The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-09-12

SKELETONS IN A SHAFT.

Thought to Be Those of Lovers Who Dis
appeared Over Ten Years Ago.
What for ten years has been mystery in
this section of the State has been unrayeled
and the result Of murder unearthed.
About a mile west of town is an old,
abandoned shaft which had been sunk many
years in search of lead or zinc ore, says n
Southwest City (AIo.) dispatch to the Boston
Globe. The shaft did not strike pay ore.
and was given I'D after being sunk to a
depth OF 100 feet. AS it was perfectly dry
it was of no benefit, and fence was built
around it to keep stock out. and in course Of
time became so overgrOwn with weeds and
brush that it was rarely thought of or no
ticed.
Recently some boys who were playing in
the neghborhOod thought it would be fun
IT, so down the old shaft, and they secured a
rope and made their preparations for the
descent.
The first boy reached the bottom, but at
once cried for them 10 haul him out.
He came up pale with fright. and said
there were two skeletons lying at the bot
tom of the shaft
A party of men went to the place. and
one went To the bottom. He soon called for
those above to hoist away, and when the
bucket came up it contained the skeletons Of
two persons. The man was hauled up and
lllt lnb ShcitlbUS tHhtll W lUt IbCdl uDCLul
who, after an examination, declared them
to have belonged to man aud woman, and
that both had been killed before being
thrown into the shaft
On the back of each skull was a crushed
rlace of the same size, as if they bad been
hit by blunt instrument. No other marks
were found that would indicate that they
had been given more than one blow EACH
The right thigh bone Of the woman was
broken, which was probably the result of
the fall to the bottom of the shaft.
1t was some time before any clew could be
had rs to the probable identity of the man
and woman, but an old man who has lived
here many years said az last that he thought
he could solve the mystery.
He SAID that ten years ago young man
and woman had mysteri0usly disappeared
from the town and no one ever heard of
them afterward.
John Bridges and Sarah Anderson were
engag ed to be married, and as the match
was considered a good one on both sides
there was nothing to prevent its being ear
ried out. The parents Of both we're friendly
and The young man was steady and a good
worker.
There was another young man in the place
named Willis Carr, who aspired to the hand
of Sarah, but he met with no encourage
ment. At first he became the bitter enemy
OF Bridges and the two young men had a
fight, in which Bridges came out second
best. This seemed TO take all the animosity
out of Carr and he made friends with
Bridges.
Things went on smoothly until about two
weeks before the day set for the marriage,
when one evening Bridges and Sarah took a
walk together. They went out OF town
along country road, and this was the last
ever seen of them.
The whole country was searched for them.
and search parties were out for days, until
at last it was concluded that they had be-
come romantic and had run off tn get m rripd
and would come back. The old shaft was
thought Of, but an examination showed that
the fence and brush and weeds had not been
disturbed, and it was considered an i'm pos
sbility for them u have fallen into the
place without leaving some sign.
The finding Of the skeletons cOnviuces the
Old man that these were the remains of the
couple. and that they had been killed aud
the bodies thrown into to the shaft and all
trace of disturbance carefully covered up.