The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1893-05-31
Was Ms, EngIe Murdered !?
MySteriously Disappeared
From Her Home Over
Two Years Ago.
Her Skeleton Found Thursday
Strong Reasons for Thinking
She Met with Foul Play.


She Met with Foul Play.
The cloud Of mystery that has overhung
the fate Of grs. Conrad Engle, widow
aged about sixty I've years. who suldeals
disappeared from her home IN Summit town
ship little over TWO years ago, has beei
pierced and il IS not probable that thi
cause Of her disappearance viii remain (
1 mystery much longer.
The bleached bones OF a wonar
were found last Thursday, by workmen en-
gagged in stripping bark. on what is know
as the E" Bsachiy tract in tha. township
The skeleton hss been positively identified
rs that Of Mrs Eagle and its condition in
dioaies that the woman was foully dealt with
The bones Of both legs were broken, evident
" for the purrose Of making couesalmenl
Of the body easier.
The names Of the woman's murderers aid
the motive for putting her TO death does not
sPpear fully at this time, but well auihenti-
dated reports from that section Of the eoan-
y say that certain parties welLknown are
suspected Of having committed the crime
and that their motive viii be forthcoming
when the proper time arrives for establish
ing IT,
Il has always been believed. by persons ac-
quainted with the facts in the case, that Mrs.
Engle was murdered and the condition OF
the skeleton confirms their suspicious. Sew
eral parties suspected Of having had hand
in the wOmans mysterious disappearance
were arrested at the time, but the evidence
against them was not deemed suii-
cient 70 justify holding them for trial.
Since then the neighbors have not entire
ly lost interest in the case, and nov that the
skeleton has been found and identified inter
est has been revived.
Mrs. Engle was of sound mind and was
possessed Of limited means. The old lady
did not have home Of her own, but divid-
ed her time between the homes Of her son
John, and daughter named Mrs. Burkhold-
er.
One evening. late in the fall Of 1890, the
old hdy, who was then stopping at the home
Of her son, announced her intention of go
ing 10 the home Of her daughter, two miles
distant, for a short visit. Shortly after
wards she leit the house and that was the
lsst time she was seen alive by her relatives
She did not arrive at the home OF her
daughter and the next morning, when il vas
learned that she had not reached her desti-
nation q search was instituted for her. No
trace Of her could be found, but several Of
the nsighbors recalled that the night before
they had seen the lights Of two lanterns in
the woods about halfway distant between
Engles and BurkholdeF's. The parties car
rying the lights appeared to be travelling in
the direction OF 8 cave, mile further on in
the woods and the conclusion was a. once
jumped al thai the old lady had been drsg-
ged 70 the cave and murdered. The territory
from where the lights were seen TO tie cave
and the cave itself were thoroughly searched
By pAyties looking for the missing woman,
bat 10 no effect. During the two weeks fol-
lowing searching parties, organized from
among the people Of that vicinity, searched
the country for miles around but without
discovering the slightest clue OF the missing
woman.
About this time rumors we're put into cir
collation. il regard % Ms. Engle having been
seen at this place and that, none OF which
oolld be Traced 70 a reliable source.
The attention Of the men alluded to above
Is having found the skeleton, was FIST at
tracted by pair Of ladies' shoes partly con /
,ealed under pile Of brush. Upon exami-
nation tie shoes we're found 70 contain the 1
bones Of human feet. This ghastly discov-
zry sCoused the curiosity Of the men and /
hey began a search for the Other parts ol 1
he skeleton. In short time they had 4
Iound all the bones of a female skeleton, ex-
,ep.ing the bones Of one arm aud several OF /
he ribs. The bones Of both legs were brok- |
IN. Several pieces OF clothing we're also
ound, when il dawned upon the men that
he skeleton might be that OF Mrs. Engle, |
Fho had mysteriOusly disappeared from 4
hat neighborhcOd over two years ago.
Members Of the Eagle family promptly /
ound as those worn by their aged relative
he last time she was seen alive.
4 gentleman who was a member Of the
earching party that looked for the missing
woman for several days following her disap-
says that the skeleton was found
Il almost the identical spot in the woods
where the lights were seen on the night
drs- Eugle left the home Of her son to 90
o the home Of her daughter, and that il Is
that the body could have been
here at that time unless il had been buried or
ras securely concealed beneath a pile OF
,rush. This theory is probably correct and
he body was afterwards e1humed by dogs
II Wild beIss
Everything points to the old woman's
iaying been murdered and il is to be hoped
hat the murderers may be detected and
'unished even al this late day, although the
respects Of this being done are not very