The sun., 1891-08-13
HIS BODY WAS IN THE WELL.
MISSING WILLIAM SHORT FOUND
Through 4 TISfON.
The Strange story or u Car Cleaner who
Disappeared Mysteriousiy Thirteen
Months Aro-Sevea Homeless Orph ans

Disappeared Myateriou.Iy ThIrteen
Months Ago-sevea Homeless Orphans.
Among the mon employed as car cleaners at
the Jamaica depot OF tho Long Island Railroad
a triile over thirteen months ago was William
Short. a man beyond the middle age The
daily pay Of car cleaner Is but $l25. and
Short was desperately poor. He had seven
childron. the oldest being less than II years
and the youngest scarcely able to crawl. The
family lived In little structure on Prospect
street and the children throve in spite OF pow
erty's hardships and Mr.. and Mrs. Short were
looked upon As very happy couple. One
morning thirteen months ago Mr.. Short
did not feel very WE'LL and. rs the days. work
promised to be unusually heavy, his son,
Jimmy went down to tho depot to help him.
Jimmy became sick as the day grew and ono
hour before noon his father told him to run
home and tell his mother to have dinner ready
at IL O'Clock sharp. rs lie would be At homo at
that hour and would be pressed for time.
Dinner was laid upon the table promptly and
the family waited patiently for Mr.. Short. but
the afternoon gave place to night without his
coming and the next day came and week
passed and still he did not appear.
Then the neinhbors said that he had given
up the struggle to aupport so largo family on
such q very small salary and had forsaken
them. Mrs. Short Indignantly denied this. and
while she could not explain her husbands abb
sence she insisted that one day he would re-
turn with an explain alton that would set all
the idle stories Mt rest. She was so strongly
impressed with this idea that just at nightfall
every evening sne set agains. the window that
faced the road lamp that was plentifully fed
with oil and carefully cleaned. All night long
this lamp shot Its CLEANS Across the road. The
caring for this lamp grew to be sacred duty
with Mrs. Short. for she didn't want her hus-
band to come homo and find the house cheer
less and dark.
Meantime the family had 10 work In order to
live Willie. the eldest boy was put to work
with Frank Tatum the keeper OF a livery
stable: Katie. the eldest girl was employed as
nurse in the family OF John ]. Fitzgerald
and Mrs. Short herself did all manner of odd
Jobs for the neighbors And so the time
passed. with Mrs. Short growing all the time
less able to continue the struggle. Finally the
family had to Hni cheaper home and they
moved into a tiny little cottage on Washington
street. Even here the light showed brightly
In the window all night. and the door was left
unlocked.
Ono day few months ago Mrs. Short told q
neighbor that the night before she awoke with
q strange sensation. and. opening her eyes.
saw a shape in her room that gradually as
sumed the form and features Of her husband
While sha stirred at this shape she heard
into the we'll In tho railroad yard aud that his
body was then there floating around In the
Short Short that the Vision was only an idle dream
aud partly succeeded. But might or two
Mrs. Mrs Shot. sI and It same several times t6.re.
after ant never melted away until the VOICE
told her that the body OF her husband was IN
Mrs, Short wanted the we'll examined. but
the at er oa ns
on dream. and prescribed rest as cure Tor
M Mrs 1,sSh Short WAS slenced. but that she be-
the the beacon M lishs disappeared Irom her window
Poverty and hardship finally conquered tho
poor woman and % on Monday che s dropped ;: cx.
brought back to the minds q the nsiehbors
ciaimed dn 10 have % seem IN II. m night. Amens
those who regarded the matter , as being WORTHY
o. inyes.iGSon Z, WAS Wism ,hs, MSGa Who
JHSsca j"Kss care depot at hight o tsRed Over tbs
subject with benjamin. Ampberman; NIB AZ snei.
msT used ~ she Tsa ncs Ss for its
sSs 0'sn tssRs has, s ss 1s9 si
rna h
raironf ward. and about o clock Yesterday
ora"s %o@sH the the WEI We'll % and peere down Into II
| The light OF the lantern wa. too feeble TO do
Ss to IS make ns dskass e aee ""s
| its diameter is about fifteen feet. Some ds-
tanss IeI'x ne lop rude platform Ind been
The two men clambered down 10 this plat
oe' centre a {" IT. It. They sWi.heH Ills pole to and
fro in the wnter a few times. and then it stop
pEH .owY s" orward % This pleved G that The oSeat
h.d or, 9 against was floating on the surface
Of the well the lantern was loTer.d do, n ag.in;
| but nothing could he seen. The men looked at
oS Seff o Me aa Or hi
1senLrant and knapp that they felt sure the
dead body Of hu,na. being ~ M was as floating .,T Gn
The The Officers nticers aec."mpaniei them to tie round.
house ana Isenbrant set a ladder down in the
enough into the we'll to make sure that u dead
body was there and that It was float ne 1nrp a.,
Word wa. also sen, to the r,iroad officials.
noon Yesterday the Ioy was drawn to
sood ." condi,ion. but the clothes had roiisd on
tirely of. AID the face was IN mnnr%ecogni;able, eco y
sSi shs Sods a %ann
Short. Tor Coating on the suri9ce OF the water
tie pail "a ID s work. h" the ss np .e
keep these impemsnts on the nlnt,9rm IN the
we'll and i is eonlSctqErHd E thnt M while he s wns
The body was taken to the village moreue.
monay aG 'h' Tor the funeral "f Mrs. short we're
nnN ious to incrr ase their subscription in order
that man and wife might be buried together.
But Coroner Everett wanted first to make q
shorts death. and ns the circumstenccs Of his
death might lead to q snspicton OF suicide.
ground. the body Of MS Short Was buried
alone yesterday In the little public Flat al
| The inquest will be held on next Tuesday.
| In front Of tho little house occupied hy Mrs.
| Short stood q group OF women last evening all
| eagerly discussing the sudden death OF Mrs.
Short. tho finding OF Mr. Shorts body IN the
seven children. The latter had packed mn
their little possessonss rs and We're were reSdy to sur.
neirHbors knew whore tho children were GO
| Ing and all tho children knew about 1t was
| that tlev were waiting Tor some friends with
| BURGLARY CAUSES DEATH.
| A Woman III OF blood Poisoning Sent IntO