The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1866-11-15

4rn.ny1s.AJ.5DiI1yl.- sQ. skAi,sss:s
=sExpA.Sadh 3ivsS GA1 ssrpssss
Murdersr-A Lake - Petroleum Ois.
covered iaEc1vs N she Little Kanaw-
Ia far under the 0rs4A4-TsaPaeDa lis
Il RsnADgM4fhe4i | l6T3n6u
Some weeks ago : man named a; G. tn
pie, cisiseA u Ns@ f6rk, nyseefioualy q
appeared It Bsruing SPRING.. Within the
lAst fev days earQieR 11ne1ef 90 person
named Robert 3, Steinway . the murderer,
and accordinsiy h. MAS assslDsd.s Since his
arrest he has written and pablished HE fol-
lowing extraordinazy statement in ths Par
kersburg Times OF Monday last:
EDS. IlxEs Ny object in writing this com.
nnunicasion Is TO isy before the public the
facts attending the distressing death Of the
hate Alvin @. Temple, Of the city Of New
the charge Of being Accessory 70, and the
cause Of II. lam hefe vislDeut friends or -
quaintances, and must 70 to PRISON for want
Of bail. ! hope, however, in the course of .
few days TO excnerAte myself from all suspi-
cion of any completely in the death Of my
friend
The deceased and myself were both resi-.
dents Of New York, and had been acquainA-s
ed nearly ten years. Ab0nt the middle Of
September last we left home together on
tour to the oil regions of Southern Ohio and
West Virginia. We came FIRST 10 Marietta,
Ohio, snd visited tia OIL veilsof Duck Creek.
We then visited succe ssively Horseneck, Sand
Hill, White Oak, and Bnrning Springs. We
arrived at the latter place on the afternoon of
Friday, Oct. 90. We spent Saturday in visit
ing the various oil wells. Sunday morning
we started On rAnble TO make some obser-
vations as to the nature Of the country. From
this ramble Mr.. Temple never returned, and
upon this circumstance / have been arrested.
hope the public, after hearing my statement,
will suspend its Judgment until / can offer
more proof of my entire innocence. Mr..
Temple being something of ReoloRist, car
ried leather sack, suspended BY strap over
the shoulder, TO contain the specimens he
collected, and in his hand hammer, with
handle three feet long. such as is commonly
used by biologists. We crossed the Burning
Springs run nj the mouth, and climbed up the
hill on the upper side. About three fourths
of the way up he discovered an opening ii
the rocks, caused probably by some coayulsion
of the earth. Into this we found that We could
crawl some fifteen feet, when further prog
ress was stopped by the assure becoming mar
rover. Temple, BY thrus,ing in his hammer,
ascertained that the passage soon widened
again, and that by removing some of the
pieces of rock we could 90 on. We procured
a sapng. which We found on the GROUND
above, which we used as batteriuR ratn.
We could hear the pieces fall rs they we're
pushed inward, aud from the sound knew the
descent could be but few feet. 1 went first,
when We had opened the way, and descended
by letting myself down BY the hands. Tenn
Pile followed Lighting q match and . piece
of paper, we found ourselves in q cavern
- e. II. Il
stand upright. Pieces oil broken rock, varying
in size from an egg to barrel, covered the
ground. Temple collected some specimens
Of sand rock and ieldspar, which he put int6a
sack to be examined at leisure. Our pro-
gress was very difficult on account of the
loose and Jagged stones. Partly feeling our
way and now and then lighting a match,
managed to ascertain what have related,
and also to discover 6sare nearly opposite
where we entered, some three feet in width
at the bottom, and gradually narrowing to-
ward the top. Crawling into this We found
it made = considerable descent until it
opened into spacious cave, the dimensions
of which we cannot state, as it WAS not thor
oughly explored. We found here the same
chaos Of broken rocks, and were continually
bruising ourselves in crawling over and
through them. Proceeding some forty yards,
We sas light on our right, which proved to
be caused by split in the rock. Looking
through it, we could see the hills on the OPP
posite bank OF the kanawa, bat could not
open our wy out. Leaving this on our right,
we proceeded to make what exploration our
limited means would allow. After going per-
haps fifty yards, We we're surprised at finding
a small lake, or pool, as near as can Judge,
some sixty feet in length by twenty feet wide.
Its level was some three feet below the
ground on which ! stood. Temple inserted
his hammer into this pool, and fond that In
stead Of water it was oil-petroieum. have
not time TO describe our sensations on this
discovery, which promised untold wealth.
After discussing the matter = few minutes,
be attempted TO try the depth with the hans
die OF his hammer. He got as near the brink
as he could, and was about executing his de-
sign, when the loose stones on which he stood
suddenly caved in with him. He sunk, rose
again, struggled moment, and | saw him
no more. / was powerless TO assist him,
even if | had not been completely bewildered.
The weight of the specimens in his sack, no
doubt, prevented him from saving himself,
as he was capital swimmer. The horror OF
my situation may be imagined. stood alone
in that cave wherein was death and darkness,
fully aware that when / went out into the
light would only meet strangers and suspic-
ion. called my companion by name again
and again, until terrified by the sepulchral
echos that resounded through the black
ness.
This is the true statement of the fact.
Whether it will be credited is more than can
say. am fnly aware how difficult it is for
me to answer this question. Wy did you
not make this statement soonerg Here Is
nv rep.y. When | left the cave, l went 70
my room at the hotel. Overwhelmed IS Was,
could not help being sensible that the dis
covery WAS an important one, and resolved
To secure the benefits of it ; so ! kept the
matter qniet until my designs should be &C.
complished. To this end obtained q favor
able lease from the agent of the Rathboone
Oil Company Of ground covering the cave.
This lease, as the county records will show,
was made the day after the occurrence
above revealed. 1t was made to George
Temple, the father Of Henry Y. Temple, the
brother ofthe late Alvin c. Temple. | have
not reserved to myself directly or indirectly
any part Of this lease. hope this circun.
stance will go far to show that could have
no motive in causing the death OF my friead.
/ do not think his relatives, or those who
know me, will entertain the slightest suspi-
cion to my prejudice. Yet feel that can
not have o moment peace of mind until the
Judgment of everybody shall acquit me Of the
charge. And now. Messrs. Editors, reques,
that you will give the foregoing statement a
place in your paper, and thereby oblige .
friendless and grief stricken man.
ROBERT 8. SrEtxuAY.