The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1877-08-24
SKELETON IN AN ASH HEAP,
Prominent wheeling Pm sicia"
COllapses n Brilliant
Sensation.
The Mystery Exploded

the Cause-InterestiDg DenOumen'
The Mystery Exploded
The denizens OF Lancaster, o. are
srog with excitement; the moral tone OF
that unusually quiet village has gwen
mace to all sorts of vague rumOrs, and
the atmosphere IN that vicinity is hlled
with the expressed opinions OF All excited
populace that murder most tcui has been
committed. This state Of affairs hSs
been brought about by the discovery III
III ash heap, in the cellar OF building,
OF portion OF the remains oi woman
aud n child, all of which 50 worked up
| the public Mad rs 20 cause tina i0llo"-
ing telegram to be sent TO the Clncln-
natl ENQUIRER, and which appeared IN
that paper on Wednesday morning:
A SKELETON IN AN ASH HEAP.
Special dispatch to the Enquirer.
/ LANCASTER, o., August 2l.-Part OF
tina skeleton OF a woman, and the pos
terror portions of the skull of child,
probably fetus. were discovered IN al
ash heap of only few years sccumuIa-
ton being removed from the cellar OF
small building on Main street, which
has been used as the Office OF a proml-
nept physician within three YEAR,.
Much interest has been manifested In the
mystery, which Is under coronial inVes-
LigatIOn.
On reading the above we'll known
and prominent physician of this city re.
called to bis mind al occurrence when
took place at Lancaster some years ago
but which he had forgotten At the time
referred to, he was practiclHg medicine
at Lancaster, and was also attending
lectures at Cincinnati. During one OF
his trips to the Queen City, to attend the
lectures, he brought home with hlm 10
Lancaster the remains OF
A NEGRO WOMAN AND AN UNBORN BABE,
the skeletons OF which ho intended TO
have properly prepared and strung up
~ wires, TO place IN his laoraIorS.
Unfortunately, however, the warm
weather so affected the nalf ceahei
bones of the dead rs to cause
An undesirable stencil to arse
thcreirom, before they were properly
cleaned, and it was deemed advisable to
bury them in al ash heap In the cellar
ana a. some later day resurrect the bones
and string them up on wires for the
benefit of science Soon after the re-
mains had been Inferred the physlclan
lett Lancaster, and was gone Tor
some months. In the meantime other
parties occupied the building where his
Office was located, and on the ash pie IN
the cellar, where the remains had been
deposited, u large quantity OF coal hsd
been stored. On his return the physician
made an effort to recover the remains, but
seeing the coal stored IN the cellar, sup
posed that the ash pile, skeleton and AL
had been removed, and so gave the
matter
NO MORE ATTENTION.
In short, the fact of his having placed
the bones of human being in the celier
connected with the rooms he occupied rs
An office bad escaped his memory, until
reading the above dispatch, when the
whole story required To his mind. and
caused serious regret 10 follow IN ITS
wake, that he had lost valuable sc-
qulsltioa to his collection ofspeclmens by
his own thouehtlasSneSS and want OF
energy in having searched tor the rem
nants Of that gaunt spectre death, instead
of taking 1t for granted that II
had been removed The next morning
after having read the account of the dis.
covery OF the remains in the paper, the
physician received the following
LETTER OF INQUIRY:
OFFICE OF THOMAS II. WHITE, !
JUSTICE OF THE PEACE,
MAIN ST, OVER lsT NATL BANK,
LANCASTER o Aug y, ~.
To DR.. --- Wheeiiag, w. Va:
DEAR SIR there is y Cororors In
ques. being Held over the Remains of a
woman and Fetus or Infsn. found in the
Seller of building Owned by j. e..
Smith and held by You as an office Pre-
vIous to your moving to Wheeling from
this city.
the JUICY hsve adjourned TO await Your
Sworn statement rs 90 what you know
about the ma ter.
be Pleased on Receipt OF this to send me
your sworn statement rs To what you
know about the case snd very much
obIige Very Respectfully
THOMAS. K. TABPEY
Coroner of Fairfield Go Ono.