised where his insanity stemmed from. Some believed it was hereditary, while others believed it was "his journey across the plains and incidents thereof had affected his brain." Other went as far as to believe the high altitude in Utah had affected Dawson who hailed from Indiana.

The one rumor that was whispered, but had a ring of truth pertained to a story where he had made "criminal approaches" to Mormon widow Albina Merrill Williams (1826-1914), who responded by thrashing him with a fire shovel. Was this a verbal exchange with Mrs. Williams or something worse? The answer remains unknown. Whatever the cause he decided to leave, and hired some men to accompany him as he headed out to take a stage headed for the East. Dr. Chambers, his personal physician accompanied the governor on the trip.

As soon as Dawson had left, "awful disclosures" were made known to the Mormons about the incident, and that he had tried to pay her hush money. Then it was believed the real reason Dawson fled was that she had relatives in the Territory, and they were coming to seek retribution. This was why he suddenly became sick and crazy.

Dawson's appointment came fresh after the Latter-day Saints had a series of disagreements with the United States government known as the Utah War of 1857-1858, which could explain why the incident escalated to such a degree.

---

Salt Lake City main street c.1862

The Dawson party had reached Mountain Dell at Ephraim Hanks' Pony Express station where they waited for the coach. This is when Dawson's guards turned on him and robbed him of his goods and beat him savagely, allegedly removing one of his testicles.

Orin Porter Rockwell (1836-1914), one of Sheriff Burton's deputies organized a posse and set out after the men. They followed them out west to the California Mail route. They arrived at Faust's Station and two were apprehended and one shot. They were arrested and taken to Fort Crittenden, where the posse stopped to rest. This is when Clawson and Smith tried to escape and were shot dead.

Those apprehended later claimed they were acting under direct orders of the Salt Lake Police Chief.

---

Moroni Clawson (1837-1862) Source - FindaGrave

​Moroni Clawson (1837-1862) already had a history of run-ins with the law, when a true bill was found against him for larceny mostly for cattle rustling in 1860.

Clawson was buried in the City Cemetery at the city's expense. A few days after the burial, Clawson's brother obtained permission to disinter the body, and move it to Draperville where the Clawson family lived.

The coffin was opened and the body was found to be nude and lying on its face. Moroni's brother was enraged thinking it had purposely been buried this way. However it was verified that he was dressed when he went into the ground.

Suspicion fell upon the gravedigger named Jean (John) Baptiste. The police searched his home and found large quantities of burial clothes. The sexton went on to admit he had been stealing from the dead for about 9 years, three of which had been at this current cemetery.

The recovered garments were laid out in the main hall of the courthouse to be inspected by people in the community, to see if they recognized their loved one's belongings. Even though the weather in March was cold, the crowds poured into the cemetery.

Jean Baptiste was described as man of blunted sensibilities, and that when arrested he was wearing two shirts that had been stripped from the dead, and still had the "sickening scent peculiar to the grave."

Prior to his arrival in Utah, Jean Baptiste was said to be a Frenchman who had lived in England and Australia, until he sailed to San Francisco. He had only been living in Salt Lake City for 4 or 5 years, most of the time working as the sexton at Salt Lake's City Cemetery. It was estimated he robbed about 300 graves, and used the caskets for firewood.

---

A depiction of Jean Baptiste c.1895

Besides robbing the dead he was accused of robbing the city treasury by charging five dollars for Clawson's clothes, but burying him nude.

Sadly one of the officers that arrested Jean Baptiste found the garments of his own child among those that were laid out for identification.

Many were calling for the Lynch Code, but there was a suspicion that Jean Baptiste was a bit feeble minded, as was his wife.

LDS president Brigham Young made an announcement in answer to the public's unrest, since there was great outrage among the Mormon populace.

The clothes that were unclaimed were buried in a mass grave at the cemetery.

It was said that to bolster his small income Jean Baptiste would sell the clothing he robbed to the few Jewish secondhand clothing dealers. The shrouds were sold to a window-blind factory where they were made into blinds.

Prior to the discovery of his grave robbing, he was known to scavenge through trash and was always searching the slums for barrels, boxes and cast off garments.

Another story, was that Jean Baptiste was seen wearing a suit of broadcloth that resembled one that a murdered saloon keeper was buried in. Another account about Jean Baptiste's activities is that he robbed the grave of a man hanged in Utah, and wore his boots to a dance. These stories are unverified and sound more like character assassination then the truth.

---

The story of the grave-robbing sexton c.1862

​With the threat of a lynching hanging over his head, authorities had to keep Baptiste alone in the jail to make sure he stayed safe. But what to do with a man who hadn't killed anyone, but caused great heartache among the people? 

​The story told was that he was banished first to Antelope Island in the Great Salt Lake, but since the waters were so shallow he was taken instead to Fremont Island or Church Island where they left him. The place had trees and vegetation and was used as herding ground for cattle belonging to the Mormon church.

It was rumored his ears were cut off and he was branded on the forehead "robbing the dead", also that a ball and chain were tied to him so he couldn't leave the island. Other disputed he was never chained and the message on his forehead was done in indelible ink.

It was put out that three weeks after being marooned, authorities returned to find that Baptiste had used the roof and sides of the cabin built for him. He had torn them off and made thongs from the cowhide of a heifer that was found dead nearby. With these items he built a raft and left the island. Supposedly he headed to a mining camp in California or Montana, and ended his days there.

---

Antelope Island, Great Salt Lake

Around 1890, hunters found a skull at the mouth of the River Jordan where it empties into the lake. A search was made for the rest of the skeleton, but it was not found. In 1893, a story was published in a local newspaper that John Winegar, a muskrat hunter found a skeleton in the same area that consisted of the arms, legs, ribs and vertebra. It was missing a head. Around the leg bone was an iron clamp, and an iron ball was attached to it. Was this the remains of the marooned Jean Baptiste who it seemed died of hunger and exposure?

However officers who were present when Jean Baptiste was taken to the island affirmed that he was never shackled with a ball and chain, making it questionable if the remains were Jean Baptiste, or if the story is true at all.

In truth the ultimate fate of Jean Baptiste is shrouded in mystery. Was he stranded on the island and escaped after 3 weeks, or did he live in a cave on the island for years feeding off the cattle, wildlife and also cannibalizing any humans that wrecked there. The island developed a reputation for being haunted and was avoided by the Indians and the Mormons. 

However there is a darker story as to the fate of the grave digger, and it is this: He was taken to Antelope island and shot; an execution that could not be done publicly. Then the story was put out of his flight from the island by using the materials from the cabin and the leather thongs, so that no further search would be made for him, which means Jean Baptiste's bones are still lying somewhere on an island in the Great Salt Lake.

Sources - Journal and Courier, The Sonoma County Journal, The Chicago Chronicle, Salt Lake Telegram, The Salt Lake Herald

---