Mexico weekly ledger., 1881-10-27
7 LEAVES,
AS They Fall, Partially Cover a
Fallen Man.
A STRANGER FOUND DEAD TN THE
WOODS NEAR MEXICO,

we were startled last Tuesday af-
ternoon by a friend sending US word
that a dead man had been found near
the residence of Mr.. Brown, about
three miles southeast of Mexico.
Without asking any questions, we
straddled a pink eye horse and start
ed for the place named across lots.
When we reached the corpse we
found only one or two persons present.
In a short time about one hundred
arrived, among whom was the coro-
ner, constable and a jury.
1t appears that Tuesday morning,
Mrs. Clay. a colored woman, while
going from Joe Newkirk's to Mr..
Browns by a blind road through the
woods, was startled by finding a dead
mar lying near the road. She at
once told a colored man named Henry
Gaskett, who told Mr.. Jno. Douglass,
who lives on the Brown place and
clerks for Dr.J. H. McDearmon. Mr..
Douglass told the coroner, who sum-
moned a jury, and arrived just a few
moments after the LEDGER reporter.
We found the body at the foot of
a large oak tree, with the head and
neck lying close to a hickory sappling,
about fifteen feet from the blind road,
three miles southeast of Mexico, and
n mile south of Mr.. Browns. The
body was stiff and cold, and the face
very much discolored. 1t appeared
that in the fall the face had been
skinned, as blood had trickled down
over the face from a flesh wound over
the left eye. j. W. Newkirk thinks
he saw the deceased neal Frank Cam
terbury's about a week ago. Marshal
Tom Coons thinks he saw him in
Mexico last week. Although the face
appeared familiar to several present,
no n could identify the man. He
did not look Ikea tramp, but had the
appearance Of 4 farmer in good cir
cumstances, being clothed in good
warm clothes, and was apparently
about sixty years old, slightly bald,
about five feet nine inches high, and
had a good face, looking by no means
dissipated. 1t was thought at first
that he was sitting against the tree
and lightning struck him, but n 70 evil
dence could be found Of anything OF
that kind. The only cause for bis
death which could be discovered was
a Globe-D Democrat in his pocket, bear
ing date of Friday, Oct. IA, 1881.
A pocket-knife, some tobacco, a white
handkerchief, an empty pocket-book,
a good pair of spectacles, pair of new
socks, a comb, a lead pencil and some
eye salve were all that could be found
on his person. There was not the
slightest clew to his identity. Coro.
ner Rodman and Constable Hooton
summoned the following jury who
found for verdict, "Came to his death
from some unknown cause
JURY.
Jas. McClannahan, B. T. Rodman,
P. T.. Kelly, Sam. Apgar, j. N. Rose
berry, z. Hlrsch.
DR.. w. G. Pipino being present
examined the body, but could find
no marks CT violence, and could not
tell whether whisky had been the cause
of the death or not. He had been
dead, from all appearances, about
twenty-four hours. His remains we're
brought to Mexico and placed in the
court house, with the hopes that he
would be identified. There is no
doubt but he was a native of this
county, and has friends and relatives
who will read this article.
Reporters of the LEDGER are now
making endeavors to find out who he
was, and we trust before going to
press, we will be able to give his
name and solve the mystery of his
sudden and lonesome death.