West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1907-04-11
TOO MUCH FOR TUNNELTON
Express Package Notified Agent Of
It's prSSanCe.
CORPSE WASN'T WORTH THE PRICE
Only G. 0. D. Order that Wasn't Called
for-Another Mystery
Cleared.

The coal town of Tunnellon,
some twenty miles east of Grafton,
and which of late years became to
be better known as "Senator Mont
gomerY's City" has been reveling
in a sensation for some days past,
the peculiarities of which have
finally leaked out through the state
press, says the Grafton Sentinel.
The whole thing is a grewsome joke
on the express agent of that city.
Some two months ago a large box
was received at Tunnelton by ex
press, consigned to a young physi-
clan and surgeon of Fe|llowsville.
The package was sem c. O. D.,
STAT, from Cincinnati. The young
gentleman was appraised of the fact
the package was there, bu, he failed
to call for it.
Shortly thereafter the express
agent, Mr.. Stell, became spp:ised
also of the tact that the package
was there-very much there. At
first a faint odor begun floating
through the office, and which hourly
grew stronger, until it became so
awful that one could hardly remain
In the building. The agent got in
to communication with the Cincin-
natl express authorities and he was
authorized to take the package out.
Upon examination the box was
found to contain the body OF a
woman. The express agent at
Tunnelton, it is stated, kept quiet
about the matter and had the box
taken from the office and placed
beneath the depot platform.
Recently the express agent at
Function was given another loca-
ton and Charles Fleegel, assistant
agent at Terra Alta, was promoted
to the Tunnelton agency, taking
chargeIhere Monday of last week.
About this time the stencil around
the depot became unbearaSle. Pas.
sengers on through trains had to
lower their windows when they
passed through Tunneltou, and the
good people of that village quit go
ing to the express Office or near the
depot platform. Some ofthem be-
gun patronizing the West End mer.
chants to avoid the smell. Rail.
road engineers, brakemen, iremen,
conductors, &c, had to use harris,
horn tablets as they passed the
Tunnelton depot, and in one in
stance a tramp fell from the bumper
of a freight train, overcome by the
odor, but fortunately his pants
caught on the step of the caboose
and he was dragged out of danger.
Agent Fleegel had a tin mask make.
covering the head down to the
shoulders, and with a patent ap.
pliance that at intervals waited
violet perfume from a can at the
top to the interior Of the mask;
Sam Montgomery took a fast train
and left for Charleston; Bill Lavelle
came up from Cumberland one eve
ming to see his family, and upon
alighting from the train made a
Decline for the tunnel from which
point he sent for and interviewed
his wife and children underground.
The climax was reached the other
day, when the towns horses and
COWS refused to pass the depot.
Then it was time TO act. 4 mum
ber Of the tin masks were secured.
several barrels OF lime rolled down
a hill to the depot, the heads
knocked in and the offensive oh
ject vas finally removed and in
tered deep underground. Since
then a special man has been EN-
ployed to spread disinfcctant-and
TunneltoL is once more the coal
centre Of Preston county.
The body, il is stated, was sent
from a Cincinnati hospital to the
Fellowsvllle physician, but after il
arrived the young doctor could not
raise the Sr4 Al, so the consign-
ment fell back ON the express com
pany's hands. And thus ends the
greatest mystery and the mos,
startling sensation Function has
ever had.