Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1913-05-29
PORTION OF MANS SKELETON
ExcAvATED FROM BASEMENT
OF HELENA TAVERN.
oaEWsoME DISCOVERY
RECALLS OLD LEGENDS
Building Eons Declared to Be Haunted
Now Occupied By Bohemian Farm
Road House Being Torn Down to
Give Place to Farm Homo

Chelsea, May 29.-The neighborhood
ct Helena, once an ambitious little
settlement about seven and one hall
miles southwest Of Chelsea. has been
Thrown into great excitement by the
discovery recently of human bones IN
the basement OF the old road house.
(which for more than fifty years has
stood on the state stage road, for
quarter OF a century as a hospitable
stopping place on the long overland
Journey from Marengo to Fort Dodge,
for many years after as a specter OF
the past and of late years as a re-
lfninder OF the early days before the
advent Of the steam horse.
The finding of the grewsome relics
under the old road house has created
great excitement among the few old
settlers remaining In the neighborhood
and has recalled to the minds Of the
old timers stories that were told in
days of yore OF the dark deeds Of the
stage coach days and the occurrences
which led up to the declaration that
1.-THE old house was haunted by the
ghosts OF travellers who came but who
never departed.
Mystery Of Stage House.
There are those who have main in
ed for years that the place was
Misunderstanding visitors were seen
prowling about in shrouds at the mid
night hour, and strange noises from
the old building. alter The shades OF
night had fallen. silenced the neigh
borhood dogs and drove honest folk 70
seek the shelter Of their own homes.
( But this is legend-family gossip for
thirty years or more.
When Joseph Papesh. the present
owner of the old stage house, started
to tear down the old building recently,
the old stories, which had been for
gotten by the later generation were
recalled by the old grannies and little
children were afraid to go to sleep at
night in fear Of the return Of the spec
trail tenant Of the gloomy old home OF
the Papesh family
Finds Bones il che Cstlar.
Joseph Papesh, an industrious Be-
hemian farmer. bought the old place
about six years ago. and has since
made 1t his home. The old stage house
was a large building. a. prodisious
structure in the days Of the stage
lines. Altho Papesh has big family
he found the stage house too large for
his own use and decided to tear down
a portion of the old structure and re-
model the east wing with the intention
of making modern home. Papesh IS
not bothered by the stories of ghosts
and is not worried by the old women's
tales of dark deeds and grewsome
events Of half a century ago. He was
simply progressive and wanted TO
erect a more modern residence Tor
his family.
The old building, which had 'front.'
age of possibly forty feet, and depth
OF almost twenty, was for the most
part not worth repairing and Papesh
condemned almost three-fourths OF the
structure. Accordingly the building,
with the exception OF the southeast
wing, was torn down. The cellar was
under the portion Mr.. Papesh had de-
cided to retain. After the destruction
of the condemned part had been &C
complished men were put 10 work al
enlarging the cellar in preparation Tor
the new structure. The work proceeded
without incident for some time ana
hint Of the gossips that the demoilza-
ton of the stage house might reveal
a Tragedy OF OliiSI NaSS SeSHiSu tAiA
likely Of realization.
Rut before the work was finished the
sensational something that had been
expected happened. Workrnen threw up
bones from the excavation. Buried
deep under the old house in one corner
of ff1a cellar, were the bones of a
human. Papesh laughed al the idea
Of the discovery disclosing tragedy
of another generation. He could not
believe that the skeleton of man had
;reen reposing under his kitchen dur
1nr his six years of tenancy of the old
place.
Bones Declared to Be Human.
The bones were thrown out by the
~orkmen who unconcernedly went
ahead with the excavation. But the
; sneixnbornood heard and the sossips
+ Whispered, 'I told you So
Papesh had the bones removed and
t3,rown away He was not disturbed
nv the thought that his home had once
feen the scene Of serious crime. But
others showed more interest. Many
visited the old house and one Of the
Y vtafforS carried away portion of the
4 fawbone and several teeth. These rel
ics were brought to DR.. c. P. Coulson
AZ Chelsea, and after careful eXami-
nation the doctor pronounced them to
be the jawbone and teeth Of human
being. Excitement became more in
fense and neighbors sought some clue
"a unrave1 the mystery which had
AArkened the old place for years.
There was trace Of lime on the
apecinens examined by DR.. Coulson
This led to theory of murder. Ac-
4 cDrdfng to some the bones were those
- = guest at the old tavern, who hac
u l,aen murdered and buried beneath tbs
+ kitchen to hide the crime years anc
4 years ago. This theory is upset, how
esver. IL it can be established that there
- lime on the specimens examined o.
DR.. CouIson The lime would have de-
atroyed the bones long ago but the ef-
80 on the teeth would have beer
uauch less severe and the molars Nigh
3 fanv0 lain in the ground covered WITT
y afrna for a much longer time.
s.; II IL Is true that lime was sprinklee
!. on IT, bones when they were depos.
u, Ned beneath the house it is eviden
4 4ha4 the burial was Of recent date.
Old Dssas Are Rsoaisd-
u rho discovery of the bones gave
y ei.e to wild rumors It was reported
An Chelsea, Tama and Toledo that the
4, Gknaeton Of . man had been found