The Oskaloosa herald., 1901-09-19
CHASTITY FIND.
Decomposed Remains Of Woman
Found East Of Forest Cemetery


The badly decomposed remains OF
a woman were found Monday after
noon about $3.50 O'Clock Immediately
eRst of the southeast part of the For.
est cemetery. The corpse was con-
cealed in thick patch Of weeds and
n plum thicket and had been lying
exposed for a period of between two
and three months. There is no identi-
fication as yet, but 1t is thought by
quite a number of persons that the
remains are those of Josie Neal, a
colored woman, who disappeared
from the city several months ago and
has not been heard of since. The
identification should be complete on
account of the character Of the teeth
and the clothing that is still in con-
dition to be examined.
The body was discovered by party
of men working in corn field to the
east Of the cemetery Tom Maloney
had an option for the purchase Of
an eight acre tract of land east of the
cemetery and he with party of men
were looking the ground over.
The men noticed a terrible stencil
that evidently arose from decayed
animal tissues and this increased as
they went to the side of the field to
look for some stakes to mark the
corners of the proposed building.
| They peered into the weeds at the
side Of the field to see If they could
discover what made the awful smell
and we're borriGed to see the PROSTATE
form of woman lying concealed in
the weeds The features we're almost
obliterated from long exposure and
there was little remsiniDg but the
skeleton and here and there portions
of dissolving tissues Mr.. Cunning
ham superintendent Of the cemetery,
was notified OF the find and he i'm
mediateIy sent for Coroner Eugene
Cheesman. This gentleman being
out of the city ]. B. McCurdy re-
sponded to the call and made the pre-
liminary investigation in the case and
ordered the body taken up and placed
in box.
Mr.. McCurdy found the body lying
in a thick tangle of weeds grown to
height of six to eight feet. The body
was lying east and west with the head
to the west. It was fat on the back
with the face upturned and the arms
stretched far out on either side,
palms OF the hands up and fingers
bent in. The legs were apart so that
there was a distance oftwelve inches
between the heels. The length Of the
body was five feet and six inches.
The woman had been of strong build
and had weighed in life probably be.
tween one hundred and afty and
sixty pounds. There was a mat of
long black hair that has been greatly
disheveled and in this were found
number OF hair pins. One was OF
great length and extra weight and
would serve to identify the one who
used 1t. There was black chip hat,
summer style, tipped back from the
head and had probably been dislodged
when the head had touched the
ground. OF to one side of the body
was a parasol of medium value. There
was lift from the heel of one of the
shoes lying at one side and several
feet from the feet. This was after
wards fitted to the heel and found to
belong to the shoe without question.
The clothes on the corpse were
those that might have belonged to a
person Of moderate means. The
skirt was OF black wooden goods and
in pattern something like a crepon
and the woman could easily be iden-
titled by this garment alone. There
was an undervest that for time was
supposed to be a male garment. Low
neck and edging however marked this
garment as the property OF female.
The underskirt and drawers were OF
muslin and were severely plain.
There was a simple hem but no edg-
ing, lace or other ornamentation oil
any character. There was a shirt waist
of figured goods. No ornaments
or other personal property could be
found that would serve for Identified
ton. The clothing was searched
carefully for any marks or anything
that would disclose the identity o.
the wearer, but without avail. The
Juices of decomposition and decay
had go discolored the clothing that i
was impossible to see any marks tina
might have been on the garments
The locality was carefully looked Owe
for any article that might throw ligh
upon the manner of death, but moth
ing could be found aside from LITTLE
piece OF paper measuring about fou
inches by three and a-half, that wa
lodged against some weed stalks nea
; the body. This might have containe'
some poison. The person might hav
swallowed some drug and then lai'
back TO die. This lie not likely, how
ever, for the upper part of the bod,
was lying upon couple OF bricl
bats, and the position would no
have been endured BY consciou
person. There is a small plum ire
az the side Of thu place where tn
body was found and it is possible th
woman sat leaning against this shrul