Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1911-01-13
STRANGE NOTE STARTS SEARCH

Il, G. S. Lewis. of Newlonton,
West Virginia, of my own free will
an accord, hereby commit this rash
act. l bury myself in this under
ground lake of Staunton, Virginia,
as the quickest and surest way to
dispose of my worthless life. |
drown myself in this body of water
so | will not be of any expense to
any one. So don't try TO get my
bvdy out. Let me sleep in peace.
Farewell to all the troubles of this
life. My life has been nothing but
trouble. l hope and pray the next
world will be better. G. S. Lewis. "
As a postscript to the above was
this note scrubbed in pencil. III
anything happens to me notify b.
H. Lewis, P. O. Newlonton, Up
shur Co., w. Va"
In all probability another fatality
has been added to the history of
Staunton's dreaded underground
channels. The above note found
on the brink of the closed crevlce
by Foreman f. H. Cough when he
went to work yesterday, at the
Todd house, is the cause of the
new mystery. The letter, scrawled
in pencil on ordinary paper, was
found in q cap, underneath the
Todd house. Lying by the cap
were an empty chloroform bottle
and an empty pocket book. There
was also a letterhead bearing the
firm name of the Lewis and Brooks
Lumber Co., Fairmont, W. Va,
with the name of G. S. Lewis, vice
president and general manager in
one corner. The note and the
postscript were on separate sheets
and one looked as though it had
been written some time ago and
carried around in the pocket until
lit had become considerably worn.
Mr.. Cough and Mr.. J. E. Miller
I at once notified officer Peter Crlck-
enberger and turned over the arti-
cles to him. Officer Crickenberger
made the rounds of the hotels in
the hope of finding the lodging
place OF the mysterious stranger,
but in vain.
So here lies a mystery that is
mot likely of solution unless the
writer of the hopeless note at the
head of this article is found alive,
for as already stated, there is lit
tie chance of ever recovering the
body.
The police are inclined to the be-
lief that the whole affair is a bluff
that the note was written and
the suicide faxed to throw his
friends off the track and that Mr..
Lewis has probably gone on his
way to other parts instead of to
the bottom of the dark hole under
the Todd house.
The following special which
throws light on the mystery was
sent out from Ashville, N. c.:
A return check for $50, marked
"no fund" bears silent testimony
to the presence in this city last
June of G. S. Lewis, supposed to
have committed suicide in the un-
derground lake in the heart OF
Staunton, Va.
The check, dated June Is, made
payable to G. S. Lewis, and signed
III. H. Lewis" supposedly the
formers father, was cashed at the
Oxford Hotel this city, where Lewis
had been guest six weeks.
It was drawn on the Farmers
Bank of Clarksburg, W. Va. Lewis,
who represented himself as being
interested in coal mines and lum-
Der tracts, was heard from later in
spartansburg, S. G. Letters adj
dressed to him there, however, were
returned as being undelivered.
1t is not believed here that Lewis
committed suicide at Staunton, the
note found by workmen under the
Todd house there being regarded as
an effort to cover his tracks.