The weekly Butte record., 1867-01-05
A Strange Story.
MAN DROWNED IN A CAVE.

A1OhAS WINS Az iIldA u.
Temple, citizen of New York, mystic
riously disappeared at Burning Springs.
Within the last few days suspicion
fastened on person named Robert S.
Stelnway as the murderer, and accord
ingly he was arrested. Since his ar
rest he has written and published the
following extraordinary statement in
the Petersburg Times of Monday last
EDS. TINES: My object in writing
this communication is to lay before the
public the facts attending the distress
ing death Of the late Alvin c. Temple,
Of the city Of New York, as | have
just been arrested here on a charge of
being accessory to, and the cause of it.
| am here without friends or acquaint
ances, and must go to prison for want
Of bail. | hope, however, in the course
Of few days, to exonerate myself from
all suspicion of any completely in the
death of my friend.
The deceased and myself were both
residents of New York, and had been
acquainted nearly ten years about
the middle of September last we left
home together on tour to the oil re-
gions of Southern Ohio and West Vir-
ginia. We came first to Marietta,
Ohio, and visited the oil wells of Duck
Greek. We then visited successfully
Horseneck, Sand Hill, W hite Oak, and
Burning Springs. We arrived at the
latter place on the afternoon of Friday,
October 26. We spent Saturday in
visiting the various oil wells. Sunday
morning We started on a ramble to
make some observations as to the ma
ture of the country. From this ramble
MIR. Temple never returned, and upon
this circumstance | have been arrested.
l hope the public, after hearing nv
statement will suspend its judgment
until | can offer more proof of my entire
innocence. MIR. Temple being some
thing Of a geologist, carried a leather
sack, suspended by strap over the
shoulder, to contain the specimens coll
iected, and in his hand hammer, with
handle three feet long, such as is
commonly used by biologists. We
crossed the Burning Springs run at the
mouth, and climbed up the hill on the
upper side. About three foulths of the
way up we discovered an opening in
the rocks, caused probably by some
CONFUSION of the earth. Into this we
found that We could crawl some fifteen
feet. when further progress was stopped
by the hssure becoming narrower.
Temple, by thrusting in his hammer.
ascertained that the passage soon
widened again, and that by removing
some Of the pieces of rock we could 60
on. We procured sapling, which we
used as battering ram. We could
hear the pieces fall as they were pushed
inward, and from the sound knew the
descent could be but a few feet. /
went first, when we had opened the
way, and descended by letting myself
down by the hands. Temple followed.
Lighting match and piece of paper.
We found ourselves in cavern about
twelve feet square in which We could
stand upright. Pieces of broken rock,
varying In size from an egg to barrel,
covered the ground. Temple collected
some specimens, principally sand rock
and feldspar, which lie put into 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, we managed to ascer
tain what have related, and also to
discover tssure nearly opposite where
we entered, some three feet in width at
the bottom, and gradually narrowing at
the top. Crawling into this we found
1t made considerable descent until it
opened into spacious cave. the dimen
sions of which cannot state, as it was
not thoroughly explored. We found
here the same chaos of broken rocks,
and were continually bruising ourselves
IN climbing over and through them.
Proceeding some thirty yards we saw
light on our right, which proved to be
caused by split in the rock. Looking
through 1t. We could see the hills on
the opposite bank of the kanawha. but
could not open our way out. Leaving
this on our right, We proceeded TO make
what explorations our limited means
would allow. After going perhaps fifty
yards, We were surprised at finding
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
we stood. Temple inserted his ham
mer into the pool, and found that in
stead Of water it was oil-petroleum.
| have not time to describe our sensa-
tons on this discovery, which promised
untold wealth. After discussing the
matter for few minutes, he attempted
TO try the depth with the handle of his
hammer. He got as hear the brink as
he could, and was about executing his
design, when the loose stones on which
IL