The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1866-06-21
Human skeletons Found I'm Carminc
Streef-Two Bodies Found I'm Private
decentralization Hypothesis,

A state of things involving considerable
mystery came to light on Saturday of week
before last, which has failed to receive the
attention it deserved. On the day named,
gang of laborcrs, in excavatngon the plot
in the rear Of No. SO Carminc street, in
this city, for an extension of store, were
surprised and shocked by coming upon two
human skeletons buried in close proximity
to each other. Operations were at once
suspended, and in the course Of the day
perhaps one hundred people were drawn
to the spot by the rumor spread abroad,
and among them was a number of the
Twenty eighth Precinct Police, Captain
Dixon. The officers, strangely enough,
made no REPORT of the strange circum-
stance. and after time work was resumed,
and the two skeletons, minus a bone or
two and one skull, are still in the same
place Of intcrmcnt.
One of the skeletons, and the one first
discovered, laid with its head toward the
north. upon its face, and its left arm eX-
tended at full length. When found it was
but seventeen inches below the ground,
and very suspicious circumstance was
tnotcd: The body was plcntiiully sprinklcd
with lime, in order to increase the rapidity
with which the flesh would decay. This
skeleton was that OF Il very tall, strong per-
son. as shown by the forearm bone, which
is considerably above the usual measure
ment About six years ago, the gentle
man who occupied the premises No. Is
Carmine street, as they then were, caused
an ailanthuS tree to he set out upon the
spot where the skeleton was found, and it
is now quite tall, strong tree. Its roots
are ineXtricably intcrlaced in the ribs of
the skeleton, so that the former cannot be
removed without uprooting the latter.
Whether this was intended as a protection
against discovery or not cannot now be
determined; but at any rate it is very
singular circumstance that the tree should
have been set out on this exact spot, and at
a time when it is stated that one dark night
three distinct cries of murder were heard
by persons then living in the vicinity.
The other skeleton, buried near by, is also
that OF a male, but not so large as the one
under the aianthuS. The skull is now
above ground, and exhibits within a net
work of veins and nerves which have not
been eaten out even by the lime with which
illdl hblN WAS dlND lllhluNtlN NONCINNl
the time of its interment. The body was
only twelve inches below the surface, and
lies partly underneath path along which
persons have walked daily for years. The
frame house on the rear of the lot was first
built, and the space between it and Car
mine street used as a garden. 1t was &C.
cupicd for more than thirty-thrcc years by
Il Mr.. and Mrs. Williams, the formcra shoe
maker, who died about nine years since.
| His widow continued the business until
April last, when she vacated the premises
because lease had been given To 4 mcr-
chant doing business at the corner of Car
mine and Blocker streets, one door off.
OF course there is no little speculation
going on in regard to this mysterious in
termcnt and unexpected discovery. 1t is
we'll known that no graveyard was ever
located in the vicinity, and beyond the
present buildings, only an old stage barn
for horses was ever known to be upon the
lot. The skeletons show no sign Of having
been injured in life; and as the location is
in the heart Of the city, it is hardly rea-
sonablc to suppose that murdererS would
have assumed the risk of carrying them
there for hasty intcrmcnt. A building is
now going up, with these skeletons still
buried, and unless the board Of coroncrS
choose to investigate the affair, it will re-
main as mysterious as it now iS.-Ner
York NetrS.