Arizona republican., 1903-04-19
CALLED THEM BACK AGAIN
Coroner and Jury Lured to the Desert
Second Time

Justice Burnett yesterday morning
fitted out another expedition for the
rediscovery of a dead body which a
man by the name of Personoma had
seen on the desert some where between
Phoenix and Hot Springs junction.
which is a rather wide area OF coun-
try. The first effort to find the body.
resulting in the unearthing of the skel-
eton of a sheep has passed into local
history When Personoma learned OF
the result of the abortive inquest he
said mistake had been made: his
geogra phical directions had not been
closely followed; he had seen the skel-
eton himself and if there was any mem
tai qualification in which he prided
himself it was mis- ability to distin
guish the skeleton of a man from that
of a sheep. He drew map of the
country and proved to the coroner and
the jury that they had followed q
wrong course. He finally offered in the
interest of humanity to go along to the
end that the remains of the unfortun-
ate unknown might have legal atten-
ton and decent interment.
All the members of the former expo
dition We're taken along, also, the same
jurymen, the same dead wagon and the
same undertaken They had become
seasoned TO the hardships and the
perils of the desert. The procession
left Phoenix about ten o'clock and re-
turned at five.
As soon as it got on the country
roads the members OF it saw where
they had made their mistake. Mr..
Personoma showed them the point
where thew had left the right road
for the wrong one. He said the way
they had gone they might have hunted
q thousand years without finding the
skeleton of a man. AS specialist ii
the matter of skeleton he was prepared
to say that the only way TO find
skeleton is to go where it is TO be
found.
Neither did it take so long to reach
the place described by Mr.. Personoma,
as the place to which the futile expe-
dition had gone on Wednesday. He
guided the party along an almost di-
rect line-but to precisely the same
place. There was the skeleton of the
same sheep.
There was nothing said for some
moments but the same thought was
party except that of NIr. PersOnoms.
That was. it was a pity to go back
without an inquest and that there
could be no more fitting subject for an
inquest than the remains of Mr.. Per-
sonoma. The silence was ominous for
him But shortly the safety valves Of
profanity were opened and the danger
was passed. After they got to swear
ing he need feel apprehersive of moth
ing more serious than personal assault
He is 4 diplomatic gentleman He
didn't foolishly insist that the bones
spread out before them were those of
a man. He readily confessed his fault.
saving that the skull was that of
) sheep and that in a certain way i
must resemble his own. The indignant
coroner. jury and undertaken were
partly placated by his evident humii-
iation and his admission that he must
have been" locoed.'' There was proof
that he had been in that condition Tor
he had said that the skeleton was or
the south side of the road with the
skull on the north. whereas the bones
were on the opposite side of the road.
with the skull lying in the other di-
rection. Another thing that sGftened
the hearts OF coroner and the jury to-
ward Mr. Personoma was the direct
ness with which he had conductor
them to the place. He had taken tnerl
by route at least five miles shorter
than the one they ahd traversed on the
initial trip
The party started back to town after
putting the skeleton OF the sheep into
1rr-
there TO lure them back again. These
journeyings are expensive. Going 10
see those bones mad become so much OF
a habit with Justice Burnett and his
associates that they deemed it bette:
that they place them in d more con-
venieat relation with themselves.