Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1904-05-12
VENTS Body Found.

The body of Edward L. Wentz, son
of DR.. J. S. Wentz, the millionaire
mine owner and capitalist, was found
last Sunday in Wise county, Va This
decides the fate of the wealthy young
Philadelphia who had been missing
for seven months.
Mr.. VENT disappeared on Wednes-
day, October II, 1908. He left Bris-
tol, Va, on horseback at about 10
o'clock in the morning on his way to
visit Charles G. Wax, one of the mine
superintendent, with whom be was
arranging for the arrest of mountain
eer who had squatted on the companys
property. Wax lives at Black Noun
tain, Is miles from Big Stone Gap.
The road to his place Is through a
wild and mountainous country. Wentz
never reached his destination. At
dusk of that day his riderless horse
was found exhausted. When a couple
of days elapsed without anything hav-
ing been heard of the young million
aire, a general search was instituted.
Rewards aggregating 100000 were
offered for his body, and thousands Of
men secured every foot of the country
without finding any trace Of him.
Pinkerton's detectives swarmed all
over that section, but to no avail.
His father spared no trouble or ex-
pense to learn his fate, and every clue
was followed to finish. The general
belief was that be had been kidnapped
or murdered by moonshiners or other
mountaineers.
Last Sunday a boy from the village
Of Kelley View, IA miles from Stone
Gap, was hunting through the hills for
a stray COW when he came across the
body of a man. A few minutes later
the village was startled by the figure
of a boy, IN rough overalls tucked into
his cowhide boots, his shirt thrown
open at the neck and his hat waving
madly about his head as he ran through
the street. The people came from
their houses and gathered about him.
I've found it, he gasped,
"Wbat, cried one, the cow"
But it was not of the strsyed COW
the boy was thinking, for he had heard
in vague way of the large rewards
offered tor the finding of the body Of
the young mine manager, and young
and untutored as he was be knew he
was entitled 10 that reward So he
breathlessly explained his discovery,
and the majority of the men of the
village set forth with him. The body
was found as the boy had described It
and a horseman was dispatched to the
county seat of Wise county, and the
county authorities were notified of the
discovery The body was left as it
had been found, and a space roped off
around it to keep inquisitive persons
away until the detectives should be
able to examine the place.
The body, although partly decom-
posed, was fully identified. Itlay up
on the ground, the head resting upon
log. The clothing had been partly
burned by mountain fire that had
passed over the place. About 20 feet
from the body the dead mans eye
glasses and revolver were found, the
pistol having three chambers empty.
In his body were several bullet wounds
and there is little doubt that the I'M
fortunate young man WAS murdered.
The general beliefs that he was killed
by mountaineers whom he had offended.
Relatives from Philadelphia were
sent for, and it is thought they will
resume active efforts to solve the
mystery.
On Tuesday warrants were served
on Silas Ison and Tom Wright, prls-
oners in Jail at Tazewell, Tenn, charg-
ing them with the murder