Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1880-07-22
THE DEATH CHAMBER.
a Strange Discovery by Leadville
Negro. In Digging He Ex-
humes Spanish Cat
acomb.
What He Saw by the Light of Dark Lan tern
Chained Skeleton with an An
Client Parchment.


A colored man named William
Jones, who came to Leadville from
Mississippi during the first great rush
about two years ago, made remark
able discovery on his lot, situated on
Capitol Hill, one day about two
weeks ago.
In making an excavation some 90
feet back of his log cabin, for an out
house, his suddenly encountered
hard substance, extending for con
siderable distance under the ground,
at depth of nearly fifteen feet. Re.
moving the dirt from around it he
was greatly surprised TO ind that
what his pick had come in violent
contact with was the upper wall of a
vault, formed of large pieces of rock
cemented together by means OF pre-.
pared clay which had become almost
as hard as the rockitself, and had not
been in the least affected, as ordinar
lily, by the action of the dampness
contained in the earth. His curiosity
excited to the highest pitch, but fear
ing to prosecute his research in the
light OF day, he suspended his work
until the succeeding night, when be
returned to the spot with dark Ian
tern, and by the dim light it afforded
commenced to attack the stone wall
OF the subterranean catacomb with a
pick, For some time the wall re
sisted his efforts, but he at last con-
trived to loosen one of the stones
and etfecting an opening large enough
to admit his body. He had removed
the rock while standing at the bot
tom OF the shaft with the lantern by
his side, its CLEAN directed against
the spot he was applying the pick.
Just as he was in the act of with
drawing the huge rock which be had
loosened, he heard noise at the brink
of the shaft, and looking up diseerned
a face peerlng down upon him from
the darkness. 1t Immediately disap.
peared, however, seeming to vanish
in the gloom resting over the shaft
He quickly assembled to the top, but
could find no trace to indicate that
anyone but himself had been about
the opening. Concluding the vision
to have been a fancy creation of his
excited imagination, and urged on by
an unaccountable feeling to continue
his Investigation, he again descended
the shaft and removed the stone from
its foundation. Directing the fash
of his lantern into the interior of IL O
vault, he found the dimensions of the
same to be nearly equal to that of an
ordinary sized sleeping room. The
walls were well preserved, and pre-.
sented an appearance of substantial.
ty which centuries might not impair,
while outside of a dark mass in the
corner farthest removed from him,
the vault was entirely empty. After
some hesitation Jones finally crawled
through the opening he had made,
and crossed over to examine the dark
object in the corner. As he did 80
his foot colided with hard, nova
BILE object which gave forth clank.
ing sound and convinced him that II
was metal chain. He stopped down
to inspect it more minutsly, aad as
he did so he was startled by the ligh
of his lantern falling upon the mass
and revealing to him ghastly skele-
ton, reclining in crouching attitude
against the wall of the subtsrraneau
chamber, This convinced him be-
yond doubt that be was an intruder
in the catscomb of the dead, which
perhaps for centuries had slspt there
in silent, undisturbed reposs.
Badly frightened, yet unable to re.
sst the fascination which urged hin
on, he examined the frightfal object
with increasing interest. The chain
he found to be of an ancient pattern
the links being forged square in.
stead of the modern pattern, aud wa:
firmly rivitsd ia the wall the other enc
being linked in az iron band whict
encirclsd the bspy waist of the skel
eton.
A few feet from the latter, bat evi
IDENTIFY beyond reach Of his arms while
life animated the fsshless form, wai
q rude platter sitting on the floor
which appeared at one time TO hav,
been covered with ediblss OF SONS
kind, sustaining beyond question tbs
theory that in ages gone by the IN
fortunate being whose bones alon'
remained to tell of bis existence, nac
been incarcsrated in this place ant
left to die slow death OF starvation
food being placed almost within BIZ
reach to add to the lingering torturs
of his horrible fate, A piece of parch
ment almost consumed by the wss
of time, Jones found fastened 10 tn
neryeless grip of the skeleton hand
which crumbled TO dust as he endes
vored to withdraw the tender sheet
(which only preserved its condition