Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1904-05-11
T. |. VENT MURDERED.
The Body Of Missing Millionaire
Found in Mountains.
WAS KILLED BY OUTLAWS.
Search of Months and Large Rewards
Awaited Nothing Toward Clearing
Up the Mystery.

Big Stole Gap, Va, May 9.-The body
of e. L. Wentz, the young Philadelphia
millionaire, although partly decomposed,
has been fully identified. His clothing
was intact. The front teeth are miss
ing His revolver, with three shots miss
ing, and his eyeglasses were found about
twenty feet away
The body lies near the Biackwood road
about mile north of Kelly cave. The
space adjacent to the bodies has been
roped off and a guard placed around it.
The relatives have left Philadelphia on a
special train and are expected here today
when the inquest will be held.
The body was discovered by a party
hunting missing cattle. Wentz was
found lying on his back, his head resting
on log.
Disappeared Six Months Ago.
Young Wentz disappeared over six
months ago. The search has gone on
steadily since that time, the number
seeking him being never less than 100
and sometimes more than 1000. Many
thousands of dollars have been expended,
apparently for naught. Instead of be-
ing held for ransom the young man was
killed soon after he was captured by I'M
known men near Stony Gap, Tenn.
Outlaws Cabin Gives Clew.
That the searchers were nearing the
end of their work generally was believed
last Friday, when in examining the cabin
of two outlaws who are under arrest on
a charge of robbery the sheriff's deputies
came upon a pair of riding breeches fine
ly made and of fashionable cut.
AS no one but Mr. Wentz ever had
been known to wear such things in the
three +
was at once inferred that the end of the
mystery was in sight, and the search
was redoubled.
Representative Edward Leisenring Of
Pennsylvania, a millionaire coal miner, a
dozen years ago bought 10000 acres of
squatters, who resisted with their rifles
all attempts at eviction and who We're
revengeful and unrelenting.
Ten miles north of Big Stone Gap is
the struggling settlement of Kellyview.
Near there is Roaring creek, which runs
into Powell river All this property. rich
in COAL iron and timber, was bought by
Mr.. Leisenring. He died without de-
veloping the property, and it went to his
sister, Mrs. John Wentz of Philadelphia.
Organizes Big Coal Company.
The sons of Dr. and Mrs. Wentz were
d. B. and Edward, and when the latter
had reached his Dist year he organized
the Virginia Coal and Iron company. The
young men went to the mountains to live
d. 3. Wentz married and his brother
lived with him. Several hundred coke
ovens were built. blast furnace was
erected, numbering operations were begun,
and several small camps sprang up under
the eyes Of the mountaineers.
VENTS murder is laid to the disrupt
ing of the squatter farms. Out of that
had grown an enmity which was always
feared by the brothers and their head
men.
Edward L. Wentz, although he kept
extensive kennels and a stable Of horses,
seldom rode out without taking precau-
tons beforehand, and was careful never
to put himself in range Of bullet by
night. But on October IA he could not
resist the temptation to take q ride along
Roaring creek. He started out alone,
and was never seen alive by his friends
afterwards. Late that night his horse
was found cropping the grass along the
creek, but there was no sign of the
young man.
Parents Come on Special Train.
DR.. and Mrs. VENT arrived from
Philadelphia on a special train a day
later, and the search began. Starting
with $4,000, the rewards gradually
were increased to $50 900 and even $780,
600 was offered, but to no avail All
mining operations were shut down. and
1000 workmen under the superintendent
went over the mountains step by step,
missing never rod. Public and private
detectives by hundreds were put on the
case. County and state authorities in
three states joined in. But there was alb
solutely nothing to reward them.