The morning call., 1893-09-02
The Body Found After Six Years
Had Passed.
REMISSNESS OF OFFICIALS.
They Refused to Interest Themselves
in Determining if a Crime Had
Been Committed.

mysterlouSly disappeared about five years
ago at the bottom Of an old, unused well,
merits attention.
Although at the time his friends were
confident he had been murdered, and all
the circumstances connected with the case
strongly indicated that such was the fact
10 efforts were made by the authorities
commensurate with the magnitude Of the
crime to unravel the matter, and when
prompt action might have resulted in the
apprehension of the criminals inactivity
marked every move made by those in au-
tbority.
During the early part of June. 1887 in
formation came to persons in this city that
Albert A. Ross, well-known resident eff
Angels Camp, Calaveras County, had
mysteriOusly disappeared from his claim
in that section. Nothing having been
heard from him for eight or ten days, con-
siderable anxiety was felt by his friends
as to his fate. He was known to be sober.
industrious and of steady habits, and al
ways kept his acQuantanceS informed Of
dls movements and doings. lie OCCASION
ally visited this city, and always stayed NJ
the American Exchange Hotel, where he
had friends. Steps were al once taken by
them, members of his lodge of Odd Fellows
Occidental No 170, to unravei the mystery.
Hope Lodge of ODD Fellows of Angels
6dmp, NuICU originally sent TIE lDIOrina-
ton to this city, and started the inquiry,
was communicated with, and every means
was taken to discover some clew or cause
for Ross sudden departure. His claim
and cabin we're visited, and his clothing
papers, etc. taken charge of by a respOn-
.-slble person. and every nook and corner
searched in vain.
BY the investigation set on foot 1t was
Learned that few days before his disap-
,pearance Ross had received an anonymous
fletteT, warning him on penalty of his fe
to leave his claim. This letter Ross showed
to his neighbOrs, and several of them
claimed TO recognize the handwriting, but
no action was taken in the matter Ross.
who was marine engineer and had been
employed on tie steam collier WaIla Walla
out of this port and had also formerly run
IN engine a the mines 10 Angels Camp for
Judge Bechtel, told an intimate friend in
this city about year before his death that
he had taken up piece of Govern 7ment
lana near Angels and thought he had a
very gOad thing, and subsequently he went
ON his claim and worked it. The partcu-
lars Of Ross disappearance as they devel-
oped at the time were as follows:
On May 2S of that year those persons
having occasion to visit Ross cabin on
business were surprised TO find it de-
serted. On the table was breakfast-a
cooked Deefsteak-and OF the stove a pan
cake. 1t was evident that Ross had been
interrupted while preparing his meal. His
ClOlHtss papers anu itLkFIS were IN IieiT
accustomed place, but no trace could be
found of Ross Inquiries were made in
all directions. and the mem berS of Hope
Lodge took active steps to trace him, but
all their Efforts proved frutiess. The
anonymous letter was freely discussed
and as several persons claim@d 10 recOg-
niZe the handwriting as that of one of
boss nelghborS many mutPrinGs were
heard. Some were for putting a rope
around the nPck of one suspected man and
4rNrl inv fhn a lgat,
would have upon the lips Of the party. but
cooler judgment prevailed.
At the time it was sought TO induce the
Governor and local authorities TO offer
reward and otherwise interest themselves
IN ferreting out the murderer but without
success. 1t is true that small financial in
ducementS were offered to any one who
would give clew to the mystery, but they
were not backed up by that official author
ity so necessary in a matter of this char
acter, and the case for time dropped out
of sight.
For six years an old well between Alta
vile and Angels Camp successfully con-
cealed the only clew TO the mystery, for at
its bottom during that time the body of
the missing man had res ted. While cleaning
out the well last Saturday, as has been
stated In kilograms TO THE CALL, work
men discovered the body, and an examina-
tioD clearly proved that it was a case of
murder, bullethole being found in the
skull.
An inquest was held upon the remains at
Angels Camp last Monday ana the jury
brought in the following verdict:
That deceased came 10 his death by violence
at the hand of some party or par les Unknown,
ana The remains In the unanimous opinion of
the jury, those of Albert A. Ross. who 30
mysterlously disappeared in May. 1887. The
jury's reasons for 80 thinking are-trst the
teeth of the lower jaw of The dead man are
identical with thns or RoS; second. the con-
tour of the head IS similar; third, the red
~ a - n he cf,ln n fg,a
remains OF the skeleton are those of a large
man. about feet
Ayeral, +. LIttlehe!d, Doc. Sylvester and n. L.
Pariss.
Two years ago the matter of Ross
death was again the subject Of invesIiga-
tion instigated by Occidental Lodge, l. o.
y. +. Efforts were again made to cause
the Governor TO offer a reward, but he re-
fused to do so. Similar efforts to cause
Sheriff ThOrne of the county IN which the
man was murdered to take some steps in
the matter Ouly resulted in inactivity on
that officers part. In fact, he refused to
take any further action or make renewed
efforts to solve the mystery claiming that
everything that could be had been done.
The facts connected with Ross claim, as
they developed at The time of his dsap-
pearance, are as follows:
He had taken up piece of Government
land through which a stream Of water ran.
This stream was OF value, and his land in
teTyened between the head of this stream
and the land of others. Then came the
anonymous letter; then his disappear
ance. with his breakfast waiting un-
touched upon the table, and now the find
ing Of the body six years after the
undoubted murder. with a bullethole in
his skull.
In, Angels Camp at ths time there were
two factions. One held to the statement
of facts as set forth abave; the other en-
deavored by haf-spoEen whisperlngs to
cast asperstons upon the honesty of Ross.
They said that he found it safer to be away
from Angels on account of a siagecoach
affair which took place in that section of
country some time in May of tile year he
disappeared. His friends, OF course.
resented the charge and denounced it as
foul and malicious lie. They claimed at
the time that the attempt to cast clOud
upon his character offered the most con-
vincing proof that it was for the interest
of some one who was anxious to to TINS
throw possible investigation off the right
trail and thereby escape the consequences
Ross was man of unquestioned charac-
for and sDlendil Snecinan Of y,hre;o.l