The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-07-07
FOOD FOR THE RATS.
The INITIATED Body Of Charles
Wilson Found in q Barn.
THEORIES or SUICIDE. MURDER.
Corpse Discovered ~ . Friend Who
Went to Talk with Him About
. Mining Deal.

A death shout which there II al atros-
phers OF mystery was reported yesterday
afternoon a. police headquarters oy
George Matthews. Of this city. miner
By occupation. who stAted That he haa
gone TO q barn ~ the rear OF the resi-
dence of Daniel K Baxter. ~ Fifth ave-
nue south, between Tesler way ano
Washington street, for the purpose OF
calling On Charlie Wilson. another ca
miner. to Talk over q mining project N
which beth men were Interested Upon
reaching the barn loft where the ola man
lived Matthews WAS oppressed py the
silence of the place, having felt sure that
he would and Wilson there. and suspect
ed AZ once that something was wrong.
Pressing his investigation further ne was
zssaiiec By q foul stencil, and upon push
ing the door Of the little room open tac
hasf nude body Of Wilson. IN feAr1al-y
eeeomposed state. was found lying on the
floor. the upper part being below the oec
OF althy rags over which vermin eraSieo.
while = colony Of rats scampereS away
into the gloom OF the loft
Matthews hurried TO police headQuarssrs
10 report his gruesome find. Chief heed
and Officers Phillips and Willard lnme-
diately repaired TO the barn. accompan-
Ted by Matthews. when careful survey
Of the premises and the body was MADE.
Or every side were evidences or poverty
and squAlor. The miserable pallet on
which the dead man had slept was wretch
ed in the extreme. and such clothing az
partly covered the body was In rags and
fatterR Upon an examination OF the re-
mains portions were found 70 have been
devo1reSs by rats. one side OF the faea
being almost entirely eaten away otder
portions OF the body had been gnawed At.
and the whole interior of the room pre-
scented a sickening spectacle The matter
was az once communicated TO Coroner
Askam, who ordered the remains carried
70 Bufterworth's undertaking rooms,
where an inquest win be held today.
Several theories as 20 wilson's death
have been advanced. Chief Reed believing
that the death was a case of suicide pure
and simple. Others. however, have sug-
gested possible murder. While the po-
lice discredit the idea of murder, that con-
tingency has not been overlooked IN their
inquiries. and no stone wiz be left an
turned In their efforts TO unravei the mys-
terry surrounding Wilson'S death. An ar
gument IN favor Of the theory of murder
that was advanced yesterday was that
only last Friday Matthews was discuss
ing a mining scheme with Wilson In which
he had taken a great interest. ana the
visit that lead 10 the discovery or his dead
body was 20 continue a conversation that
both expected would lead up TO matters OF
material profit
There was an old knife found near the
body that the a6herents OF the suicide
theory advance as an argument In their
favor This knife. Chief Reed says. would
not have cut anything. and It's use ~ an
implement for self-destructicn could not
be countenancsd. What II alleged TO have
been cut on the throat was simple
parting OF the tissues In the process Of
decomposition
Wilson was about IS years old, and II Is
not unreasonable 70 suppose that his
death was the result OF natural causes.
His poverty and necessary denial OF COM
fort. coupled with the fact that he was
not young nor particularly strong, would
present an argument In favor OF natural
death Decomposition In such an ad-
vanced state was the result or the fear
fully hot weather. under which the body
may have lain for four days. The pres
anca of rodents and verusin did not assist
in making the corpse presentabie. ana II
n now likely that unless suicide or muir
der Is proven the real cause OF Wilson'S
taking OF viii never be known.
Wilson was at one time very prosper
Gus. but lost his fortune In mining specu-
fa,ion. II is said that his losses In the
carthoo district alone exceeded $eS.ooo In
the earlier days OF mining speculation VIII
son used 70 prospect with Matthews. be-
tween whom and the deceased there ex-
isted the close ties OF friendship cemented
by common interests and a common pur-
suit.