Asheville daily citizen. [volume] (Asheville, N.C.) 1890-1900, 1891-06-15
AN ACCIDENT OR A CRIME
A MYSTERIOUS OcCURRENcE
NEAR BIL.TMORE.
walter Jones', a Young white
Man, Picked up with "a Fract.
ured Skull. ana Will Not Tell
How He was Hurt-A woman In
the Case, 'Tis Thought.

she S@se' H1S ThOukht.
George Vandcrbilt's nursery, about =
mile and a half from Ashevillc, on III,
Western North Carolina railroad, was
the scene of an occurrence last Friday
night that is clothed in mystery.
The nursery comprises several acres
and night watchman is employed tn
sec that nothing goes wrong among the
thousands of young trees, shrubs and
cvergreens, which are set out on either
side of the railroad track.
About O'Clock Friday afternoon Wal.
ter Jones, who has held the position Of
night watchman at the nursery for a
year, went on duty for the night
Jones was seen about \ O'Clock by
Pierce Maxwell, who was walking down
the road towards the city. He was at
that time sitting at the side of the track,
between two ties, and Maxwell saws.
seemed to bc all right.
About 1890, however Maxwell and
another young man, Will Phillips, were
returning to Blltm"rc, and walked uptl,c
track. When at the spot where Maxwell
had seen Jones early in the evening,
about Il half mile from the Biltnore
station the two men came upon Iones,
who was lying by the side of the track.
motionlcss. They examined him and
found that he was nscnsible. They
spoke to him and k finally made an
effort to get up. He was too seriously
injured for that, however. and the Young
men took him to the old Lusk dwelling
not Tar away, now called the Swannanoa
farm house. DR.. Whitaker, of Bit more
was at once summoned to attend the
wounded man.
An examination revealed the fact that
Jones skull had been fractured near the
crown of the head, and ON the right side,
he skin had been cut open in triangular
shape, and felt hat which Jones wore
had mark where it had been struck by
what is thought to he a rock. That was
On the right side. On the right side also,
is a cut in the front OF Jones' coat, which
had the appearance of having been done
with knife. There were no OF her b ruiscs
ON the body of the wounded man.
Jones regaincd consciousness in short
while, but could not be induced to saw
of the mysterious manner of
his assault.
Deputy Sheriff !. c. Lie, who is also
boss carpenter on the works at Wander.
bits estate. went early SATURDAY. morn.
ing to the scene of the assault or accident
and made an examination of the locality.
Nothing was discovered further than the
blood on several rocks onto which Joncs
had rolled after he had been knocked
from the track.
II had been suggested that tbc IN .oc
train from Spartanburg had struck LONGS
But that seems hardly probable as he
was sitting on the west side of the track,
with his back to the rail. and # the En-.
,ine had done the work, the fracture
would have been on the left instead of
he right side of the head.
Another theory, and one which is most
accepted, is, that the whole
matter has woman behind it. The i'm.
,rint OF a woman's shoe was found in the
,lowcd ground where Jones Law. 1t is
hought that Ioucs had anno;n,cd m
,our for meeting the woman TINT NIGHT
She met him, and while toretbc the third