The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1895-12-03
LIVED TN A COFFIN
STRANGE EXPERIENCE OF A BUT
LER COUNTY FARMER.

Ell Lynch, After Twenty-one Years, Visit
Wichita where He had the Notoriety o
Having Died in a Hay Mow-To Escap
the Expense of Coroner's Jury, Hi
Friend Starts with the Supposed Corps
for His CIaiIn-The Rough Roads an
Fast Driving Returns the Man to Life
Who Thinks He is the Subject of a Joke
Eli Lynch. a farmer residing nea
Douglas, was in the city yesterday, hav
ing spent Sabbath in the Peerless
Princess. He had been in the city TO
the purpose of selling a load Of tur
keys.
Such items as the above have no par
ticular significance of itself, but TO tn.
old settlers. especially 10 DR.. Owens
and others, the appearance Of Mr.
Lynch in Wichita recalls a strange
story connected with the gentleman
during February, 1874. At that time Nj
Lynch was sent from Wichita in a cot
fin, and supposed 20 be beyond all re-
covery. The story as related yesterday
by an old settler is as follows:
During the winter of 1874, Wichita
ct that time being the railroad station
for Butler, CowIey and Sumner coun-
ties, it was no uncommon thing for 30(
teams to stop over night in the city
These teams were engaged in hauling
hides, wheat, bones and other products
10 Wichita, and in fact they scattered
considerable money among the new far
rners az that time.
This was the first year that a mar
ket was opened in the west for bones
and a man could make good money
gathering them up. I remember that
hbout where THE Crawford Grand now
stands, that there was piled up at least
fifty car loads of bones awaiting ship
menf.
LAS near as I can call the date il was
about Feb. 10 of that year that Mr..
Lynch and a neighbor named Gill came
into Wichita with two large loads Of
bones. They were old neighbors of w.
w. Pearce, the East Douglas avenue
jewelryTnan, who at that time was in
the grocery business with P. H. Cleve-
land.
1T seems that Lynch and Gill had
sold their bones during the afternoon,
and as was the custom then with team
sters put up their teams at the livery
stable office there was n cook stove on
which the partons Of the sta BILE cooked
their supper and then made their beds
jn the hay NOW.
During the evening the men were
nbout town, and highly elated over the
good sales they had made during the
afternoon. and after taking in the town.
especially the IL o'clock free lunch
which was served by Whitley Rupp,
who was conducting a keno room at
that time where the Kansas National
hank building now stands, they
retired to their beds in the hay
mOw. The next morning Mr.. Gill at
tempted to arouse his partner but was
startled to find that he had been sleep
ing with a corpse. The alarm was
spread throughout the city that a dead
man was in the may NOW. Physicians
examined Lynch and pronounced the
man dead.
Some one suggested to Mr.. Gill that
ne should get a coffin and take the man
home Immediately, because If he waited
the coroner, DR.. Owens, would summon
"a jury and they wUIId cut the man all
TO pieces. -
Consequently Mr.. Gill purchased a
coffin Of Henry Bolte, who at that time
was in the furniture business and start
ed with the corpse for his home in Burt
Ter county. He had Lynch's team tied
on behind his wagon and drove at a
lively rate. The funeral train moved
off with due decorum until the rough
roads were reached on the east side of
-Four Mile creek. when with the rough
driving everything in the second wa
gon was shaken loose
Paper bags containing beans. brown
paper containing sugar, all gave way
under the strain and finally the coffin
screws left their fastenings and the lid
fell off. Still ,the unconscious driver
piled the bud to his team 1t was a
long, wearisOme drive, and he Thought
Of Wichita doctors carving up the re-
mains Of his friend made him anxious
10 cross the county line and get be
yond their Jurisdiction.
Like the boy going through the
woods, he kept up a continuous whis-
tie, doubtless for the purpose of keep
ing UP his courage He whistled and
drove on The wagons made such a
racket that a person could not Rave
heard IT thunder. even if such a thing
would have been possible on a cold
February day.
The rough ride appears to have had
its effect upon the corpse. and had start
"a the heart in action again. Lynch
arose from the coffin and yelled at the
dTive9 TO stop. Gill kept on going Then
Lynch supposing that he had been made
The subject of a cruel practical joke
got mad. He jumped out of the cof-
fin and SET the break on his wagon.
sull Gill did not look around but kept
on urging mis- team
BY this time Lynch was as hot as a
red pepper. His blood was IN and
leaving his wagon he mounted the wa
gon Of gill and took him a rap over the
head with a paper sack of beans. the
first thing he got his hands on. GIL
gave one look and that was sufficient.
He stopped the team and broke and run
across the prairie closely followed by
the late corpse. II was race for life.
but the long legs of Lynch were too
much for him and he finally was over
taken.
In vain did he try TO explain. but
Lynch would not believe but what II
was joke. He was hot. FINAL feel
ing in his pocket for his pocket book and
finding II gone. he flew INTO regular
rage and would probably have done his
companion great bodily harm. had not
some hunters happened along.
The matter was finally adjusted by
The two men returninEto Wichita where
GIN was able 10 square himself. Henry
Bohe would not take back the coffin.
out he agreed 10 throw of his profits"
Mr. Lynch Is now a prosperous far