St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-07-18
He WAS BURIED ALIVE
A Mysterious Disappearance
Is Strangely Solved.
CHARLES LANGFORD FOUND.
But He Is Dead and Mo ulder-
ing on a Public Street.
HIS MOTHERS THEORY WRONG,
An Appalling Accident Sad
dens a st. Paul Home.
HIS M0THER'S THEORY WRONG.
MRS. C. BAKER BURNED ALIVE.

The mystery surrounding the dIsap-
pearance of Charles Langford, thir-
teen-year-old lad who lett home on Nov.
l, last year, has been cleared up by
the finding Of his body.
About O'Clock yesterday afternoon
three young boys living in the vicinity
or jackson street and Pennsylvania
avenue agreed among themselves to
build residence patterned after the
Hill mansion. Pennsylvania avenue,
between Mount Vernon and jackson
streets, has been cut through an I'M
mense bill. the slope on either side of
the street rising to height OF thirty
feet On the top of the south slope, half
way between the two streets, small
gully had been formed by water, and
this spot the boys selected for their
building operations.
Work had progressed for about fifteen
minutes, and hole two feet deep had
been dug in the clay and sand, when one
of the lads struck something hard. The
dirt being scraped away from the OBJ
ject, it looked like bone. Mixed with
the dirt was some hair, and the boys
were considerably excited over the find
ing of what they thought was dogs
grave. A little more digging and the
lads saw their find was
A Human Head.
Horrified at the discovery, the boys
ran for help. The police were notified,
and they in turn called the coroner. The
dirt being shoveled away, the decom-
posed remains of human being were
found i'll sitting position. Tho head
was so badly decOmposed that nothing
but the skull remained. The rest of the
body was better preserved, and it was
possible to form some idea of the cloth.
ing worn.
From this it was seen that the body
was clothed in pair of knee pants and
sailor waist, such as is usually worn
by young boys, while in the coat pock-
cts was pair of fur gloves. The re-
mains were taker1to Guthunz s. Rock
stroh's undertaking rooms aud a sample
of the clothing taken ana put in alcohol.
Last evening the body was identified
as that of Charles Langford. who had
been missing since the 1st day of No
vember last. On that day young Lang
ford left his home ON Williams street,
about two blocks away, and was seen
by his mother to go in the direction of
jackson street and Pennsylvania ave-
nue.. lie did not return, and when
night came his mother reported his dis
appearance to the police. The officials
did what they could to discover the lads
whereabouts, but could find no trace of
him.
The Mothers Theory.
His mother, nearly distracted with
grief, had theory that her son had
been killed by the cars and his body dis
posed of in order to prevent an investi-
CATION. She was assured that such a
state of affairs could not exist, but, as
the days went by and no trace of her
son was found, she became satisfied in
her own mind that her theory was the
correct one.
Yesterday, when the body had been
identified. it was remembered by rela-
tives of the boy that he was always
talking about digging caves, and fre-
quently expressed the opinion that it
would be possible to live In such
HdUllaIlou' 1H6 SuppOSiGlOu Is
that young Langford had dug
cave on the bluff, and on the day of his
disappearance visited it. After enter
ing the cave the opening probably be-
came closed by Il landslide, which is
not impropable owing to the condition
of the ground and soil, and he was suf-
focated. The position of the body when
found was natural one. the hands be-
ing in the lap and the feet stretched
out. as though the boy had seated him.
self in comfortable position and had
been overtaken by death before he
could move.
An aunt of the boy was notified, and
his mother, who left a few days ago for
Hudson, Wis, was informed by tele-
graph OF the finding of the body.