Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1907-12-20
Struck By a.

Sunday morning a60
word reached town that 49, b
Matthew had been found III the
Dark Tunnel up i'll the Gap al
most dead from injuries supposedly
received from being struck by a
train. DR. Gilmer was hastily sum-
moned, and soon he aud some TWEEN.
ty others were Oh their way TO the
scene. Upon arrival at the tunnel
it was found that Ira Bryant aud
Others had moved the injured man
to house some three hundred
Yards distant. A llasty examina-
ton showed that the skull was
crushed in on the top Of the head
forming an aperture about the size
of silver dollar and the pieces OF
the broken skull, were resting on
the brain. The heart action was
all ready weak and after the use OF
a hypodermic injection to strength
en- it, the peices of the bone were
re mo; ed. As soon as possible a
push car was secured aud the man
removed to Appalachia where his
Injuries received further 1T .entlon.
lie was unconscious when found
and remained in that condition un.
til $50 Monday morning when he
died. y
Reports are somewhat conflicting
in regard to the mans movements
On Saturday evening, some saying
that he was seen in Appalachia af-
ter dark, end others say that be
was seen in Big Stone Gap just be-
fore dark, but there were several
men who are all agreed that they
saw him about five o'clock coming
down the L & N. track in the d.
rection of Big Stone Gap; and two
of them, Houston Herd and } 5
Beaman, saw him nearing the tun-
incl where he was found. These
men and others were going down
the V. & S. W. track which is at
that point some three hundred
yards distant and are positive as to
his identity. After coming around
the tunnel to where the two roads
cross, the two men looked back to
see if he was coming, but did not
see anything of him. They say
that there was a freight train pass
ed through the tunnel about the
time that he would have had time
to reached it, ard most people seem
to think it was this train that
struck him.
An examination of his pockets
showed everything to be in order
and has dispelled all suspicious of
robbery. He was aged about 30
and wac unmarried. Very little
was known here by even his most
intimate friends in regard to his
people. He had stated to few
that be was a native Of Bath coun-
ty, Va, and kilograms were sent to
people Of his name there and in
other places. Monday evening
reply was received to one of the
kilograms directing shat a MI ssage
be sent to Mrs Warner at Hunt
ington, w Va. AS yet no reply
has been received from her, and it
is probable that the body will be
buried at this place, He was never
known to leave this place on visit
to any Of his people and none of
his people were ever known to
have visited him here; and il he
ever received any letters from them
the fact remains unknown so far
as can be learned and his earlier
life remains shrouded in mystery.
In earlier times he seems to have
been engaged in railroad construc-
ton work, and in that capacity
came to this place about 1888 or '89
with Contractors Carter and John
son, who built-the V. & S. W.,
then called the S. A. & 0 from
Duffield to Inman. When this
work was completed he remained
here and for some time served az
clerk in the old Central Hotel. For
the last eight years he has been
in the real estate business
at Appalachia and is reported to
have accumulated an estate worth
several thousand dollars. While
there was always some mystery
surrounding bin, there was enough
known about him to make 1t per-
fectly plain that, although he had
a fault, he had also the instincts OF |
a true gentleman.
The above is clipping from the
South West Journal, published at
Big Stone Gap.
1t viii be we'll remem bered by |
the middle aged and older readers
of the county, when some twenty |
years ago, Brown Matheny was a
resident Of Monterey, he with his
father, Bob Matheny, and num-
Der of brothers and sisters having
occupied the Cunningham brick
and kept hotel there for