Los Angeles herald., 1909-12-02
WELL MYSTERY
STILL BATTLES
CLEWS LACKING WHICH MIGHT
SOLVE DEAD MANS IDENTITY
MISSING BONES OF FOREARM AND
LEG ARE FOUND
Coroner Believes the Murder Was
Committed in Los Angeles and
Body Then Taken to
Isolated Spot

All efforts of the representatives OF
the sheriff's office and of the coroner TO
get clews from the bottom of the well
on the Il. J. Crinklaw ranch, where the
body of a nude unidentified man was
found Sunday night proved futile yes
terday when after dragging the bottom
of the hole nothing of Importance was
brought to light.
The theory that the body might have
been that of Marshal Welch OF Alham-
bra. who disappeared some time ago,
has been found to be misleading, owing
to the fact that Mrs. WEIGH received Il
letter from her husband two months
ago. The letter was in the handWrlt-
ing of Welch and was to the effect that
he was in good health and doing Well
1t was postmarked Goldheld, Nevada.
That there is hardly any likelihood Of
the officers finding anything that Will
lead to the identity of the murdered
man is evident from the fact ihat the
we'll, which has been in disuse for seV-
eral years, was used as a dumping
place for the cast off garments of sheep
herders and others who know of the
place.
Late Tuesday night searchers
brought to the surface a heavy object
which in the dim light had the appear
ance of a human body. This object
tore loose from the graphing hooks af-
ter being raised to the surface of the
water, which at that time was nearly
thirty feet from tie top of the well,
and sank to the bottom. Yesterday 1t
was found that this was only several
feet of thin perforated we'll casing.
Difficulties Encountered
The men employed by the county
officials to clean out the we'll encoun-
tered many difficulties before they fin
ally got to where man could descend
in the we'll to ,Aapple for anything at
the bottom. Although they pumped out
most of the water Tuesday when they
returned yesterday morning they found
that the water had run in so fast that
the well was filled to within ten feet
o. tho top.
After getting the water to within a
foot of the bottom one of the men de-
scended into the well and grapped
about with rake and other imple-
ments. As a result of this the missing
forearm bones and the bones of the
left leg were taken out Later portions
of two black shirts We're removed.
These shirts had the appearance of be
ing newer than the piece of black shirt
found around the neck of the body,
and evidently had been thrown in the
well long after the body was placed in
the hole.
After thoroughly dragging lne DOlloIh
of the well a coarse leather hat band
such as are worn by sheep herders and
teamsters, was brought out. This band
is comparatively new, and from APP
pearances had not been In the water
long The officers attached no signit-
canoe TO the find.
Further Search Futile
Further dragging brought to light
stall piece of cotton undershirt Pieces
of decayed flesh were adhering to it
and it had evidently been on the body.
There were no indications that the body
was clothed with anything but an un-
dershirt and black top shirt, and eff
forts to find shoes or any other arti-
cles of wearing apparel were futile.
A small piece of gunnysack was
brought to the surface. as was a we'll
worn broom which had the appearance
of having been submerged but short
time. There was no indication that a
metal weight had been used, and the
officers stated that it is probable the
body was weighted down with gunny
sack filled with sand.
After making a close examination of
the bones out of the hole, Coroner
HartWell stated that the body had been
i'm the we'll n long time and that 1t