Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1879-12-03
AN ADIRONDACK MYSTERY.

Hat and a Blue Coat with Brass But
tons, Found Far from any Trail.
Lowville Cor. of the New York Times
On the Goth of October, "Jake" Hess,
q guide, while hunting deer, took his
dogs up hill in wild and unfrequent-
ed neighborhood. The spot was some 80
miles from any dwelling, about five
miles from the fourth lake Of the Fulton
chain, far from any known trail, on
Browns Tract, in the Adirondacks, and
in Herkimer county. The hill sloped
rather precipitiously one side to
Eagle creek, wild mountain
stream that tears its way through
an almost inaccessible ravine to
the lake. The trained hounds, being
loosed, started out to circle the locality
andldrive any deer they might scare up
Hess stumbled over a we'll preserved
human ankle and foot dropped from the
boot and fell to the ground. Hess hid
the boot and bones, and at once made
known his discovery to DR.. @. Hart Mer-
riam,o of Locust Grove, Lewis county, the
well ornithologist, son of ex-
Congressman Clinton L. Merriam. DR..
Merriam had been "doing" the
Adirondacks carefully for many
months, collecting material for his
forthcoming work on the ornithology
or New York. News of the discovery
spread far and excited much gossip
among the people Of the neigh boring
counties. DIR. Merriam st once engaged
Hess and Sheppard, and, we'll equipped
for the undertaking, started out on q
tour of investigation. The boot was
found where Hess hid it, but all the
bones had been carried off by animals,
with the exception of the shinbone.
That was found to be rather we'll pre-
served, but greatly gnawed by rats.
Several days were spent in making q
close examination of the ground all
around the spot where the boot was
originally seen. At last, toward the end
Of the month, the exact spot where the
dead body had lain was discovered. In
digging through some moss, great
quantity of WOODEN cloth was struck.
The growth of moss was thick.
It lay on marsh back from the creek,
at the bottom of deep, dark and Jagged
ravine, and just at the base of q steep
rock about seven feet high. The moss
was carefully removed. Under it all the
remains, except those last found by
Sheppard, were obtained. The entire
back half of pair of trousers, with the
waist was thirty-six inches round. The
cloth was well preserved, and the gar
ment was wide in the legs, with very
broad ankles or bottoms. One pocket
Zap was found, and under it an old-fash-
toned clasp portmonnsie, of heavy pressed
leather. IN this lay four coins, two
three-cent silver pieces, one dine silver
piece and copper cent. The coins are
all bright, and each one bears the date
1853. Near this lay two padlocks-one
medium-sized, iron, and the other q
small brass one. The former is intact;
the latter, which is about an inch in
diameter, has no handle. Two trunk
keys, tied together with piece of tape,
were next found. Near these were
found hone, we'll preserved, a shaving
brush, the handle and hair intact, and
the fragments of two bottles, the pieces
of which, carefully put together by DIR.
Merriam, form a five ounce and two
ounce vial. The former was FAT,
eight cornered one, and had nodded
into it in raised letters the words,
"Folgers'E Alosaoniap, New York." a
preparation that has been seldom heard
of for many years past. The other bot
tie bore the words, in raised letters also.
"B. A. Fahnestock's Vermifuge," an
article still on the market. Both bottles
had corks. A tin blacking box full of
backing, and part of shoe brush, and a
piece of cedar lead pencil, 81 inches
long, cut square off at the ends, perfectly
preserved and having on it the words,
&C. A. Haskins Il Co., No. f." were also
picked up. The entire cloth of coat, g
hat, and all the parts of both boots were
also found.
The coat and trousers were of blue
and brown broadcloth of good quality,
and the former had brass buttons of
peculiar pattern. The hat was fine
silk one, well preserved. Singularly
enough, every trace of linen and cotton
goods was gone FROM the garments, every
vestige of even the canvas between the
ing disappeared, although the wooden
and velvet are all well preserved. DIR.
Merriam concludes that the map was
past middle life, or rather an old man.
He also believes him to to hare been a
medium-sized, or not very tall nan.
In speaking about the skeleton, DR..
Merriam said: g. believe it is claimed
THAI this is the first instance of human
skeleton having been found in that will
derness. Nothing can be more mysteri'
Gus than the fate of this man. There
has been found no Indication that he
was either hunter or traveller. Had
he been either he would not have been
found where he YVES. He seems to have
been wanderer. He was apparently a
maD in comfortable circumstances, st
Least was well clad. How much money
he carried cannot be guessed, for the four
coins found, being all of one date, per-
haps were carried as tokens, and all traces
of paper would have disappeared long
ago. He seems to have not been
accou5ered for journey, and yet was
found in one of the darkest parts of the
wilderness, thirty-fve miles from civil
zatinn. and In 80 rough. lonely and