There's a story from the 18th century that the public health law
appears to be from, a King's College scandal, which became Columbia
University. Some of the medical students were caught dis-interring
remains to practice for their anatomy exams the story goes, with an
enterprising  tutor I imagine.  Maybe at one time it was a more common
problem. One of the first if, not the first health commissioners in
New York City was named Mr. Outhouse believe it or not (according to
Diana DiZerega, Ph.D. I have some Dutch relations in the Canadian
family tree, Oothuys, or Oothouse so I'm not surprised) was
instrumental in getting the first germ prevention laws passed, which
open graves can also present. Today it is no longer legal to bury
anyone on the island of Manhattan, though I've seen some of the vaults
at Trinity Church advertised, they the first in wide scale
unemployment to offer aid in the Bowery in the 1850's.