The silver state. [volume] (Unionville, Nev.) 1870-1903, 1875-04-24
TIE SULPHUR NINE MURDER.
The Coroner's Ihquest-Ihe Testt-
mony and the Verdict.

y
residence was last at Oakland, Cantor
n4A; / last saw the deceased alive at
the spring, about four miles from here,
on the TIN day of April, 1879; he and
&. >. Osborn and l came to this spring
together on the evening of the 7th OF
April, 1875, and on that evening h&arp
started to this camp with provision.
and | and Osborn remained at the
spring. The next day, between ii and
IL O'Clock A. M, j. w. Rover came to
the spring with the pack-horse; had
seut word by Sharp to Rover to come
in early on the morning OF the 9Th,
that could help him about packing
whee!barrow, etc., on the horse; but
he did not come till about ii or IL
O'Clock A. M; asked lG,n why he was
so late; he answered that he could not
find the horse, and then proceeded TO
pack the horse, and started to this
camp at the sulpbuG mine; on arriving
ut the camp | saw no one about; got
our dinners, and immediately after din
ner We went to the mine to work;
We missed MIR. Sharp; | asked Rover
if he knew anything about him, or
where he was; Rover answered in
grutf and careless manner that he did
not; then asked Rover when he last
saw him, and ut what time In the day;
he said about 7 o'clock A. M; that
Sharp weut over the hill to the right OF
camp and he (Rover) went to the +
TO look for the horse; could get no
more ti,lmgs from Rover of him that
day; after working on the mine an
hour or so / saddled the horse, went In
search of him in the direction Rover
said he went; continued my search
about three honrs, and found no trace
of him; never saw Sharp after h-
parted with Osborn and ! at the springs
on the TIA of Ayril, until saw his re-
mains here on last Monday, 18th OF
April; have reason to believe, from
an examination of his body, that he
came to his death by blow on the
left side of his head with some blunt
instrument, such as the poll of an az
It is my opinion that the blow which
caused his death WAS dealt by j. w.
Rover, as no one else was with blm.
and from the tracks which the Sheriff
aud found about the portions of the
buried body we found, which tracks
correspondent with the boots that Rover
wore. The head, right arm, right
thigh and body were found in an
eastrrly direction from the camp, dis
tant from $50 to AGO yards; each of the
above parts were found buried sepa-
cately. / now identify these remains
Is those of said j. n. Sharp.
L. j. MCWoRTHY.
c. S. Osborn, being sworn, testified
~ follows: / now can and do identify
the body as that of J. n. Sharp; l can
and do corroborate the testimony of +.
j. McWorthy relative TO he and l and
said Sharp coming to the spring to-
gether at the time named, and as to
said Sharp starting for the camp at the
mine; that on the morning OF the Sth
of April, 1875, / left said springs aud
returned home, leaving McWorthy at
the springs, who stayed with me at the
Springs on the night of the 7th of
April, 1875. c. 5. OSBORN.
Verdict OF the Coroaer's Jury.
The jury, after few minutes de-
liberation, returned the following ver-
dict:
We, the undersigned. summoned to
appear before NJ. Oppenheim, Public
Administrator aud ex-oHlcio Coroner of
Humboldt county. at the camp near the
sulphur mine of F. j. Noteworthy in
said county, to Impulse into the cause
of the death of J. N. Sharp, having
been duly sworn according to law, and
having made sech acquisition, after
inspecting the body aud having the tes-
timony addaced, npen our oaths each
and all do say. that We find the deceased
was named j. N. Sharp, whose last resi-
dence was Oakland. California, aged
about 40; that he caae to his death on
or about the 7th or Sth of April, 1875.
in this county; tina! he came TO his
death by blow on the left side of his
head, Just above the ear, with some
blunt instrument such as the poll of an
ax; that the said blow was given inten-
tionally and with violence, and with
the intent then and there to kill and
murder said deceased, and that said
blew was given at the time and place
aforesaid by ore j. W. Rover, III the
manner aforesaid and of his malice
ators thought. We further find and pre-
sent that we found the head of deceased
severed from the body, also his arms at
the shoulder and his legs at the thighs,
and that his legs are severed at the
knees. All of which we duly certify
by this inquisition in writing by us
signed this 22d day of April, 1875.
@. s. OSBORN.
j. GILBERT.
r. q THOMAS.