The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1882-12-16

Finding Corpse.
We clip the following from the Summit
Hill Record, Of the 9th inst The people o {
Iiansford nd the surrounding neighborhood
were thrown into state OF excitement on
Monday by the announcement that the re-
mains of man were found in No. mine.
John D. Kelly, Nicholas Burns ana Henry
Bonsr were employed at laying a railroad
in the Red Ash gangway, which the Com.
pany is reopening after an idleness of about
six years. In cleaning up the refuse which
had accumulated, they struck shoe, and
further Investigation discovered the remains
of once human being. Mine Boss Holvey
was notified, and be in turn telegraphed
Supt. Morris. Coroner Lentz was sent Tor
to hold an inquest. On Wednesday he ar.
mine where the corpse lay. 1t was then
removed 10 the outside, when DR.. Kistler
made an examination Of the skull, but
could find no marks Of violence. lie was
and 25 years. After the skeleton had been
washed of pieces Of flesh yet adnering to
| the bones IL was placed in box and remov-
ed To the lock up.
Speculation as to who it could have been
was rife. At first it got down to John Gal.
lagher and David Morgans, but on second
consideration il was shown that Gallagher
disappeared long before this gangway was
abandoned. As the jaw of the skull show
ed q missing tooth, it agreed with David
Morgans. who also had tooth missing
The clothing worn was a short sack coat,
double breasted vest, wooden shirt, long
woolen stockings and pair of hob nailed
mining shoes, which were well preserved.
The pantaloons were patched on one knee.
In the pockets was found a piece of slate
pencil and portion of tin tobacco box. .
| The cap could not be found. Had this been
found and it was one with square peak, 1t
would have proven beyond doubt that the
remains were those of David Morgans, who
disappeared from his home hero on the 9th
OF March, 1878.
Before the Coroner's jury the following
witnesses were heard, but they failed to 10.
cate him later than ten o'clock in the day
and not near the mine: John D. Kelly,
&c 'rge Holvev, Nicholas Burns, John Bres-
lin, Dr.. Kistler, Mrs. Byuon, Mrs W. D.
Thomas, Mrs. Scott, Mrs McTague,
Frank Jones, William Gibson. The
last witness was Hugh Eigar, who at that
time ran the locomotive hauling the coal
out of the mine. His testimony reads:
"IIugh Elgnr being sworn according to
law, doth dispose aud say that he saw David
Morgans s'andingin the mouth of the Red
Ash gangway (where the body was found }
on the afternoon of the 27th OF March 1873
at or about o'cluck, in shifting clnthes,and
that Abraham Morgans, who was door,
tender at the mouth Of No. 9 tunnel, told
him that Duvy passed through, going in to
see his father and that he Abraham, want
ell Davy to wait aud ride in on trip of
cars, but he would not wait; and he thinks
that Abraham Morgans told him the wit
ness that he did not see Dayy pass out of
the tunnel mouth, and at the time OF disap-
pcarance he, witness, told several parties of
| this"
This brings it down very close, and the
supposition is that lie must have wandered
| to this gangway where he was seized with
| u,t. H. H. . I
died His position was indicative of death
in convuls"ns. On the other hand many
believe that he was the victim oc foul play,
claiming that If he had died in convulsons
he could not cover himself with dirt as he
was found. This theory is met with the in
| quiry why any person should deal loully
with him, us he was young man who did
not have his reasoning faculties fully de.
veloped. Whichever theory is correct is
hard to tell, but that his death is a mystery
there is no doubt. After hearing the evil
dence the jury rendered the following YER
dict:
"The cause of death is unknown to the
jury, but by the evidence produced before
this jury we believe the remains to be those
ct David Morgans, who disappeared from
our town OF Lansfnrd, on or about the 28th
day of March, 1878"
The following gentlemen composed the
jury j. A Quinn, foreman, John Werner
David Fl. Griffiths, Frank Zeh Ger, Josiah
Williams, Michael NJ. Bresln.
The remains were taken in charge Fri
day by his brothers and inferred in thC
Protestant cemetery at Summit Hill.