The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-06-18

Clinton, June 17.-The skeleton of a
woman, whom the authorities believe
to have been murdered, was found in
a lonely swamp over the Lancaster
line in Sterling at o'clock this after
noon by Leon Wood and William Per-
ry, young men of this town.
There was clothing about the body
which bore traces of fire, and there are
several facts from which to deduct the
theory that the woman was murdered
At any rate the authorities are con-
fronted with problem of great diff
Guilty, because the remains have been
for long time where they were found
and there is little that will lead to an
Identification.
Tonight the body lies where it was
found. Tomorrw it will be removed
and each shred of clothing and every
fragment of bone and flesh will be sub
jected to scrutiny.
Had it not been that children's day
is to be celebrated in the Methodist
church here tomorrow, the remains of
the unfortunate woman might never
have been discovered. In a few weeks
more they would have sunk in the
swamp.
Wood and Perry are members of the
church. They went to the swamp this
afternoon to gather laurel with which
to decorate the church tomorrow. The
laurel grows abundantly in this neigh
borhood The young men proceeded
along South Lancaster road leading
to Sterling, until they were a mile and
a half from South Lancaster.
They then struck into the swamp in
tending to reach the tracks Of the
New York, New Haven & Hartford
railroad which bound it on one side
The swamp is covered with tangled I'M
dergrowth and they made but slow pro-
gress. They were about 600 feet from
the road and about 200 feet from the
tracks when Perry saw a sight that
made him SILVER.
1t was a glimpse of two feet, wo-
mans shoe protruding apparently
from the ground. MY God. it looks as
II that is the body of woman there,
said Perry, and the skeleton of a wo-
man proved to be there. The young
men did not make any extended inves-
tigation. They went close enough tc
see that their suspicious were correct
and then fastened from the scene as
fast as they could.
MI - faI tn inform tho Dnlina
AS they came back into the road they
met Frank Barber and asked him tc
inform the selectmen of Lancaster
supposing that the murder was i'll thai
town. 1t took them nearly an hour tC
get back to this town, but on their way
TO the police station they met Chief Of
Police Grin B. Bates and breathlessly
told him their story.
Chief Bates acted Immediately. lie
too. supposed the affair was in Lancas-
tar. He telephoned to the office Of Me
dical Examiner George L. Tobey an6
seiectman Porter J. Lewis of Lancas-
ter. Wood and Perry consented to ac'
company them, and these men with
Fred Turner, a South Lancaster man
went with Chief Bates TO the swamp
and the CHASTITY mystery.
Wood and Perry led the way. The
spectacle that greeted the party was
swesome and the duty they performed
was disagreeable. The body or the
skeleton lay in a damp hollow, sur
rounding by three or four trees, which
sraw a few hundred feet distant from
the railroad.
The woman in her last repose Icy
unon her right side, the body bent al
the hips and the knees drawn up viii
the left leg crossed over the right. The
riqht arm was crossed behind the back
IN a manner that would hardly have
been possible in life.
heavy coil of dark brown hair lay
ar ,be side of the skull from which i
ba6 slipped as q wig might. The skui
was like that of mummy 1t |a'
Aeshless but the skin chung IN places
like parchment.
beside the hair was hat which was
,voll preserved. 1t was a black o.
brown straw, but badly crumbled. /
had band of pink ribbon with nm
white stripe in it. The ribbon was tiei
in a bow.
rha INNER garments or what shred'
Of them remained showed plain evil
dance that they had been burned away
Mr. Porter was the first TO perceive