"A search was made, but the neck could not be found." (Image by Thomas Eakins.)

Nineteenth-century autopsies were far from perfect, as evidenced by an article in the December 24, 1899 edition of the Brooklyn Daily Eagle. An excerpt:

“It was discovered at the Manhattan Morgue yesterday that the neck of the headless man, found at the foot of Rutgers Street Tuesday last, is missing. It had been cut off Thursday when Dr. Philip O’Hanlon of the Coroner’s office performed an autopsy on the body. At that time Dr. Ferguson, the eminent pathologist was present, as was Dr. Schultz, former Coroner, and a number of medical students. Dr. O’Hanlon made a careful examination of the neck and, he said, found indentations on the cervical vertebra which were undoubtedly made by a knife. There were two or three on each side and, he said, he thought they had been made by a man who knew how to handle a surgeon’s knife.

"Dr. O'Hanlon then accused Embalmer Arthur Rooney of 336 East Twenty-fifth Street, who was standing by, of having taken the neck."

Dr. O’Hanlon called at the Morgue yesterday afternoon and asked to be shown the neck which had been removed from the body. A man went into the autopsy room, where the headless body and neck had been left, but he could not find it. A search was made, but the neck could not be found. Policeman Morell, who is in charge of the Morgue, said that Dr. O’Hanlon was the last in the room. Dr. O’Hanlon then accused Embalmer Arthur Rooney of 336 East Twenty-fifth Street, who was standing by, of having taken the neck. Rooney indignantly denied that he had done so and and he accused Dr. O’Hanlon of being the last in the room when the autopsy was made. It was thought that it had got mixed with some refuse and been thrown out. There was no suspicion at any time that the man had been murdered, but the loss of the portion is considered curious.”