Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1872-09-11
4 MYSTERY OF BLOOD.
l. Toa1g Man Psand Dead In the
Ravine on Pine Street, Between
South and Ridgeway.
The Affair Still Unexplained-Foul
Play or Accidental Death.

The Affair Still Unexplained-Foul
Play or Accidental Death.
Sally Stout, a colored woman. in walking
across the stone wall, built across the deep
ravine between South street and Ridscway.
the dead body of a young man
lying in the rayine below the wall aud Il
Few feet from its base. From her the intelli.
gencc rapidly spread through the city that u
foul murder had been committed. Crowds
Of excited citizens hurried to the spot TO
learn the full particulars of the affair, aud
tue name OF the unfortunate victim. As
eacli one arrived IL -aZ Il anViou>iy and in
InirinSly into the flcc of the Young man.
thinking. no doubt, to recognize 4 friend or
All acquaintance. But no one Appeared to
him. lie WAS a stranger i'll the city.
Ills lii.less body lay stretched out in the
raNinr. with the head some ten or iiiten feet
from the wall. and his feet down the stream.
His hat and handkerchief, with Il piece Of
marble warped up in II, lay a few feet
from him. He seemed 10 be not more than
twenty years of gc. with a handsome and
Intelligent face. A. he lay. there were 10
status of blood or marks Of violence appar-
cut about his person. Whether he had been
had fallen from the harrow wall in attempts
Ing TO walk 1t in the dark, Was Il question
which puzzled every one and Is still involv-
ed III mystery. The booty was removed TO
the court house about ten O'Clock, when
acting coroner Clayton IL jary
and proceeded to hold an inquest. DIR. 7. ).
Sinlt! was called IN TO assist the jury in their
examination. The body was Identified rs
that Of Augustus Ilighlcy. IL resident OF
brOwnsviiie, who Was first seen in our city
on the Saturday morning proceeding the
night of his death. A small wound was found
OH the back of his head. which DR.. Smith
pronounced the cause of his death Beyond
this wound and \ slight bruise on the neck.
there We're no other bruises or mark, OF
on his body. As the jury were IN
WILING to come to Il conclusion without
further prosecution of the inquest was post.
poncd until the next day. On Monday morn
ing the jury Were called together and Il num-
Der Of witnesses examined. The evidence.
while il throws much hight on the sad affair,
does not fully unraNcl the mystery of the
young man. death. 1t appears from the
testimony that he had >prut most OF the day
SATURDAY with john Mullln.. dllad taken
supper with him i'll the evening. He WAS
last seen 1T Joseph Bachr's saloon, on Main
street. about . O'clock at ni.ilt. lie left
there by himself in Il state of iutoXicatiou.
and rs he was seen nOwh,rc else. it is SLIP
posed that he ma,ie an effort To rrlcl, Null
Inns house. which is situated about twenty
five yards beyond the stone wall. on the
very dark, but whether he was killed by
falling from the wall, or murdcled anil
thrown where the body was found the next
morning, is II question which. in our opir-
ion, the evidence by no means settles.
Below We give it in full. leaving our readers
to form their own conclusions
DIR. Il. :. IN it'll be. ny sworn testified rs
Made an examination OF the body
OF deceased, found Il small triangular
wound OH the Occiput or back part OF the
head, which seemed 10 he inflicted by Il small
sharp instrument. which penetrated the skin
and fractured the skull. The extent of the
skin wound was about ? OF al inch, that of
the skull inch or more. Wound liable to
produce instantaneous death i'll Two WAYS.
either by conclusion Or compression OF
the brain. Wound mi-iit have been pro-
duccd by FILLING OH Il long sharp rock, but |
not think so; ii this had been the case the
skin would be more bruised, and Il portion
of the neck no doubt adhered to the wound.
