Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-02-27
a RACE WITH DEATH.
naked Maniac's Fatal Run Through Tor
turing Beds Of Cactus

N1ked Maniac's Fatal Run Through Tor
turing Beds Of Cactus
'1m the San Francisco Chronicle.
Early this morning the nude body Of Q man
r vAs round on the Cahuenga branch Of the San
1e'nando wagon road, about twelve miles from
~" angeles, just south Of Burbank and near
Los Angeles river. number of people
sHhered around the body, and after hold
hurried Consultation the remains we're
C.-a Win pieces Of old CARPET and sacks and
~: weldon was notified. The coroner
-AN w assistant. Ben Cove, hurried to the
spo' ana began an investigation.
ine ooas was lying in the middle Of the
ROAD ana iot several hundred ward, from the
spot where the body was found the dir, wa.
pio"sheu up, showing that the dead man had
faiieh down number Of times And had we'd
aIouno Ia 'ue nus frantic manner. HIS last
struggle TOOK place when he died 81 60,
the looks of the ground it must bsxa ~hu rom
| riGle. The poor wretch had plonobe, Zen t 'ei
into the ground until it was hor1ib1r MS , hea9
and his arms and hands were badly br,is,' Asne9 ,
scratched. but the strangest part of the ,titi
is that there were no indications that /. s su.ns
person was present.
There we're no other tracks in the v;c;,;,-
| than those made by his bare feet. and IL H.,
fought with any one the person must have heen
on horseback. An examination of his Limbs
showed that he had passed through several
beds Of cactus, for his legs and body we're lii.
orally full of cactus thorns. and the blood mus,
have flowed freely from his numerous wound,
until death released him.
No one in the neishborhood could identif,
him. On the way back to the city the coronel
| and his assistant stopped every one they me
| and had them view the face. but no Ole ha
ever seen the dead man before, and unles
something is found in his clothing which ca
be recognized his identity will never be dis
covered. The man is five and a half feet il
| height and blonde, with short chin beard an
nustaches. He is either German or Russia
Finn aud seems 10 be about forty-fye or lift
years of age. He had the appearance Of
laboring man in good health. He was power
fully built ana had rather q good face.
Shortly after the coroner reached the city b
| received a message that the mans clothing ha
been found. The officers at Burbank followe
the dead man tracks about four miles II on
where his body was found and discovered wba
at first appeared to be a newly made grave
The dirt was thrown up in the shape of grav
anu 1t had evidently been made only fe,
hours before. On opening it they found q sui
OF clothes which evidently belonged to tn
dead man. but the message did not stat
whether or not any papers were found b.
which the man may be identified.
He had no tools with which to dig hole an,
must have used his fingers. for the nails ar
terribly torn and show that he dug the hol
Ike dog and then placed his clothes in it. in
Guiding his hat and shoes. The ground is har,
clay. and it must have taken him several hour
to dig the grave. He then covered his clothing
and rounded up the earth in the form of
mound. 1t is supposed that he did this earl
In the night and then started out on his will
chase through the cactus patches. He passe
through places that would cause a man wit
thick clothing and heavy boots to shudder an
turn back, and it is q wonder that he did no
drop with exhaustion and loss Of blood and PAL
long before he did.