The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1889-10-01
Eighteen Years Ago.

OLYMPIA. Sept. 29.-While at Sea-
land, in Pacific county, a few days
ago, a grim skeleton was found in
some burning brush by J. w. Surpre-
nant, which cleared up a mystery of
eighteen years standing, and showed
clearly that a tragedy had been en-
acted, the details of which are known
only to the murderer, if he is still on
the face of the earth. Mr.. Surprenant
Is the superintendent of construction
of the nwaco Railway and Navigation
company. He found the skull and
part of the remaining bones of the
body near where the railroad wharf
running out into Shoalwater bay ad-
joins the shore, and close to the old
trail which led from Oysterville to
Fishers house, at the head of the pay.
Eighteen years ago Charles Green,
sheriff of Pacific county, mysteriously
disappeared, and it was supposed by
many that he had absconded with
funds OF the county. His bondsmen
were compelled to make the amount
good, and as the years rolled by the
affair was forgotten. The sheriff in
those days was compelled by law. to
collect taxes. He had been away from
Oysteryille in the southeastern section
OF the county for some weeks engaged
in that duty and started from Fishers
homewsrd with about $500 in his pos
session. 1t is said that he told Fisher
who is yet living at the head of ten
bay, that he felt as if he was being
followed. He has never been seen
alive in the county since he left Fish
er's for his home and in the search
that was made for him after his dis
appearance he was tracked on the
lonely trail as far as the vicinity of
where Sealand is now situated, and
there all trace of him was lost. Green,
1 am told, was a native of Finland
and came to Oysterville, the county
seat, some years before his election as
sheriff, from Alaska, making the peril
Gus trip IN an open canoe. He
had been engaged in fishing in that far
off country, He was an intelligent
we'll informed man of undoubted cour-
age and honesty and during his stay
in Oysterville married half breed by
whom he had son, now living at Bay
Center, who has grown to manhood
and is running "plunger" on Shoal-
water bay. Mr.. Surprenant on exam
lining the skull found that it contained
gold pivot tooth which Green had in
his jaw while living-a round bullet
hole through the skull told the
story of the manner of his
death The skull which was picked
up and laid in front of the con-
struotiOn mess house was examined by
several of the old settlers, who remem-
bered the mysterious affair, while the
son of the murdered man himself was
shown the scant and CHASTITY remains
of his father, whom he had known on
ly in his boyhood days. "There were
many hard characters In Pacific coun-
ty in the days of the war and a few
years after it." said an old friend of
the missing sheriff, "and 1 never be-
lieved he ran away. I always sup
posed he was murdered" There was no
such place as Sealand then and but a
narrow trail led from Oysterville down
to the head of the bay and over toward
the Columbia river. "Will the county
have to refund the money to his bonds
men il it is proven that Green was
murdered?" seemed to be a specula-
ton among some of the citizens of
Oysterville who saw the bones.-COTT.
OreQOniQn.