Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-07-12
AN ILLINOIS MYSTERY.
The Story of the Famous Fox Cave
at Wilson's, Near Carmi.
THE DISCOVERY OF A SKELETON
Leads to the Theory That Wealthy Fur
Traders Disappearance
HAS BEEN ACCOUNTED FOR AT LAST

HAS BEEN ACC0UNTED FOR AT LAS.
CARMI, ILL, July lit has long beef
known that an entrance to a cave of con
siderable dimensions was situated on tina
part Of Springland on the west which, ir
the division of the estate of Judge Wilson
was assigned to, and Is now owned by, hi.
son, Thomas K. Wilson, of this city. This
cave has been associated with many mys-
teries, one of which, now worth relating,
has connected with it men of obscure habits
and times of indolent existence, when g
dog, gun and an ak was all the capital
required to secure comfortable ''living."
In the year 1883, at the close of the Black
Hawk war, when the men were returning to
their homes, it was no uncommon thing for
two or three homeless stragglers to follow in
their wake and "squat" near or in the set
| Elements. 1t was at that time that one of
| these followers-John Stoneman-erected a
hat on the west side of the cave, only q
short distance from the river, where he
diligently applied his vocation of hunting,
trapping and fishing. His home being near
the old road running from Vincennes to
Shawneetown and the salt works. which
was frequently travelled by the fur buyers
and peddlers so common in that day, he had
no difficulty in disposing of his merchandise
and supplying his domestic wants at the
roadside, or even at his hut, SO that he was
seldom seen at the village, and it was only
by casual meeting that the settlers knew
OF his existence. His only intimate friend
was Fritz, the fur buyer, and it was through
him that his industrious aud prosperous
habits became known, and it was generally
understood that he was fast accumulating
money.
feculiarities OF tho Trader.
Fritz, 1t seems, had by q general &C.
quaintance some years before pre-empted
the trade in furs and peltries along the
route, and his face was familiar one all
along the road. He liked a social glass and
joke, and the 1oungers about the taverns
always gave him welcome greeting, though
none of them could have told his real name,
for the tavern kept no register of those en-
tertained, and Fritz was never known to
write it He was known to have said that
he had no relatives in this country, and the
fact that he was alone, the large profits made
In the fur trade, and the immense quantities
sold throughout the country at that time
cumulated considerable wealth. 1t was also
well known that, as a matter of necessity,
the travelling tradesman carried large
amounts of money on his person.
On Fritz's last visit he jumped from the
stage at the tavern door just before the din
ner hour, and after greeting and "round''
with his friends, partook of the meal and
started out for Stonenan's, intending to
secure his stock on hand and reach another
point, on foot, that evening, having decided
that 1t would save time to pursue this
course and then gather up his purchases on
his return with teams. Stoneman reported
that after Fritz had paid him in full for his
stock some drops of rain began to fall and
the clouds foreboded storm; that Fritz de-
clined his invitation to remain, and started
on his journey along the path leading to the
road. But Fritz was seen no more.
Discovery of the Cave.
Stoneman, in his travels to and fro be-
tween the hut and the road along the west
side of the cave hill, had discovered small
opening, which upon investigation was
found to be the entrance to chamber of
considerable dimensions under the hillside.
This he had cleared out and used for storing
his peltries when prepared for market. The
entrance being only large enough to admit
the body of a good sized man, the bales or
bundles were pushed in with pole, when
he would crawl in after and stack them
thick stone, which he made to work in q
foot slide or groove in the rock below,
which thus placed and leaning against the
bank was not easily removed. It occurred
to Stoneman, shortly after Fritz's departure,
that when he had removed his peltries to
the hut the evening before, he had neglected
to close the door, and fearing the rain might
fill his storeroom, he hastened to the spot
and placed the stone in position.
The absence of Fritz was first noticed BY
the loungers, who missed his social liberal
ity at thu grocery, but other men took his |
place in the trade, and so he passed from
1t was but a short time after the mysteri- |
Gus disappearance of Fritz, when John |
Stoneman was taken i'll and only an acci- |
dent provided witnesses to his death. A |
settler living near the mouth of Lick Creek |
b aving come up the river in search Of cattle |
that had strayed away from their range, was |
by the barking of dog, and on
going to the spot found John Stoneman ill |
and speechless in his hut. The man gave
information to the settlers near, who rem
dered all the assistance possible in his case,
but his fever was heightened by his efforts
to speak, and he expired, seemingly, in a
struggle to make some important communi-
cation.
lreHsur0 TO DO accounted FOR.
The accumulated earnings of Stoneman
we're supposed to be large, and the hut was
for its hiding place, but nothing of
value was found on the premises His
death recalled the mysterious disappear
ance of Fritz in the neighborb ood, and many
we're the conjectures that the combined
wealth of these two men was concealed
about the cave. But why they
should couple the wealth of these two men
eemed strange to some, as no suspicion
lad attached to Stoneman in connection
Titn the disappearance of Fritz.
1t was, perhaps, 20 years after that a
elative of the Judges family-a young
ady who was visiting at Springland-was
me night awakened from a dream which
eriously disturbed her. The same dream
ecurred to her twice again the same night,
laving fully awakened from her sleep after
ach recurrence, and so impressed was she
With the dist1nctness and sameness of the
ream, that she related it to the family. 1t
vas this: ''In the woods, southwest from
he house on the west bank, of hill at the
oot of white oak tree, near the base of
he hill, skeleton could be found and
nder this skeleton was a box of silver and
"