The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1893-10-26
MYSTERIOUS.
AoeAo MAN FOUND ON A BURNING RUB.
BlsH PILE NEAR NAVARRO.

His Nose is Broken and His Face Disfig-
ured-How He Game to His Death will
Go on Record as Ono of the Mysteries
Never Solved.
A death, concerning the cause Of which
there 10 much mystery, occurred near Ma
varre Sunday night, and the victim has
not yet been identified.
Joseph Hug and Hiram Whistler were
walking 10 Navarro this mo ming, when
their attention was attracteI to the pile of
screenings and mine refase, called "Old
Smote,n situated about half q mile
north Of the town. They investigated end
found that the body Of a man was lying,
face downward on tbs smote pile. This
Bmote pile has been burning slowly for
about three years, and gives OFF fumes OF
sulphur aud other ea1eoul odors that are
sitting. The men found the man near
burning and when they picked
him up they found that be was dead,
They proceeded TO Navarro and related
the story and Coroner Conklin WAS tels-
phoned for. AT IL 80 o'clock, accom-
panied by NEWS DEMOCRAT reporter,
the coroner went to the place and took
charge of the body. Upon investigation
broken and that his face was other
wise bruised, giving evidence that
he bad come In violent contact
with some hard substance. The pile OF
refuse where he was lying was very hot
and the body was literally cooked. The
coroner made o minute examination but
found nothing which would reveal the
identity OF the dead man. He lad on his
person two memoranda books and a
pocket book. The memoranda
books had nothing in them
that would serve 20 identify the
man and the pocketbook contained moth
ing but 26 cents aud lady vail.
The dead man Was about 48 years OF
age and had on brown clothes, Of heavy
material, He was five feet, six inches
tall OF medium eight, sandy mustache,
thin black hair tingea with gray. His
eyes were blue.
How the man came 70 his death will
probably never be known. He was seen
about the town yesterday and was seen
walking down the tow path. Later, about
dg.k, no was seen on the townpate.
smote pile, met someone and got into an
alteration and was knocked sense
less and then thrown upon the
burning smote pile to Buffocate,
or whether he was seeking o warm place
to spend the night and fell, breaking his
noHe and later suffocating by inhalipg the
gasses generated, will remain one OF the
pense of the township authorities.
FURTHER PARTICULARS.
Coroner Conklin has thus far been uu-
able to establish the identity Of the Ns-
varre man found dead Monday morning.
The mans death was an awful one. The
body was lying face down upon the
smote.' The old smote, as the Navarro
ites term 1t, is q huge pile OF fine coal
thoroughly impregnnted With sulphur,
which when burning produces stihing
gases. One theory advanced by the cor
oner is that the man was walking along
on top of the smote, was afflicted with
convuIsiona and fell In q Bpasm. 1t ap
pears that he regained consciousness and
made desperate effort with his arms to
push himself away, but failed. Both
arms, to the wrist, were burned to Q crisp.
| The body was roasted and was still warm
/ when picked up. The coroner has mott.
| fed Unertaker Hug to hold the body till
| Wednesday, then bury 1t il no one ap-
pears to claim 1t, marking the grave 80
that IL the relatives are found they may
| remove the body later.