Jamestown weekly alert. [volume] (Jamestown, Stutsman County, D.T. [N.D.]) 1882-1925, 1914-05-07
HUMAN BODY FOUND
UNDER STRAW STACK
Unidentified Remains Of Won.
an Discovered.

The charred remains of a human
body were found Thursday noon
in a field under burned straw stack
on land rented by George Spangler
about ten miles southwest of the
city. The body was found by boys
plowing in the field and it was first
supposed that the object was bad
ger, but on examining it more close
ly it was seen that safety pin and
what appeared to be charred layers
of cloth or shawl were around the
body. The features were undistin-
guishable and most of the bones
were so badly burned that the frame
work of the body was broken.
Coroner Guest was notified by Mr..
Spangler and, in company with DR..
| Freese, drove to the place Thursday
afternoon and made an examination
of the ground. The body was found
| in what was about the center of the
stack. The remains were gathered
up and brought to Flint's undertake
| ing establishment, where they were
held for coroner's inquest.
1t is known from an examination
of the remains that the body was
that of woman and it is possible
that there may be some means of
| Identification. The remains, when
| collected, weighed about 35 pounds.
The owner of the land which is rent
ed by Mrs. Spangler is Mrs. Travis, a
resident of New Jersey.
The remains were placed in a
| sack and brought to the city. The
top of the skull appears to be brok-
| en- in, the lower part remaining in
tact. One foot remains practically
| uninjured with the flesh still upon
the bones, but the arm and leg bones
are burned, broken and separated
from the rest of the body; the trunk
and head remain together. The en-
tire remains are blackened and
charred with the exception of the
foot.
Near the body was found $3.50
| in silver dollars and half dollars. A
number of the teeth remained in the
jaw and were filled with gold. The
straw pile where the body was found
was about half mile from the
Spangler house, and was on the east
half of section 32-139-65. The
straw stack was set afire about three
weeks ago by Mr.. Spangler or some
member of the family to get rid of
the surplus straw for plowing this
spring. The body had evidently lain
in the straw most of the winter. A
tin pail was found near the body.
A coroner's jury was summoned
to hold an inquest on the case and
left for the Spangler farm Friday ac-
companied by DR.. Guest and the
states attorney.
While as yet no Identification of the
remains has been had, it is surmised
that they may be the body of Mrs.
George RIPLEY, who left her home
on November 80 last and who has
so far not been heard from. 1t is
known that she took about $40 with
her and it is possible that she may
have wandered as far as the straw
stack where, becoming exhausted or
lost, she sought protection from the
cold and died.
Mrs. RIPLEY disappeared from her
home about five miles southwest of
Jamestown, The body of the woman
referred to was found about seven
miles further in the same direction.
The coroner's jury will make an
examination of the ground where the
body was found and learn further
circumstances connected with the
discovery. The teeth were removed
from the jaw and have been pre-
served to aid in Identification of the
remains. Further light on this pres
ent mysterious affair is expected to
be had within a short time.
"A coroner's jury, consisting of S.
r. Corwin, Alison Wells and j. E.
Halstead, went to the place on the
George Spangler farm Friday after
noon to examine the locality where
the remains of the body Of a woman
were found Thursday. The jury was
accompanied by Coroner Guest and
Acting States Attorney Thorp, in the
absence of States Attorney Chase.
The burned straw pile was examined
closely, but nothing new or any
further evidence leading to identify
the remains was found. The straw