Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1875-10-09
JOSEY SULLTvAN,S SAD
FATE.
Finding of the Little Boys
Body i'm the Efay-A Heart
rendingsSight.

TGnukWXs SESMks
New YORK, Oct. 6.-The mystery
which has hung over the fate of Jo-
sey Sullivan for the last three weeks
has at last been solved, but in such a
way as will carry sadness to many
hearts besides these of the bereayed
parents.
On the corner of Laight and Wash
lngton sts., just around the corner
from where Josey lived, is the hay
and feed store of Devine 81 Rush
While removing, yesterday at Bpm.
some of the bales of hay that had
been sold, one of the men at work
saw protruding from under one of
the bales the leg of a young child
Inc advanced state of decomposi-
ton IN which the body was found,
coupled with the length of time that
had elapsed since the loss of Josey
Sullivan, led MIR. Devine to infer
that this might be the lost child.
A clerk was summoned from the
store of Mr.. Sullivan, and Mr.. Mi
chael Sullivan, his brother, was also
called from his place of business; and
they both confirmed these suspicious,
identifying the child by his clothes
and the color of his hair.
The body lay wedged in between
two bales of hay on top of the first
tier from the floor. The pile had
been five tiers high, and there were
marks in the next tier which had
not been moved. The print of the
child's body was clearly seen in the
hay where he had worked himself
down from the top of the pile. The
bales being placed slightly apart SO
as to facilitate their removal, it was
very easy for the child to work down
to the lowest tier. The child had on
a calico dress, blue flannel under
skirt, with capped shoes and white
stockings. 1t was by these that he
was identified, as the features were
SO destroyed as to render all attempts
at recognition impossible.
Josey Sullivan was well-known to
the members of the firm and all their
employees. He was often in the
habit of coming into their office to
play with the cats kept there. Many
other children of the neighborhood
were accustomed to steal into the
building to play in the hay, but was
prevented as far as possible by the
owners. 1t is clearly evident from
the mute testimony of the bales of
hay that Josey Sullivan, who often
played around there, slipped in un-
known to any one, and climbed up on
top of the tiers. There was win
dow on top of the part where he had
been climbing, and perhaps his child
ish curiosity had been excited to
reach it in order to have view OF
the street.
On arriving at the top of the tier
he must have slipped down between
the bales, which were but loosely put
together. Becoming frightened, he
must have struggled, and thus work.
ed his body into the horizontal posi-
ton in which he was found. His
cries would hardly have been heard
outside the premises owing to the
deadening effect the hay would have
on sound. Life must have been ex-
tinct in few hours, as it would have
been very difficult for him to breathe
in a position in which he was dis
covered.
The load Of hay where he was
found formed part of 139 bales re-
ceived on the 9th of September, and
which when stored covered the en-
tire side of the house. Mr.. Devine
expected another load last Saturday,
but should this have arrived it would
have been stored on the same side of
the house, and the discovery would
have been deferred at least five or six
months.
Mr.. Sullivan, who had been noti-
fed of the finding OF the corpse.
viewed the remains and then sent for
an undertaken. The decomposition
had been 81 far advanced that the
clothes had to he cut from the child's
body.