Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1886-07-26
IN THE ROBBERS CAVE.
Description % the Cavern where the
Outlaws ofthe san Antonio IlegIon
Have Congregated.
stalactitss and Btalagmites Astounding
Finding the Homes
Of n Victim

chapter In the Robbers Cave romance has
appeared. II has been the intention TO
officially explore The cave ever since the
discovery Of portions Of skeleton, which
was identified as that OF Frank
Harris. Harris was a young man liv-
Ing In the IIelotes neighborhood, who |
was hand In glove with the Pitts
Brannon gang Of outlaws. He was in |
love with Melissa Scott, who subsequently |
married Pitts, the leader Of the gang. |
There was much existent jealousy be. |
tween Harris and Pitts, and the formers |
suit was disapproyed by the SCOTS
father and son.
On the 9th Of September, 1884, Harris
was seen In company Of the two SCOTS
and Pitts. He was never seen again.
On discovery OF his bones In the cave the
SCOTS, who were charged with his
q murder, saw a chain OF circumstantial
evidence rivlted 10 them, which, Il Is
stated, they will have hard work In
= breaking.
While officers have been preparing TO
explore Harris tomb, Justice Boerner OF
the llclotcs precinct has been carrying on
private Investigation on his own ac-
count. lie has kept his own counsel and
gone ahead steadily with his work. Re
Gently he showed up at the courthouse
looking mysteriously important and car
rying under his arm bulky package
done up In wrapplng-paper. The officers
h. gathered around him, and, like peddler
with his pack, he spread out his CHASTITY
wares.
They were bones, and human bones,
comprising portions Of badly fractured
skull, broken ribs, ETC., being most Of the
Is,Ls In, la, dat
IN atty Near the skeleton was found a
m heavy qurt, or riding whip, with lead
weighted handle. 1t may have been the
M property OF the dead man or may have
been used In hammering out his brains
The ribs were doubtless broken In fore
m ing the body down the very narrow chute
;" which, from an Insuspiclous hole
al the top, bends twenty feet downward
m into subterranean cavity, which, In adj
m dition TO the CHASTITY interest which tn,
III Harris death fastens upon II, and the fac
that IT was for years the refuge Of one o
the most desperate bands Of criminal
Texas has ever known, IL marvel o
m natural beauty. There was no light iror
above, and all the exploration
was done by torches. justice
Boerner says that he did not Sc
1t all, does not know how far II extends
or what other entrances II ma
m have He, however, went CAREFUL
through three chambers, lost In Tn
beauties overhead and around HIM, an
splOshing In the pools Of Icy water at hi
feet. IL Is one of the grRndest forml
! tions of nature ever discovered by MAJ
The chambers are connected by chlsele
arches, as though legion OF workme
had fashioned them. The ceilings are {
,od great height from the floor, and II
TO spaces are tremendous In extent
ON 'ln one chamber says Judge Boerne
md "you might stand an army OF 10000 me
tbs The most remarkable fact connected Wi
nd, IL Ia It's utter seclusion The unpromislI
70 exterior gives no indication Of the ma
gan velous beauty hidden within. A hole
lrat the wall, IL would be called, by any Of
= D1 tn CHANGING at IL. one expansion OF u
raj passage lB filled with score or more
GER stalagmtes from two TO ten or twelve fe
W. " In height, grouped as so many monumen
,niy OF the dead, the sides and ceiling are
zen. exquisite Workmanship, III setting
9 TO the solemn and beautiful scene With
'' which leads one TO speak in low tones a
tread softly as II on sacred ground Up
AIRS, the walls Is suspended some drapery
,,os9 stone that would be the admiration q
an despair OF sculptor. Double and trel
ON. folds OF stalactlte, a quarter OF an inch
and thickness and yard wide, hang THU
pe. feet, with no support except from abo'
.s Beyond this Is perhaps the most beau
full grotto of all Ceiling, walls, a
nccr even 1oor, are covered with fretwC
use of dazzling brightness, which
laG minds one OF the finest work OF
can sllyersmlth or the window-work OF
red, frost.king at It's best. Here and Thu
n.y.. ceiling and floor are united by colun
, tho as clear and transparent as crystal.
ttlee candle placed as far within one OF tn
that groups as the arm could reach illumina
o"" wonderful fairy bower. Shin
w. through all the rich drapery OF st'
are tubular pliers OF immense height .
,ift,s thickness. They are perfectly transI
need ont-others are cloudy white, a
was under the shifting torches, lighted
as asi IN with thousand fires.
y. i In this vicinity also appear quanti
hut of limestone, coral formations II
n sheet formations, standing like leaves
,irciy a book partly open, upright NJ
on, atalaumites, stalactltes, pillars, peues
1850, and pinnacles OF all lengths and IN
m mn nesses, and becoming more transpai
the deeper you get down Here a
JAILED are seen on several sides arr
o,ta of tabular stalactite aud sta
mite formations, resembling an
mense church organ, iound
the distance OF many yards the
nacles, pedestals, columns, stalagm
w. and stalaotites more numerous ana
brilliant as our lights were thrown
; Tex them. In this vicinity the scene was
vond description, as stalagmites OF
most delicate and transparent
tnre were in great abundance
of every conceivable shape. j
deIicate tubes, the thickness
n lead. pencils, and three and
. ieet In length, when orC
on were fun OF alkaline water, and
ma ting of pieces OF stalagmites vii
ntor- Ratchet the sparks would larry ny,
'ver. on which every tune and SOUND eou.
'6m- heard. Many OF the larger spaces '
rial. seen nv me would reach from SKI
r Of sIghty feet in height and as much acl
The cayerns OF Luray, in Virginia, o.
Ntammoth Cave, In Kentucky, are NJ