The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1876-10-25
A STATEN ISLAND MYSTERY
Human Remains - Are They Revolutionary
Relics1


On the old Chelsea road, about mile
from Chelsea Landing, on the Staten
Island Sound, at a place now called
Travisyille, but in olden times known
as Long Neck. is large old-lashioned
stone house. Its appearance indicates
that its builder thought the days OF the
millennium would never come, for it was
built to stand for all time. 1t Is large
one-story house, standing on what is
still known as the RdgeWay estate, but
since the time that mouse was built its
magnificent proportions have been Sc
VeIely curtailed.
On Friday last the present occupant
OF the house, Mr.. Mimic, impelled by
curiosity, climbed up into what is called
the attic, OF, more properly the space
between the ceiling and the roof, which
was of the old-fashioned peaked kind.
On opening the trap-door, to which he
ascended by means OF ladder, he was
assailed by cloud of dust, but reso-
Iutely entering, he broke his way
through network of cobwebs, and saw
nothing but an old box, which was
moldy and worm-eaten. Its dimensions
were two and half ieet long and eigh-
teen inches in height and width.
Mr.. Mimic had no difficulty in opening
the box, as it was almost ready 10 tum-
BILE to pieces from old age, but on lifting
The lid, to his intense astonishment he
discovered the remains OF a human
body. The bones were denuded of all
flesh, aud the eXtremities or joints were
rottlng, showing plainly that they were
the remains of some one long since dead.
Officer Henry Sanders was immedi-
ately notified, and he, without delay, in
formed Coroner Tappan, who forthwith
summoned jury, and an inquest was
held yesterday.
DR.. Walser, of Port Richmond, exam.
ined the bones, and pronounced them to
be those OF a woman about five ieet three
inches high and about thirty-fye years
Of age. A verdict was rendered that
the remains were those of some person
unknown. The bones were buried in
! the grounds OF the poor-house.
The house where the remains were
found was built by the great-grandfathel
OF Mr.. Ridgeway, lawyer in this city
| 1t passed out OF the family fera time,
but was bought back by the present
owner. 1t was rented aud occupied by
| two families named Mimic and Prentice.
| 1t is the opinion Of every one in the vi
| cinity of the house that the bones must
nave been in the house tor many years.
The RldgeWay House,as it is still called
was sold to Mrs. Reynolds, an English
widow, who had two daughters, one Of
whom died and was buried, the other
married and went 10 Cuba with her hus.
band, accompanied by her mother, who
had previously sold the house and prop.
erty to MIR. Ridgeway. 1t is impossible
to say whether any Of those tenants had
visited the attic; but the fact of the
bones being found undisturbed, and evi.
IDENTITY in the position as deposited by
the main actor in the affair, and yet SO
decomposed as to show that they are
the remains Of some one long since de-
ceased, leads to the belief that they are
the remains OF some unfortunate victim
OF the War Of Independence. VINO
knows, but could those bones speak,
they might tell a hearJ-stirring story?-
New York Dlspatch,