The democrat. [volume] (Weston, W. Va.) 1868-1874, 1874-12-14

was 1t murder or Not ?
!. sTRANGE STORY
A New Yorker Arrested in webster
County for the Murder ofHis Com
paniOn.

- Af~N @NA1tA AANN9hNh III NFgbhktA
County for the Murder ofHis Com
panion.
On the lst day Of December We re-
ceiyed the following letter;
10 VEsRY STRRET, NEW Yoak,
Nov. %, 1874.
j, w. WoHHSpIS, ESQ.
Dear Sir:-About the 4th Of this
month a Mr.. ], Forsythe, Of this city,
left here for tho purpose Of exploring
"Terrer Pinnacle, :" q high elevation
in Webster county, West Virginia, for
minerals. Mr. \. is rather eccentric
in his habits. We learn that he was
accompanied by Phineas Barton, Of
Philadelphia. Since their departure
nothing has been heard from thcm.
Any information will be gratefully
received. Yours, &c.,
j. F. TnoMPsos.
Upon the receipt Of this letter VIC
Immediately made inquiry in town;
and ascertained that no such persons
had put up at any Of our hotels dur
ing the month Of November. We
wrote back to Mr.. Thompson the result
Of our investigations, and suggested
that his friends might have Joined one
Of the hunting parties now in the noun.
tains. Our further investigations, how.
ever, were pu. to an end by tho appear.
ancc Of tho following letter from Mr..
Forsythe in tho Ifheeling Daily Reg
iiSter Of the Sd inst:
ADDISON, WEBSTER Co., W. VAIL
November 15, 1874.
Editors Register.
AS an unfortunate citizen ofthc city
Of New York, / wish to detail to your
readers the circumstances Of the death
Of Mr.. Phineas Barton, of P Philadelphia,
which, 10 some respects, are SO unnat.
ural aud mysterious, and my position SO
peculiar, that l wish to lay the facts
before the public,and to ask tue suspCn.
sion Of public opinion, and to invite sci.
cnce, and scientific persons to come to
my.rescue, and to exanine, for the ben.
eft Of science, as we'll as myself, the
mysterious cause Of Mr.. Barton's death.
1 am \ resident Of Vesey Street, New
York, and have been connected IN
searching forir and other minerals
for some years, and have not only be-
CONG very fond Of it, but financially
have been fortunate. Often / have To.
ken long journeys to satisfy myself
about peculiar ores. rs in this instance.
A gentleman we'll known in New York
and in West Virginia. and who has
been interested in q contemplated rail.
road through West Virginia, q believe
q Colonel Byrne and Judge Camden arc
Directors, brought with him to New
York q peculiar orc found, he said, in
Webster county, West Virginia, on a
high mountain, and on its very 'fpin.
naclo," aud known on the map ofWest
Virginia as Terror Pinnacle, named, as
wo afterwards learned, from various
wonderful and mysterious noises, and
unexplained lights, that were oftcn
heard and seen on It's summit. No one
in its locality ever thinks ofascending
il. During the late war the Federal
soldiers thought these tales wereto in-
timidate them, aud that rebels were
hid on It's TOP, and attempted to ascend
to surprise them one night, when they
were driven back, awe struck and de.
moralizod-and it Is a we'll known
fact, and history will 50 record II, that
tho Estate Of Webster" is tho onlypart
OF tho United States that was never
conquered. "Terror Pinnacle is q
black barren knob, aud can be seen for
miles-aud like its nntipodc, Mount
Ararat, i has really been assembled by
none. After examining tho orc was
so struck with its singularity, that | de-
termined TO visit tho Pinnacle and see
for myself. Mr.. Barton has often 40.
compauied me on such explorations, and
alter writing him tho facts, he insisted
on going with me. On the 9Th Of No
yembcr, 1874, We left Philadelphia,
and landed in Clarksburg on tho 9th,
hired horses of McBall, went by the
way Of Weston, and took The near route,
as advised by tho Hon. j. NJ. Bennett,
to Addison, the county seat Of Webster
county.
From this point We were directed to,
Gas We learned for tue first time. the