The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1900-02-06
BODY IN \ BOX.
chastity Find OF Express OmsfsAs IN
sioux City. Iowa

(SpecFd TO Baltimore sunt
Stony CRY Iowa, sI-V
ghas,ly find was made in the eHies %
the United States Express mpa
in Sioux CITY this afternoon when . POI
marked books" was opened and feahs
20 contain the decompOsed BODY OF
man supposed TO have been murdereu.
The box vas shipped 10 sioux Ci.s
from Baltimore on le1n.
charges collect, and was co-Sigses 70
John 5 Bradford. who 10
here.
The box reached Sious City en- the
18th. Since thai time the box had IAN
in che office OF the express company
here. no n coming 90 claim IL ThB
afternoon w. b. Bevie-, the manager
OF the company here. had occasion %
20 into the storage E5om. and the Gisk-
ening smell from che box attracted his
attention. He Ak once opened II. and
discovered the dead body OF q man
wrapped IN cheesecloth and . nunesr
OF Baltimore newspapers. the dates
OF which range from January sA -
10th.
] Who the man is annot be found cut
here. He had been dead several weeks
and a frigh.ful cut was found On hae
right side OF the head The man appar-
entity is 30 years OF & about > feet
3 inches in height and weighs about l4e
pounds. His gray beard looksa rs IL
it had been hastily chopped sG witk a
pair Of shears.
The body was packed in \ small box.
doubled so that the feet and hsaa were
-egeIher. The INSIDE OF h ess q
smeared with blood.
IL bore no marks by which It might
be traced. Ii evidently had been made
by the persons who placed the BODY
in IT. The parts were nailed togetheT
strongly. on one end was = Label Of
the United States Express office n
Sioux City. which cad January Is.
1900-2S97." The date shows the time OF
receipt of the box af the local effiee.
On the other end vas n label which
read From Baltimore" There was ne
other lettering on the box. The asdress
tag had been tackled on. TAsrs was
nothing on the tag 10 show where II
came from. The writing on the Gag
mad been poorly done and the NAN
who wrote il was either u poor
penman or tried to disguise his hand
The word Iowa" is spelled
This work Books evidently was writ
ten as an a~fterthought. 1t was written
with a blue pencil and in a better kans
than the other wording. which was
done with ink.
When the box arrived al ths ex-
press office on January 10Th an eforT
was made 10 locate John S. Bradford
through the city directory. The aamr
was not found in the directory. SO a
card was dropped in the mail. q
dressed to John 5. Bradford. city" n
notified Mr.. Bradford that there was o
box at the office of the Unlled States
Express Company addressed 10 hin.
The postal card still remains in IA.
postoffice.
A box believed TO be the oRs men
toned in the above dispatch was de
livered at the Calvert sireeg side q
the United States Express Office IN rae
baltimore and Ohio central building.
Baltimore, in a wagon Tues4sy, Janu-
airy 10th, and was carried into the ship
ping roOh by TWO men, one Of whom
Immediately left after ~deposlung IAe
box on the floor. The other Was styl-
ishly dressed, were d black mustaehe
and appeared to be about 20 years Of
g The box weighed about $50 pounds
and was marked Important and Val
NJ hln pnnES'