Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1877-08-15

STARVED TO DEATH AT THE BOTTOM
OF A PIT IN THE WOODS.


OF PIT IN THE WOODS.
The Sad Story Told by Nine Plain Marks
An Almanac Of 1s66--Clothing
Blopn to Dust at Breah-Nine Days
Of Horror. E
From the Cincinnati Enquirer
DETROIT, July 23.-Oae of the sad
dest mysteries brought to light for years
was almost literally unearthed in Craw-
ford county, this State, few days ago,
and in the most singular manner posi-
BILE. Will 81. French, Pittsburgh dry
goods clerk, and Fairweather Martin Of
Chicago, old schoolmates, were hunting
and exploring through that part Of the
State. On the evening Of the It'll inst.
French shot at a turkey which came
near their camp. The bird was wound
ed and could not fly away. but half flew
and half ran along on the ground before
him. He had not followed 1t over two
hundred feet from camp when he sud-
denly found himself going down into the
bowels Of the earth. In the uncertain
| light Of evening he had fallen into. an
old shaft Or pit, having a mouth only
three or four feet across, and almost
concealed by weeds and bushes, and be-
ing, as was afterward ascertsined by
tape line measurement, twepty-seven
feet deep. When French went. down
he bumped from side Ia side, and land
ed all In a heap at the bottom, eibews
skinned, knees battered and the rest Of
his body pretty we'll shaken up. The
bottom Of tha pit-was much larger than
the mouth, being almost ten feet frem
side to side. Ithad been dug out, as If
men had sunk a shaft down that far and
then started out to dig drifts. The soil
was very hard, and in some places the
shaft had been cut through rock. i'd
1t may be imagined that the clerk was
not long is raising the alarm, but the
depth of the pit SO muzzled bis voice
that his companion searched long to
find him. While this hunt was going
on French discovered that he had com.
pany down there. 1t was so dark that
he could see nothing, and he was pre-
vented from knowing the size Of the pit
After finding that he had no broken
bones, he felt about him little and laid
hls hand on what be knew to be a hui
man skeleton, and a musty odor at once
filed his nostrils. His yells for assist
snce were no, doubt considerably in
creased by this discovery, and when as
sisted out Of the pit BY means Of the
stout line carried with the camp equip
age he was in no mood for joking. It
was decided to make an examination of
the place by daylight, and when morn
ing came Martin was lowered down the
shaft. The bushes were cut away from
around the mouth to give him light, and
enough Of it filtered down to enable him
to see everything. 81
There was body there, sure enough.
The figure Of q man sat with its back to-
the wall, one knee drawn up and the
other leg extended. The hands rested
on the ground on. either side, and the
head had fallen over on the left should
er. TWAS not q. skeleton but a. mum
my. Most Of the hair had fallen OFF the
skull, and the clothing had mouldered
until breath would blow it to dust
There was a boot on the right foot. on
ly, the other one lying on the ground
some distance away. The soles could
be torn of as easily as one tears blot
ting, pad, The, aesh o. body and limbs
had greatly: decayed, leaving knees, Ell
bows, and other joints entirely bare, hut
where any desh remained it had shriv-
elled down and turned the color Of sheet
iron. On the ground was q small heap
Of dust which had once been a hat
Against the wall. within reach Of the
mummy, was bundle of clothing,
While Martin ,vas ,mak,no 4,,sao 6s.
co,v,or;os haia,., E.-onch -. so..,,,,.;,n
aronnd In. Il, mouth &c The sbaft Iv;ngl'
olnost 81 tho ad.. ~ 3 vuo.. tho q ,,,.,
h.rro, &c ~;,,a a.,d ~. ha.d 81 = 1;n,.t
,~o Tha st,.k nod. ,cttaa e;.,., a..
o,,n snd ~ bap1alel b.d dac.svaad If-o,n
The aye. "a while The natal ;t.eH -.
naorlv eat.n with .,,.t WIZ ~ M.
sort,noto hprt., ~ o-.,o,., f.n. -.
the nit ~ he 'aonbt,ess IA be Infoht
have heen, . rry;n. thss.. srt;sl., ;,5;s
bonas o. ~. s,aa., s4.n,h1., ,.;.,,.
have a;s,oao.a ther,, e,,,,, h;s rscL ~
be rn;oht No. h,,nc - tho I've. !. !,
tbe edoe Of tbe n;t far !. s.w aeco,,,d !. ~.
fore "a limo and souoht r. l;ohton IS.
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