San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1892-08-18
EATEN BY MAGGOTs.
WORMS OF TIE TOMB DIS
TURBED
In Their Work by Human Discover
ers Who Game too Late to
save Their Prey-An
Unknown's Death.


One of the most singular cases of
suicide yet on record happened at
San Pedro Springs several days ago
it being y strange man, known to no
one as yet.
About s O'Clock this.morning, ].
Rodriguez, an elderly Mexican, was
gathering peppers in q field directly
north of San Pedro springs park,
when, among weeds and brush OF six
feet high, he discovered the body of q
man. He made rapid progress to the
springs bar and there notified Mr.
KrIsch, the man in charge of the
place, who immediately telephoned
to Justice Heron. One hour latter
the Justice arrived at the place where
the corpse lay. and, after viewing the
body, telephoned to the poor house for
q wagon, pine box and two men. AL
bert Huppertz, the poor house drug
gist, soon arrived, with an assistant,
and the body was then examined
When first seen, the deceased
looked like large lump of earth,
CON6T6u Wlbu lhSCCtS va otA NOSShAP
tions, being covered from head to
foot by layer OF maggots one inch In
depth. Mr.. Huppertz procured
stick and scraped of the insects, and
when this was done 1t was found that
the body was coal block all over. The
head was laying in q hollow place,
almost under the shoulders, and the
body was straight excepting the
arms and right lower limb, they
being in q tangled up shape,
thus causing the suspicion that
the man had died In agony. When
see n after the maggots were scraped
off, it could not be determined wheth-
or or not it was the body of white
man, but after the waist belt OF his
pants was cut and removed, q strip of
white skin was discovered, thus prov
ing his race being that, OF eau
casian.
He was dressed in q white shirt,
vest, pants and boots, and wore large
black straw hat. There being no
coat in sight, his pants pockets were
cut open, the coroner thinking that
there might be possibility OF finding
some papers by which an identified
ton could be made. The pocket on
the left side was first opened and
there was found q paper bag contain
Ing three large pieces of gum opium,
one of which had been partly eaten.
In the pocket of the right side was
found q pocket book containing S2.75,
pocket knife and q paddock key.
This was all that was found on his
person, excepting two cigars In his
vest pocket. The coroner took charge
OF the different things found.
His shirt being black In places, In.
dicating blood, an investigation was
made to find, II possible, marks of
violence, but nothing could be de-
tected.
His hat, having a small hole in 1t,
resembling that of bullet hole, led
to the belief that he had been shot in
the head, consequently ali eXamina-
ton OF the head and shoulders was
made, resulting as before. In the
left side of the head, just below the
ear, was found hole of considerable
depth, but it was caused from the
constant work of the insects. The
entire back of the head was eaten so
that it was q difficult matter to even
de tect the marks of W eapon.
+ His eyes were bulged out about two
inches, his mouth wide open and
filed with maggots, his ears eaten
off, aud, in fact, the entire head
was in such condition that
it had not the slightest re-
semblance to the head of human
being. The body, too, was in such q
decayed condition, that, were it not
for the clothing, it would have been
hard to believe that it was a man.
The party Is unknown and 1t will
be hard, no doubt, to get an identiti-
cation AS the body will have to be
buried at once. He is q man about
thirty or thirty-five years of age, as
near as could be found, is about ak
feet long and weighs about l75
pounds, though his body was twice
the natural size. He was rather
poorly dressed, making the appear
ance of q country man. He Is clean
shaven, and has but few hairs on
his head. He had not been shaved
for few days and q few
short hairs on his face were of a red
ish color. So far as describing his
looks, it is impossible, as he made not
the appearance of a man.
From all that could be heard, seen
aud learned, the body has been lay
ing there for several days, and it is
very probable that an overdose of
opium caused the death. If 1t were
not for the fact that he was lleing on
q rock and his head under. some
weeds, 1t would be reasonable to sup
pose he had found that place TO rest,
but, it was q place in the sun and no
man of sound mind would find place
of rest in such an uncomfortable spot.
The pine box was then taken to
the place and the body was placed in
same, and carried to the poor house.
The coroner has not yet given
verdict. but it will, perhaps, be death
IRON unknown causes.
Mr., Sleyin, one OF the proprietOrs of