National Republican., 1884-05-14
A SKELETON UNDER A TREE.
Supposed ,to He That of Man Mys'
terIousiy Murdered Yonrs Ago.

Supposed ,to He That of Man Mys-
teriousiy Murdered Yeats Ago.
INDfANopoLIs, May l3.-Whlo digging
into the side of a hill at the corner of Louisi-
ana and Benton Streets yesterday afternoon,
party Of boys unearthed human skeleton.
The grade Of tho street is about fifteen feet
below tho natural lovol of the land, and at
the corner of Benton and Louisiana there is q
vacant aud uninclosed lot on which the boys
in the neighborhood usually congregato for
their sport. Close to tho Benton street bank
Of tho hill stands an elm tree, evidently
20 years old. The earth had fallon
away from tho bank from time to time, until
tho roots of this tree wero loft exposed. Act
ing upon tho impulse Of Tom Sawyer like
cursosity, % couple of tho boys, yesterday
afternoon, boRan digging undor the tree, and
soon struck n wooden box. The wood was
badly decayed, aud single stroke with q
shovel was sufficient to break 10 In, when a
skeleton was exposed to their Wow. The box
and skeleton were torn out in pieces and the
bones were distributed among the crowd
which had gathered about during tho exca-
vation Tho discovery was reported to police
headquarters, and the superintendent, with
two members of tho force and an able corps
of reporters, visited the place. A part of the
skull and q few bones were all of the skeleton
that had not been carried away. 1t was
evident however, that the bones were those
of man probably between 25 and 80 years
old A tuft OF red hair, found in the box,
indicated the complexion of tho unlamentcd
deceased
From all evidences the skeleton had prob
ably been buried twenty-five or thirty years.
Tho tree which had grown over the box is
apparently nearly 90 years old. Tho
discovery revives some faintly-remem-
berod stories of long ago, with dark and
bloody hue. 1t is said that many years ago,
when Indianapolis was only good sized
town and the territory east of Pogue's run
was beyond tho corporate limits, man of
very unsavory reputation, who was suspected
of many crimes of which no one had ovor
been convicted, lived alone short distance
south of tho National road. A stranger,
travelling on horseback, returning from
tho west to his home in tho
cast after having accumulated O con-
siderable fortune stopped in indianapolis
for few days rest before proceeding further
on his journey. During his stay he was
about town the most of the time, and o story
of some of his adventures whilo trading with
tho Indians having gotten in circulation,
from being told in crowd In u public place
one evening, he became pretty generally
known Us "the rich trader" 1t was supposed
that he carried considerable money with him.
One evening he walked out from his hotel
and mover returned. No trace of what had
become of him was ever obtained. On the
night of his disappearance, however, strange
noises were heard from n spot near where tho
Panhandle shops now stand, by man riding
along the National road. Coupled with tho
disappearance of the wealthy stranger, it
gave rise to suspicion that he had been
robbed and murdered, but there was mover
any conclusive evidence Of tho crime. 1t is
snid that he had red hair,