The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1897-11-10
STRANGE MURDER MYSTERY.
IN Unknown Man Meets His Dtaih by
Unknown HardS.
A STRANGER STOPPED IN STRASBURG
Articles Beside the skeleton iden''ned by
Hotel Keeper a. belonging to y
Transient and oddly Behaved
Guest OF YearAgo.


on last saturday an inquest was held
over the remains Of the body that was
found on Cedar creek Shenandoah coun-
~ Va. some time ago in the woods In
an advanced stage OF decomposition. The
anaine Of the jury OF inquest was that
he came 10 his death by a gun shot
wound inflicted by some unknown
party
Colonel Baker. the Commonwealth
attorneys says that IT is impossible to tell
nov how he came 20 his death. The
skeleton Is OF man about five feet
eight inches. with the remains were
found p0cket-book. containing some
money. a silk umbrella, from which the
name seems 10 have been torn off,
cane. a gold watch and a whisky flask
and some other articles IL Is supposed
that the remains are those OF man
who stopped ~ the hotel In Strasburg,
about 9 year ago.
A TRANSIENT GUEST.
Your correspondent had a talk with
Mr.. McCarty. who kept the hotel at the
time. and who on last Saturday saw the
articles and ne says that a man came
20 the Central Hotel In Strasburg. Va, on
the 18th Of October 1896 and registered
as =. Carter. from Minnesota.
He seemed 20 be a man Of leisure. He
stayed two days and missed his dinner
both days. He said he walked out In
- country for exercise The third
day he took the train saying he was go
.ng 20 Luray and would be back that
night. but did not return tn the next
night nd ne left the hotcl the following
morning. He said he was going 10 walk
10 Mo0rehcld. w v. that he wanted the
exercise as he wac I'm bad health and
ssked Mr. McCarty 10 have his grip ex-
pressed 20 Baltimore and TO tag 81 Ito
be called for" giving as his reason that
they would be hunting the owner II ne
did not do that. hut that he would call
for II shortly.
ARTICLES IDENTIFIED.
Mr.. McCarty says further. ~ left him
at the hotel and took the grip to the
depot and expressed IL as requested. He
loft about s O'Clock IN the morning go
ing west on the pike. I'm the direction Of
Moorchcld and also in the direction in
which the skeleton was afterward found.
that he carried a cane. and umbrella and
bundle done up I'm fine leather shawl
strap. that he Identifies articles found
with the remains and that he recog-
nizcs the coat with the patch pockets as
and the flask, but would not say as TO
the umbrella
While he was at the hotel he got two
letters. one from Washington and the
other from some place IN Colorado. ad-
dressed 20 r. Carter. strasburg. va.
colonel James c. Baker. Common
wealth's Attorney. has received a letter
from the police department Of Baltimore.
dated November 30. replying to one Of the
IH ia nHNN
ciyt says that there was a grip received at
Baltimore on the 22d Of October. 1896 from
strasbure. containing genueman's art-
cles, razor, underwear. &c, but nothing
90 note from whom it came. that II came
by express and was marked -. Carter.
10 bs called for ana is now In his pos
session.
A DEEP MYSTERY
How tho man came TO his death. and
what was the motive for the crime II
murdered. are mysteries that NAV never
he solved. BY some IL is thought that he
was supposed 90 be a United States Rev
cpue Officer and shot by some one who
was fearful Of being arrested for violating
tho revenue law. The authorities are do
Ing an they can 10 clear the matter up and
punish the guilty parties II found
II was thought. and so reported In some
Of the papers, that he was shot with buck
shot a.s his garments were fun Of holes.
but Colonel Baker says that Il Is more
imam nKeiy these holes were made by
worms.
Robbery could not have been the motive
Tor murder for money and a gold watch
were found on his person The money was
in purse and was almost destroyed by
tho exposure To the elements
rhe whole community Is very much
wrought up over the CHASTITY find. and as
usual. many theories are advanced. bat
nothing more IS known than the facts
Marom nnrraloA.