The herald., 1895-04-10
Worbington's Body Discovered
Yesterday Morning
TALE OF HIS DISAPPEARANCE
Wandered off From the Rest of the
Party
Coroner Campbell Held an Inquest Last
Night, at Which the Story Of His
Death Was Told

The body of J. w. Worblngton was
found yesterday morning at the foot OF a
200-foot precipice in the mountains back
of Pasadena. His clothing was torn, and
the flesh was stripped from his fingers,
showing how he had clutched at the
rocks and bushes in his fall
Worbington is the young man who
went out to Eaton canyon with picnic
party on Sunday morning. and in The
afternoon wandered off into the noun
tains. All day Mondsy parties were look
ing for him in the mountains, but they
were unsuccessful.
Yesterday morning, shortly after 8
o'clock, Grant Griswold, a young man
who lives in Pasadena, and who was en-
gagged by +. II. Keifer, manager OF the
Troy Laundry, for whom Worbington
worked, came upon his trail, and finally
discovered the place where he had fallen
over the bank.
A good many stories have been told OF
Worbington's disappearance, and great
deal of curiosity was INDUCED i'll as to
why he was permitted to remain alone in
the canyon. Coroner Campbell held an
investigation last night, and perhaps the
best way to tell The story is to give the
testimony of some of the witnesses.
J. II. Keifer, who employed WORDING
ton. and who had known him for ten
years or more, was the first man to be ex-
amined. He stated first that Worbington
was native of Ohio, and that he was
about 26 years of age and single. He had
last seen Worbington alive on Saturday.
EARLY Monday morning." he contin--
ued, Il first learned that Worbington had
been lost. A Spanish girl who works for
me came and told me that he had gone
of hx hip,Solf int and
that he had not returned. | learned that
the entire party had come away and LETT
him there. | was somewhat surprised
that none of the young men with the
party had made any effort to find him.
Il went down to the Standard Oil Com
bell employed there, who, l understand,
had formed one of the party. Campbell
told me that the last they had seen of
Worbington was between and O'Clock
in the afternoon. He was standing up
on ali incline above the party. They
shouted to him to come down, but he
made no reply. Soon after he started to
go up further. They all came away, ex-
pecting he would either take the stage
that passes near there or else co down
another way and join them at the toll
house.
Il asked Campbell to accompany me to
the place where he had last seen Worb-
ington, but he replied that he could not
go. So | went to Pasadena and organ
lied an expedition there TO search for the
young man. We went up into the noun
tains and searched all day Monday with
no result, but yesterday morning his body
was found and | Immediately had it
brought to this city. | was not with the
men who found him..
George T. Insley, the detective, was the
| next witness.
Yesterday morning, he said, Mrs.
| Wagner who is my niece, came to my
office. She told of Worbington's disap-
pearance, and asked me whether would
try to find him. She was one OF the
party with whom the young man had
gone out on Sunday. | told her | would
take my cogs out there and see what
could do. Then / telephoned to Camp
/ bell and he promised to go with me-. |
waited for two hours and he did not
come, so started. On the way [ met
Wagner, and he said he would accompany
me. He did get on the cars, and
picked him up at Pasadena.
when we got out there there was a
party already looking for him, but we
followed his trail, until we came to a
| ledge where there was some broken rock
that indicated to me that he had ia len
over there. | pointed this out to the men
who were with me, but they did not think
as did. f.,
| II believe there were nineteen in the
party, all of them nice people. in
auired particularly whether Worbingtor
lad been drinking, and was told tha
although there was small keg of beer IL
the party, he had taken but two or three
drinks of it, and was perfectly sober. "
Then Grant Griswold of Pasadena, whit
said he was lust common laborer,
was put on the stand. He is the on
who found Worbngton's body yesterda.
morning.
After telling how the missing man
trail was followed until it was lost an'
then picked up again, Griswold said:
1--WE came to a little shelf covered will
ton had stepped over the edge. suppos
it was about two hundred feet abov
where we found the body. 1t seemed a
though he had been walking along in
hurry and had got going SO fast that h
could not stop himself Where he tirs
started to 60 down the grade is not yer,
steep.
'Then we could see little ledge below
from which patches of moss had beel
torn. 1t looked as though his whole bod
had struck against this and rolled OF
down the hill We could not see the bod,
from there. In fact we could not eXamin
the tracks until had myself let down b,
''We were positive that he had disap
peared there so we went around anothe
wav. and sure enough the body was lyin!
at the foot of the hill. The head was to
ward the cliff, and it looked to me a
though he had struck head first.
His clothing was torn and his hand
were covered with blood, showing wher
he had grabbed at the stones and bushes
His watch had stopped little after
O'Clock"
c. G. Barnhart, of Pasadena, who hat
also been employed in the search, gav'
similar testimony
William Wagner, who is employed as {
driver of an ice wagon, was member o
the picnic party. He was the next wit
| ness.
1--WE left Los Angeles about 8 O'Clock ,
he said, Sin tally-ho. l think ther
were nineteen of us. Among th
| number were Lizzie and Rose Calderon
i