Blackfoot news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1891-1902, 1894-09-08
A FACE ON THE STONE.
A MURDERER's PORTRAIT OVER
HIS VICTIMS GRAVE.
The Mystery OF Crime That May 30
Cleared Up Through a Supernatural
Ageney-A Case to Interest the society
for Psychlc Research.

From the little prairie town OF
Wishta Iowa. there comes u story
of Poe-like gruesomeness about a
gravestone that is credibly said to
show on its face the dimlY traced
features Of murderer. the assassin
of the old couple whose remains lie
buried underneath. The marvellous
likeness of this gravestone portrait
of the man. now that he is missing,
after having once been suspected OF
the crime. has aroused the prose-
cutting attorney Of the county to q
vigorous search for him. while the
superstitious country folk there
abouts for miles around are making
pilgrimages to the cemetery TO see
this wonderful manifestation Of
supernatural forces, for such il
seems TO be.
1t is more than likely that this
most remarkable psycologic mystery
will DO investigated by those past
masters in the scientific pursuit OF
ghosts and other death mysteries,
the Society of Psychic Research.
But in none OF their bloodcurdling
reports yet published has any
psychic wonder had SO many
elements Of the phenomenal as this
one.
The gravestone, with the human
features mystically written across
its face, marks the spot where lie an
old German couple. named Schultz.
who were murdered in their own
home in the middle of the night
They lived short distance from the
town and were staying alone In the
house at the time. The old man had
brought home few days before a
considerable amount of money.
which he had taken from bank on
account OF the panic In the morn
ing the old folks were found. their
heads split open with an AK. and
there were evidences that there had
been a struggle. The money was
gone.
The murder created a great sensa-
tion on account OF its fearful de.
tails. There was nothing TO indi.
cate in any way who had committed
it, but the neighbors suspected that
the murderer might have been W. S.
Florence, hired hand who had been
in the Schultzes' employ until
short time before. A few weeks
after the murder Florence left that
section and went to Nebraska AS
| soon as he had gone the stories be-
gan to gain more currency than
ever, and the result was that de.
tectlves were employed by the couu.
ty authorities to hunt him down.
He was found and taken back to
Cherokee county. The grand jury
examined him. He promptly dis
appeared and has not been heard OF
since.
About the same time that the
grand jury was engaged in the in.
vestigation Of this case. the relatives
OF the old couple hal plain marble
hesdstOne placed over their grave.
! The grave was In q little country
buryiug ground on the side OF a hill,
within sight OF the house In which
the murder had been committed. Be.
fore many weeks strange stories be-
gan to be told about it. At first
they were whispered about the
neighborhood, and the superstitious
people of the countryside shook
their heads wisely and often gath
cred at the roadside or at the village
blacksmith shop. 1t was said that
the tombstone was slowly but surely
| developing human lineaments. lust
as photographers plate, under the
action OF chemicals. develops the
lines Of the negative
The first person to tell the story
was an old woman. who had also
been the first to suspect Florence
OF the murder. IL was received with
incredulity. and even those whose
curiosity lead them to go and look at
the stone declared that the picture
had no existence except in the i'm.
aginatiOn Of the old woman But
she insisted that she could see n
picture there, aud that IL repre-
sented the features OF Florence
From time to time the old woman
declared that the features OF Flor.
ence were growing moro plain. At
last she convinced some OF her
friends that they, too could see tho
features OF man on the stone. Tho
face continued to grow more and
more distinct and TO be more and
more talked about until it attracted
the attention OF the authorities.
They inspected it, and tho most un.
prejudiced were compelled to admit
that they could see the features OF a
man. A marble dealer was taken to
see It. He declared that the features
were being developed as result Of
exposure to atmospheric influences OF
the rust and veins in the stone. He
said that it would continue to grow
palmer.
This prediction has now been YER
flied. The picture on the slab has
become distinct to even the most
casual observer. and to-day there IL
not person who knew Florence that
does not declare that tho features
show startling resemblance TO his.
What is equally prophetic Is the
fact that since the picture has been
developing on the stone and the sus-
picion has become general that Flor
ence was the murderer, there has
deyel ODed evidence not kno1n a. ~