There We're no bruises around the cut. The
body lay about 70 feet rom the wall. There
was Il small brui>e on the left side of the
neck, which might have been produced by
dragging IL over something. No other marks
about his body. In my opinion Il man could
not fall from the wall without inflicting more
bruises on lis body. | think il Il strange fact
that there were nu stains OF blood about his
halt c. clothes. Suc, wounds bleed piOtu st
ly.
Edward {. Holmes testified: Never SAW
deceased alive. saw his body in the rayine
b. low the stone wall on SUNDAY morning.
Went there c:Hly. among the first. Saw 10
white person there except Mrs. Mullins. she
said to me. the wall ought I" he fixed by the
city, foG Il man had fallen over il and killed
himself. Saw the body Of deceased lying in
the ravinr near Il big rock weighing about
100 pounds. HIS head WAS about ten feet
from the wall. The wall is about ID feet high.
\ handkerchief with a rock in it lay about q
tttI lIb..l lIlt ilii = ll'st'l L Ill Is uDb
4 feet from his hcad. lie could not la,
fallen there from the south bank. | do unl
think Il tail from either the south Or iiOrtl
bank would Kill Il man. SAW tracks close IL
The big rocks. Gentle owe had fallen in
the night. but not enough to put them our
Believe the body WAS placed where it wa,
found by other persons. saw mud and clay
Cn the right thigh, ami noticed an impress
ion in the mud. as il made by Il struggling oil
DIVING man. moving his feet backwards an,
forwards. Mullins house is about seventy.
live feet from the wall.
| Mrs. Annie Mullins testified Saw dc
ceased first time at the market house with III,
husband about / O'Clock l.. NJ. on Saturday
saw him again at 6O'clock. lie came HON,
with JOHN my hl,hand) To supper. Wa
sober and behaved himself well. Asked IN,
if | could board him. told HIM no. Sal,
house and started up town ny himself iii
recliy after supper. saw him no more unit
| SAW his corpse on Sunday morning. join
dill not leave that night. He had brcl
drinking, but was not drunk Had wllisk,
at home. and that was the reason he did no
20 up town. Aunt Sally" Il black woman!
first SAW the body. Kelly WAS at IN. l,ou>
otter supper. and staid until ten o'clock.
john Mullins testified: never SAW til,
deceased in my life before last Sal
urday. Met him at Morrison's bank aboll
ten o'clock A. N. last Saturday. Asked In
nUN lOuS 1 Ia llNtu iiel'- l LOU. MIN Set
enteen Years. Inquired about John Might
wine. said he was Il stranger and wOul
like to get work. Was II stone mason b
trade. Went with him TO Charley Homer
saloon, and tool two drinks. and then cam
back to .Winsur'> cUIner.' Went with llii
to John Gocncr's marble manuflctury, an
showed him where Nightwine lived. NJ,
him at Wm>or's corner again about elcyeI
o'clock and Went to the Henry saloon an
took Il drink. Went from there to the MA
ket house. and then To Homer's, WHERE. W
took drink and played Il game. or two {
cards. | then lett him and went home |
dinner. Met him again in The AFTERNOON
about two O'Clock, at Mnrri>un'S b.nf
Stnid with him there some time. LEFT an
did not see him again until he came to M
house TO supper. l carried hall II gallon
T whisky home with Inc from Homrr's sa!oo
After supper I started up tow with t
ceased. and Went Us far rs the stoue wal
/ where | net Kelley and went back hou
, with him. neliey staid until ten u'clocl
, Went with INN TO the stone wall, and tiiC
returned and went to bed and staid there 4
/ night. Didn't go up in town ut all on Su
r day morning. Never saw deceased an
i. more until ut the inquest. l Tell over ii
wall Il year ago. Fell close to the wall an
was badly bruised. Drank with Kelley
l night, but don't known how often. III,
t svme left tor the next morning.
Charley Homer testified Knew drceass
by sight. Saw lim Saturday about I,
O'Clock A. NJ. saw him also between ciey,
and twelve o'clock. John Mullins was wi
him both times. Didn't drink the first tin
they rump in. Spronl fine tn,E , lob,