The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1884-09-18
THE SECRET OF AN OLD SHAFT.
A Foul Quadruple Murder Committed Many
Years Ago Brought to Light by the ATerest
Accident-The Story Told On the Lid of
an Old Tobacco Box.

n Foul QuadrupIe Murder Committed Many
Years Ago Brought to Light by the Merest
Accident-The Story Told On the Lid of
an Old Tobacco Box.
BEAVER GLEN, w. VA, September IL.
The clearing up of an old and forgotten
murder mystery was effected here yester-
day in a most remarkable manner. About
the year IS6s several abortive att empts
to sink coal shafts along the river were
made. One Of these shafts was near this
place. 1t had been sunk about twenty
five or thirty feet and abandoned soon
after. Wild stories of unearthly sounds
coming from its depths were circulated,
but died out and were forgotten. The
family living nearest to the abandoned
shaft was that of John ireland,
who lived in cabin in a ravine, quar-
ter of mile away. Ireland was reported
to be well off, as wealth went in those
days in mountainous regions. One of
the men concerned in sinking the shaft,
Ira Tompkins, hung about the neighbOr-
hood, spending much of his time at Ire
lands. E any suspicion of his feelings
towards IreIand'S rather pretty wife ex-
listed, no one seemed to remember it.
One day, after an alleged absence from
the neighborhood, Tompkins reappeared
at neighbours, saying ne had just come
from the Ireland cabin, where he found
Ireland and his wife missing. The neigh
bors visited the cabin and saw evidences
of terrible struggle. Mrs. Ireland was
found in the woods a s hort distance
away, bound to a tree ana gagged. She
appeared to be greatly exhausted, al
though now it is remembered that she
presented no evidence of having engaged
in the struggle. She declared that in the
night her husband had killed the chill
dren, and that she was afraid to cry out
for fear that he won d kill her. After
killing the children he attacked her, but
at her frantic prayer, spared her life,
bound her to a tree and then disap-
peared. She declared that he was
UNDOUBTEDLY CRAZY.
As ireland never returned, her story was
believed, and in course of time the
tragedy was forgotten. A year after Ire
land's disappearance Tompkins and Mrs.
Ireland were married. Quarrels were
frequent, and one morning, four years
ago, the woman was found dead in bed.
Heart disease was said to be the cause.
There was no outward evidence of foul
play, and so the matter ended. Tomp-
kins left the country and has never been
heard Of since.
Yesterday party of boys were at the
old shaft and one of them accidentally
dropped his watch into it. A leafy limb
was procured and the atmosphere in the
shaft thoroughly stirred, so as to drive
out foul air. Then a torch was made
and, with the aid of a rope, the young
fellow was let down. In cropping about
in the debris he was Mortified at finding
skull and made an outcry. He was
drawn up and the authorities were
notified. They investigated and dis
covered portions of the skeleton
of man. IN the search for something
that would furnieh clew, an old copper
tobacco-box was found and in it, badly
scrawled, was a history of the murder of
the Ireland children written by Ireland.
He declared that he had been attacked by
Tompkins and his wife and left for dead.
He revived sufficiently to see the murder
of his children, but could render no aid.
Afterward he was seized and dragged to
the shaft-hole and thrown in.
The story seems incredible, but James
Wagner, an old resident, says that he
Identifies the tobacco-box as one belong
ing to Ireland. He says that the writing
is that of Ireland. The theory is that
after being thrown into the shaft, Ire
land revived, and, knowing he must die,
wrote history of the crime. Evidently
Tompkins bound Mrs. Ireland TO the tree
to avoid all suspicion. 1t is now said
that Tompkins killed his paramour be-
fore he fed.