The Paducah evening sun. [volume] (Paducah, Ky.) 1906-1929, 1909-01-14

at one time, and then only FOR Few
weeks, attracted attention outside OF
that section.
The cave was found by accident
several years ago. A party of fox
hunters we're chasing a fox in that
section when the fox became so hard
pushed that It ran into what then
appeared to be hole I'm the ground. |
On examination the hole proved tol
be a cave large enough to admit a
mans body. Presumably the hole
was eight or ten feet deep, and one
of the hunters proposed TO go down
and Gust the fox. The descent was
made by means OF a pole. At thel
bottom the hunter found a passage
and. following II a few feet. came
into a room some ten feet wide and
twe.ve to fifteen feet long.
Made Hair stand On End.
When his eyes became accustomed
to the light from a small torch hel
saw a sight that made his hair stand
on end and almost froze the bloom |
in his veins. The. bottom of the
cave was literally covered with the
skeletons OF human beings. He
hurried out and informed the party
OF his discovery and several OF the
party ventured into the grewsome
chamber and viewed the find with
as.onishment Everything indicated
thai lie skeletons had been there for
many years.
che discovery became known, ana
,;se ioca, rsDers contained accounts
iof tas gasi y find and for few
weeks speculation was rife as Il
when the bodies were placed in the
cave. and many were the theories
advanced as TO how they probably
came there. Many believed that at
some remote period robbers had a
rendezvous near there and after rob
bling a passerby would KIN and throw
his body In the cave. Another story
was told. which, by the way. had
some weight, though not generally
accepted, 10 the effect that party OF
emigrants from California en- route
to Virginia had been massacreed
there IN sthe 'tos tor the wealth they
were supposed to have and their
bodies placed IA the cave. The fact
that several Spanish and Mexican
coins were found near the cave
shortly after the skeletons were dis
covered caused the ,ast-named theory
TO have more weight than any ad-
lvanced at that time
. Soon interest waned and ere Iona
the incident had passed out OF The
public mind. the general feeling that
II was one OF the unsolyable myste-
ries and would perhaps never be
known. and the cave ceased to be OF
interest
! sequel OF the Remains.
! Recently a gentleman returned
/ from the west and In conversation
with friends he reto.d a story that
WAS told by an old gentleman who
az one time lived in this country ann
the story, TO those who knew OF the
existence Of the cave and skeletons.
bears a striking sequel and may be
4 the link that connects the two.
! The story as told by the old man
was that In the summer Of 1853. as
he remembers the date. party COM
posed OF three men. four boys. two
women. two girls and two or three
small children camped on Beaver
Greek IN small bottom about one
hundred yards from the cave Their
stock seemd faded from hard work
1 and presumably they were all worn
out. An air OF mystery surrounded
the camp and no one in that section 1
could find out much about the "mov-
ers" as they were termed To all
inquiry they gave out nothing ex-
cep. they we're from Tennessee. and
were going west. One day. while
/ hunting near the camp. the man who
told The story came suddenly on one
Of the girls sitting on a log weeping.
lie approached ami asked her II he
could be OF any assistance when she
suddenly sprang up and ran. A !
package of letters which were in her
lap fell to the ground unnoticed by
her and after her abrupt departure
were picked up by the man. who
I thinking TO restore the letters. start
ed in the direction taken by the girl. |
When near the camp he was &c. ost-
cd b. man who gruffly asked wha;
he wanted. TO which he replied that
he had a package for young lady Of
the camp, whereuDon the man tod
him to come no further as he could
not see the young lady. To avoid
further parley and possibly trouble
the man left. When he reached home
he opened the letters that he was
not allowed to return and found
them to be correspondence between
IA young lady and young man SEEM
ingly desperately in love. The let
ters were signed Harry" and ad-
| dressed To . my - Ernm the lpffors