The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1892-03-17
MARYVILLE'S MYSTERY.
A Stranger and the Strange
Corpse He Buried.
Exhumatlon Of the Body Adds to the
Mystery. Was the Deceased Mur-
dered!..lfs so, Who Did 1t?

MdTyVlie, dI InlS WTlGlnS, mas WudG
appears to be something of mystery. |
A week ago last Sabbath strange man
arrived there on the train with dead |
body for burial. At Knoxville, he
made inquiry about Maryville, as to
the distance, the cemetery, the cost of
burial, etc. Arriving, he found the
sexton and told him that he brought
the body there by mistake, and that
he wanted to hire or rent a lot in the
cemetery for temporary burial that
he did not want the body to remain
permanently.
He claimed that it was the body of
his son, who had been a merchant out
in Colorado, and, having consumption,
had died on the way to his old home
In Virginia.
He told another gentleman that he
brought the the body to Maryville
because he expected to move there
and make the place his permanent
home, and that it was the body of his
son whe had died with consumption
He gave his name as Hull and also
made inquiries about Greenvile, Nor
ristowh and Bristol. He hired a team
and hack at Martins livery stable to
take the remains to the cemetery. 1t
is also reporte, that some one saw his
pocket book and that he had plenty Of
money, but SO lar, this proves to he a
rumor without trace to its origin. To
some one he said that the body was in
a very fine coffin that cost 500. He
was asked his place Of residence
and post Office address, but he evaded
an answer and did not tell.
These queer things all coming to-
gether, from different ones, in regard
to burial by an entire stranger, natu-
rally excited considerably curiosity
and inquiry, and aroused suspicious
that something might possibly be
wrong; so on Monday evening the
body was exhumed and found to be
in plain rather rude coffin, made evi-
IDENTITY by one not an expert in that
business. The top did not fit we'll and
it was in large rough pine box, bear
ing the appearance of having been for
merly used as a goods box. In the
coffin was body in state of conside-
rable decomposition. Evidently, it
was that OF a young man from twenty
: five to thirty years Of age; he had on
; an old coat and vest, but new pants
and shoes. Some who we're present
think that the entire suit was one that
: had been worn every day, except the
gloves and possibly few articles Of
minor Importance. The jaws were
tied to their place by dirty cotton
handkerchief or rag. The head was
on large, very dirty pillow, that had
the appearance of having been ON a
bed in store or other place where il
got very little attention. On the head
behind the left ear, at the back part
there was place about the size of the
palm of the hand, which appeared as
. if it had been bruised or there had
been an unusual boil or affection that
i, had thickencd the skin. The skull
} did not appear to be broken.
From the left ear considerable
: quantity of blood had exuded and rur
down on the pillow. In the box con
tanning the coffin there was q consid
cradle pile of old papers, showing tina
they had been on file hook, an,
were bills, orders and letters from
store. The bill hes DIS we're printed
= "Paris Mills, Syracuse, Kansas" Their,
|, was also Chicago paper, on which
!. was printed the name, ~. f Hull"
! What it all means is more than chi
G be uaderstood at this time The bod
i was greatly emaciated and had, to al
l. pnearAnces, been consumpted pen
= s1n The papers found were old, tn
lie most Of them being dated in 1887 Til
IS man refused~to u 60 to hotel an
is found a place with private f mil
e. aud left on Monday mornings tram a
n mysteriously as he came, falling t
le pay his livery bilt.-K Kpoxyiua Journa
h Tickets for Bob Taylor will he o
- sale at Gump Bros store next Wednei