Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1872-07-28
DISCOVERY OF THE NATHAN
MURDERER.
His Skeleton Found in a Kentucky
Cave-Written Confession Of the
Crime-NeW York Chief of
Police Notified.
Description of the CaTe-MammOth
OutdOne-Crystals and Stalac-
tites-Remsins Of Soldiers
of the Revolution.
A Curious StOry-Is it a Hoax !


Correspondence of the Cincinnati Enquirer.
AURORA, Ind, July 16.-The people of
this city are laboring under intense excite
ment occasioned by the discovery of large
cave and the remains of three persons two
miles below this Ncity, on the Kentucky
shore. The local v known as Split Rock,
familiar to old riv, men as Kiby's Rocks,
two miles below h e, in Boone county,
KY, is wild, romantic place, consisting Of
a high cleft of rocks, tossed and tumbled
about prOmiscuously, as if by some mighty
CONFUSION of nature in ages past. A
dense growth of foliage borders the
north side of this rocky promi-
hence. Early this morning three
boys crossed over into Kentucky for the
purpose of gathering blackberries. At ten
O'Clock they retT ned in an excited state,
and reported tn; they hadfound cave at
Split Rock here', fore unknown. They and
their parents, n several others, out of
curiosity, start, for the place. Two or
three sm-ll cav tbs beneath some of the
rocks had been known there for years, and
nothing beyond something like this was ex-
pected by tie party. Arriving at the ledge
of rocks, the boys made their way through
the dense thicket of vines and bushes, fol-
lowed by the men. A tree had been up
rooted by the storm which recently passed
over this neighborhood, tearing up the earth
and disrl"' the entrance Of the cave.
Lamps procured at a farmhouse near
by, an, barty commenced their explora-
ton, E meantime some of the com
pany ed to Aurora, and soIAe scores
of PEG ere hurrying to the place. a
skiff G. ming Drs. Sutton and Bond, 0.
p. Co5t Iayor Emrie, and the writer was
among earliest at the place, and the
party pr ceeded to make thorough exam
nat on OF the premises. The party who
had first gone in returned, giving a wonder
full IepqrC of the dimensions of the cave, and
startling the little company by the report of
the discovery of the remains of three human
beings, one of which, from pretty good evil
dence, is supposed to be
THE MURDERER OF BENJAMIN NATHAN!
The entrance of the cave faces directly
west, and is about one-fourth Of a mile
from the river shore. 1t is about four feet
high and perhaps as wide. Two limestone
rocks form the sides of the entrance, and
the roof is of heavy shale of the same
material. Both sides and roof are rough
and irregular in form, sharp pointed rocks
jutting out in all directions. About twenty
feet from the mouth the floor drops alb
ruptly down for two or three feet. The
party had proceeded thus far when they fell
back aghast as the pale light of the lamps
disclosed the skeleton of human being,
covering which were the clothes it had worn
when alive. The garments consisted Of a
black tIOck wooden coat, a mixed gray pair
Of pants, ard vest of apparently the same
material, aud a dark hat. The physicians
case 1t as their opinion that the body had
lain there for year probably. In one of
the pc, kets was found a penknife, and in
another a copy Of New York paper dated
May 3, 1870, on the margin of which was
written in pencil, almost illegible, the fol-
lowing:
CONFESSION:
have found a hiding-place from man,
but Coos eye follows me even here. |
murdered Benjamin Nathan, and am dying
now. God forgive me, and have mercy on
my soul! die by my own hand.
ANTONIO HARFE.
In another place was found written the
words: "Oa, my mother" Can this be the
murderer of Benjamin Nathan? Some be-
lieVe 1t is, while others are inclined to think
1t is but the freak of a crazy man. Nearly
two years ago there is remembered to have
been seen in the locality of the cave an I'M
known apparently crazy man, whose dress
correspouded with that found on the skele-
ton. After time he suddenly disappeared.
Many believe the unknown man and skele-
ton are identical. Eh
THE CHIEF OF POLICE OF NEW YORK CITY
has been notified of this event. The au-
thorities Of Aurora have taken charge Of
the clothes, aud placed the skeleton in
vault at River View Cemetery, near this
city. The room in which the skeleton was
found gradually widens and increases in
height, and the lights of half dozen lamps
does not show the end. Near the mouth
the flor or bottom seemed to be of
blaeli 1rth, but here it is of solid rock.
Free % examin atiOns failed to discover
any ~ of stone or rock comprising the
sides 81 ne cave TO be Other than lime, ey-
espt here and there deposit Of iron ore.