Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1889-11-19
A B0X-CAR MYSTERY.
DEAD BODY or a MAN FOUND IN A
SHIPMENT OF WOOL.
whence He Came and How Death was
Caused Matters Of Conjecture
Inquest To-Day.

a nTSLpflDN> sitLuINA NaAAn ~ iNADA-
mond yesterday. Whence IS not known.
nor is his name, nor IS the manner of his
death-for breath had long since left his
body when he got here.
He was found in box-car encompassed
by sacks of wool loaded at East st. Louis.
The discovery Of the corpse caused
great sensation on theriver-front. and con-
lecture and rumor ran wild endeavoring TO
fix upon theory which would give TO the
death a moro tragic character than tho
probable one Of q poor stowaway starved
TO death, or brought TO his end by sudden
illness.
THE DISCOVERY.
About II o'clock yesterday morning the
through western freight train OF the Rich
mond and Danville railroad pulled up op-
posite the Clyde wharf. Rockets. Among
the cars composing II was one belonging 10
road. which had been loaded at st. Louis
and started eastward nine days ago, 80 Tar
as the seals on the doors showed II had
not been opened en route.
Something like an hour after its arrival a
gang Of negroes was started 10 work un-
loading the car. They removed all the
sacks out of the lower end. and were be
ginning on the upper when the removal OF
several sacks exposed pairOf human feet.
few more bagswerc pulled ont OF the way
revealing the dead body lying feet upwards.
The removal of the last sacks caused the
corpse 20 fall on the floor.
To say the negro hands were frightened
would be mildly 60 express their condition.
and the speed with which they got out OF
the way was marvellous.
OFFICIALS CALLED ~.
Coroner Taylor and the First police
station We're at once uotihed 10y telephone
by the railroad employees.
Policeman B. Nj. Angle was sent TO the
place. The Coroner also arrived shortly
and proceeded to take view Of the body
for the purpose Of Identification and to
ascertain the cause OF death.
DESCRIPTION.
He found that tho remains wore those Of
young colored man, probably not over
eighteen or twenty years of age. lhe man
evidently had been dead week or more.
On the calf of theright leg was an old sore
as large as "a mans hand. The corpse was
that OF rather small person. He had ON
cap such as Is usually worn by wharf
and dep6t-hauds: silver watch was
i'm vest pocket. Tie clothes con-
sisted of blue oyeralls. brown-and-5l black
striped roundabout and vest, end blue
and-brOwu striped gingham SHIRT. lie
wore pair OK new laced shoes,
In his Oyeralls pocket was paper OF to-
bacco. made in Middletowu. Ohio, q small
barof yellow soap. small comb, leather
pockct-boOk. with nothing IN 1t, and q red
handanna handkerchief On his person
was also pipe filled with tobacco. partly
smoked Soothing was found to indicate
/ either the name or residence Of the person.
IvQUTsr.
| 4 little after 3o'ciock the dead wagon y
arrived with neat wooden coffin, III which
the body was placed and carried tOthe city
morguc. Here the Coroner Will examine
the remains this morning for marks Of
violence, and will make % posf-moriem eX-
animation.
/ An inquest will be held to-day at
/ O'Clock.
The railroad authorities promised the
F Coroner 10 use every EFFORT 20 secure Tor
him bv telegraph information as 10 the
ccals ON the cars, where put on, and II re-
moved during transit. and thus, If possible
7 throw some light on the matter as 90 where
/ the dead man came from
WAS TIP MURDERED?
Was he q stowaway2 Some think so,
/ others think not. The car was loaded %
within foot Of the top, and there was
p scarcely room enough lnf MN l) EtA III
! besides which the body WIS not near the
door. but was at one end II the car.
Maybe be- was one ol the gang OF men
who loaded the car and was asleep when
the car was sealed. and starved to death ~
r0,dp: hut against tho starvation theory Is
the fact that he bad been dead about q
week and the car only lett East -. I0ul-
nine days ae1 SO he could hardly have
starved iu taree daNs.
Gould he not have been on top Of the
wool and fallen between the sacks and sut
f1catrd> Possibly. nut not likely. First
a- stated IN the beginning, there was hardly
r00m ou top for man % wedge m. even
/ supp0sng he could get there; and then
AGAIN. the sacks were almost too close TO-
/ e,ther for % man o. fall between them.
Couldn't the man haYe been murdered
and his body put into the car? We'll. los
dnt Of great labor. yes, as there was win
dow. readily opened, IN the end of the ear
m which he was found. But then To force
an inanimate body through SO small ~
opening and up To- the top of the car wOuld
/ bea herculean task. and one likely % con
sumo more time than murderer Wouio
/ care % consume.
tie man have died from lung or heart-af
| fectiOu. starvation. su10cation, or have
! been murdered But there Is nothing t.
bear ont any of these suppositou-, and IN,
| question ther fore arises, From what clc
/ death RESULT