The Greeley tribune., 1911-08-17
Greeley Woman
Lost In Woods

A letter received in the city by
friend of Mrs. w. L. Clayton,
who is spending the summer at Sea
View, Washington, is of interest to
her many friends here and the Tri-
bune has permission to publish the
portions of 1t that relate to
strange experience OF the writer's
last Sunday evening. In part the
letter reads:
my brother is a doctor and the
only one on the peninsula and JUS
tice of the Peace acting as coroner.
Sunday evening about six he
received word that some people
fishing out at the rocks had seen
the body of man and tied the body
up so 1t would not wash back into
the ocean but were not able to get
it far enough in but what the high
tide of early morning would wash
it back. so he must get it.
My sister-in-law and said We
where the body was tied was known
but only accessible at low tide by
NciS A0iIOW pain HEOuuu Iuc
fishing rocks or across the under
growth by an old logging trail.
My brother telephoned a friend
and his wife and we started out. We
took along spade because IL there
were no means Of Identification the
body would have to be buried. We
hurried over the logging trail-it
had not been used for three years
and was 30 overgrown we could
hardly see the trail by daylight.
We reached the Hollow and my
brother and friend found the body.
The only covering was a shirt which
the water had washed over his head
giving the appearance Of q cloth
tied under the chin. They found IN
old ladder In the driftwood and
covering the body with sacks, which
they had brought, got 1t in over
the rocks. Then we all had to help
carry 1t over to the mountain. We
carried 1t back as far as We could
and with the one spade and boards
we dug a grave.
1t was then dark but we said the
Lords Prayer and as best we could
covered the body, hoping we had
gotten 1t far enough in 80 the win
ter tides would not wash It away.
It seemed terrible to bury any one
like that but decay had set In and
no one could get it out. No boat
could venture around the rocks and
nothing could be carried through
the brush the way we went. DR..
Paul took the shirt and put 1t in a
sack and it was eleven when we
started for home. We had to climb
over twenty feet or more of drift
wood to find the trail and we were
long time before We found It and
then we had only gone about ten
feet when We lost It, When in the
ferns. vines and trees We could not
see foot ahead.
Dr. Paul only had three matches
put we kindled afire and started by
ITS light to find a continuation Of
the trail. From then until half
past two we would light one Are,
nnd what we thought was the trail.
take burning brand, go as far as
we could, light another fire and 40
on. Once we thought we were we'll
on our way when we came ont on
q mountain side overlooking the
ocean which we should have left
Iar behind us. Finally at two thir-
~ we could not find anything that
looked bit like path so we laid
down our torches and kindIed Arc
IN the dense underground Of ferns
we stayed until a few minutes ~
Iour when IT seemed light enough
10 go on without brand. Finally
ny Jumping over, crawling under
ana going around logs we reached
a logging chute and followed n NOT
knowing Just where we would land
put got on the road and at five
were home. "'e
We had left mother and nv 9TH
er sister-in-law at home and thav
not knowing what had kent ia bad
stayed up thinking we would be in
any moment. 'e III
we were bruised and worn bu+
glad we had gone with my brother
as IL would have been a terrible aY-
perience to have had to 90 through
aione. At one Of the fires In ne
nlght my brother examined the
shirt and found nothing but a trade
marx on 1t and as the stencil Vas
70 mnbearable threw It away.
Who he was or from where v,,,
never be known. So many f,sber'
.nen go out, their boats caps,ze and
;ney GO under and are never