The Big Stone Gap post. [volume] (Big Stone Gap, Wise County, Va.) 1892-1928, 1904-05-12

who had laid down TO rest. His pistol and glasses were found
some twenty feet from the body, further up the hill. Immediate
.y after the body was found, young h"leish Went TO hHoNN"ou .u
notified chief OF police w i. hilhourne, VINO al once went I" Ws
scene, readily recognized the body and placed "A guard over II, and
then came TO Big Stone Gap and notified Attorney >. + Buiht'
who at once notified Mr.. ID. b. Vent, brother oil the dead maj"
who now resides iu Philadelphia, and Immediately left for the
Virginia Coal and Iron Company, and a number of other persons.
A strong guard was placed over the body and maintained day and
Mc~rs. d. f.. and ). l.. Vent, brotlcrSof the dead man. arrived
at the SCENE from philadelphia Tuesday afternoon, and an inquest
and post norton examination W- commenced at 4 80 O'Clock
II o.cio,E To- meet again ON Wednesday morning. when, after ex-
minine some witnesses. etc.. returned the following verdict:
I'VE. the jury, have uo doubt but what this is the body Of f..
j. Weutz, ana tat be came to his death by au accidental discharge
|of h, own revolver"
The inquest va. lel by Coroner. Dr. Malcolm Campbell of
Bl"ckw"od. and fMl John Adams Jrn SlmeSn me Jury
Kcnr. j. p 'Fimonii aad w. g. Moore. ~ this place. PERFORMED
Iue post norton examination. About 500 people attended the
Immediately after the adjournment of the inquest on Tuesday
evening the body was placed n a caskct and carried to the train at
Blackwood. where t was placed m "a steel vault, taken there tI
d "Wednesday morning when the brothers left with it for Philadcl
pha. where the funeral and burial will take place Thursday after
q Upon examinations. upon the body was found one handkerchief
g TN" packs of cigarette paper one sack oi tobacco one h' %
Tuentyssyen feet mp the hin from the body was a groundho
q hole, and five feet from this hole ON one side was his glasses, an'
t about four feet ON the other side was the pistol each about twenty
five feet from the body.
Ahulet hole was found in the left breast near the heart tina
bad ranged downward, passing through the fifth rib i'm front an
!" the tenth rib in the back, laying m the flesh near the backbone
aN AM~ oMN WAS NMAN MtN % NNANN ANNA % n~ N"ANN lNNNNf Nf
coresponded to ue pistol found on the ground, which belonged,
MIR. Wentx in his life time, and was "a - s. ~ W.. hammerle'
pistol. Only one blank cartridge was found in the pistol, and tina
was between two loaded shells. The two lower chambers wer
oil empty. Two loaded shells We're found ON the ground between tn
n pistol and body.
% The section Of country where the body was found was thorough
~ searched last fall by scores of men, and il seems, indeed,
mI mystery that It was not found at that time, butt In some way It. W
on passed hoy. We have heard a dozen men say that they were With
nr twenty feet of the place where the body was found during Il
as search last fan. The body was found almost. or the line betwee
pr she Virginia Coal and Iron Companys land and that OF the Blae
md wood Coal and Coke Company.
As all readers of the newspapers Will remember Mr.. Wentz lie
az this place ON the morning of October 18th, 1903, 10 60 To Cue
I'M River on interests for the Virginia Coal and Iron Company,
d (which hc was general Managers He left here about 10 O'Clock Al
Jay was last seen near Kellyview as he turned pthe North Fork
a. lPowelrs River. That night about nine O'Clock has horse was foui
standing in the crossing Of Roaring Fork where the road crosses
Sr leading in the direction of BlackwoOd, by two young men by &
4k names Of Collier and Foster, who We're on their way 10 Keiyvi,
GELS TO meet the late east hound T. y y. train. AT kelyview sol
ne one knowing the horse had it sent ON 10 Big Stone Gap.
a. The next DAY p search was made to locate him and that night
at general search was instituted and for weeks hundreds of men we
gbi n the mountains daily looking for at least some trace Of the mi
he ing man. but not the slightest clue was ever found, and his dis
vm pearauoe was considered one Of the greatest mysteries Of the prese
thine. A large number Of the most shrewdest detectives in
United States worked on the ease, but all of no avail
Mr.. Wentz was the son of Or. and Mrs-J. 5. Wentz, of Phi
.naldelplia. and a brother Of Mr.. ID. j. Wentz, now president Of
and Ston<ga Coke ana toai company, anu VINO, up na lew mon
ol SINCE, lived 40 this place, lie WAS = years OF age, and one OF
death was aud is moarned BY the entire community.