Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1886-01-03
A STRANGE HISTORY.
COLORADO MINERS MYSTERY.
A Man Who Lived for Years Under n False
Accusation or Murder-siis heroic Death.
fnanrar Neua1

mountain town of sylvanite was tolling
its mournful record-thirty-four, the
age Of the man whose funeral was about
10 occur. Thirty-four years on earth
and what had it brought Charles Thurs
ton, the man who lay dead in front OF
the little altar, with few hardy miners
sitting there in apparently listless indif-
ference2 And yet their hearts were
moved, not so much from sympathy for
the dead man as q real human pity for
the young thing who for hours had lain
almost as an immoyable fixture across
the foot of the coffin, with her long hair
almost hiding it as pail. Lena Thurs
ton was the dead mans only relative in
this part of the country, and despite the
many shortcomings of her father had
adhered to him through good and evil
report, and now chung to the poor re-
mains as to the last link which bound
her to humanity.
Some years before Charles Thurston
had made his appearance in the camp
with his wife and young daughter and
engaged in mining, having sub-leased a
claim on the Golconda. His home was
located in a small cabin on the out
skirts of the town in the direction Of
the mines, and although it was evident
that his wife was lady accustomed to
good society, there was something about
her that suggested broken heart. At
all events, the Thurstons lived in their
little cabin alone, Mrs. Thurston and her
little daughter being seldom seen ex-
cept when necessity compelled them to
come downtown for indispensable arti-
cles. As for Thurston, he was cross,
gloomy, and morose, and by his man.
ner seemed to repel the sympathy or
hospitality which would have been so
freely extended by the people ofthe camp.
After a time the meek-looking, sad
eyed wife was seen no more outside the
cabin, and it became known that she
was i'll. Some few of the miners
wives rendered their good Offices, but
they were roughly and rather rudely
refused by Thurston. That winter was
a terribly cold one, and it was known
that Mrs. Thurston was dropping
gradually but surely, her disease being
consumption, fastened, it was said, by
the altitude and rigor of the climate
and, it was darkly limited, by the cruel
treatment of her husband. At all
events, Just as the snow was leaving
the mountain-sides and the mountain
lilies and Reurs de us were peeping up
with their modest bloom, Caroline
Thurston laid down the burdens of
her life and was buried at the edge of
the timber, where the columbines and
wild hOneysuckles would shortly frame
the romatic grove with their gorgeous
settings and ill the air with their wild
and peculiar incense.
After the death Of his wife Thurston
was, if anything, more morose and dis
agreeable than ever, hardly ever speak
ing and seldom deigning to answer
when spoken to. One peculiarly was
his long and frequent absences from
home, during which the poor girl Lena
was absolutely alone. 1t was upon
his return from these mysterious visits,
which were sometimes Of weeks dura-
ton, that Thurston's manner was, if
anything, more fierce and forbidding
than at any other times. Then came a
point of horror in the camp. News
came one morning that shortly after the
day-shift had gone on duty some
of the timbers in the mai4
drift of the Golconda, between the
breast where the men were at work
and the entrance, had given way and five
men were entombed, fated, apparently,
for a horrible death. Volunteers from
the two night-shifts were quickly on the
ground, one Of the first being Charles
Thurston, who, seemingly endowed with
the strength Of ten men, inspired the
others by his deeds Of heroism to UNI
heard-of bravery. After several hours
Of unremitting labor the immense pile
of debris was removed and the men re-
leased from their living tomb with but
slight injuries. Thurston was the last
one to leave the mine, and upon start
ing out other timbers which sup
ported the roof having been weakened by
the digging operations Of the rescuers,
gave way and caught and held him I'M
der a mass of earth and timber. He
was quickly released by the others, but
it was found that both his legs were
broken, and that he had sustained Sc
rious and perhaps fatal injuries. He
fingered along for weeks, and finally
died, and the great burden of his life
was lifted from him. He was buried
by the side of his wife, and beautiful
mountain flowers soon covered both
graves with their bloom. AS soon as
the funeral was over Lena, despite all
the persuasions of the people in town,
who pitied her forlorn and lonely con-
dition, returned to the cabin which had
been her home for several years.
II was about a week after the funeral
that a singular thing happened. A
fine-looking stranger landed one day
from the stage at the one little hotel in
town and, scarcely stopping for re-
freshments, inquired the way to the
cabin Of the Thuretons. The curious
hangers-on aroun. the door watched
him as he climbed the hill with feelings
Of the most intense curiosity. The
long hours toward noon came and
went, and still the stranger fingered,
and the sun had gone down behind the
western mountains, leaving only the
trace Of his glory in the mag
nificent crimson sky, when two fig
ures were seen coming down the hill
in the fast gathering darkness. Upon
coming nearer they were recognized as
the visitor Of the morning and Lena
Thurston. Upon the face Of the latter
there was curious expression, SEEM
ing the admixture of sorrow and joy,
or as if some terrible burden had been
lifted from her. That evening the
stranger, who was hale and hearty
looking old gentleman of about fifty,
called the landlord into the little sitting
room where he and Lena were alone,