Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1915-02-13
Authorities Thought Mr.. and
Mrs. Coleman Hopes, of
Cleveland, Ohio, Might
Have Lived at 1873 South
Fourteenth Street When
Body Was Buried in Cellar
"SOMEONE TUNNELED,"
SUGGEST AGED PAIR
'Floor Was Cemented," Say
Hopes; "It Is MOTT" DE
clares Plumber, "WhO
Explains Bones We're Un-
earthed in Common Earth
Basement

Mr.. and Mrs. Coleman Hopes, of
Cleveland, Ohio. say they know moth
ing about tho skeleton found yesterday
in the cellar of 1873 South Thirteenth
street.
Mr.. and Mrs. Hopes lived for about
ten years in the house where the
skeleton was found, moving To- Clevc-
land about a year ago. IL is believed
the body-thc skeleton OF which was
found-was buried about ten years.
Another family by the name Of
Ebersolc lived in the house of the
skeleton before the Hopes. \ ques-
tion as yet unanswered is Might the
Ebcrsole's know anything about the
mystery. and if so where do the Ebcr-
Solcs now live"
Hopes Say They Know Nothing
Dispatches from Cleveland to-day
state that Hopes and his wife. an
aged couple. live at 2115 BTainard
street, that city. but that the old peo-
pie deny all knowledge of II body nav
Eg been buried in the cellar of the
.iison Hill residence while they lived
Mere. The dispatch from Cleveland is
as follows.
"Hoopcs and his wife live here.
but deny they know anything of
skeleton. They say they moved
into the house nine years ago and
lived there until year ago, when
they moved to Cleveland. They
say the basement was ccmentCd
and that If body was buried
there while they lived in the house
someone must have tunneIed I'M
a aIN.
broken.
They say some disTeputabIe
people lived next door and think
these people may have done the
tunneling.'
Plumber Says Cellar is Not Cemcnted
II. c. eastman. plumber. whose men
discovered the skeleton. said this aft
eFnoon that the cellar floor is NOT"
ccmented and that he is making fur
thcr excavations in search for the
missing parts of the skeleton accord
ing to the directions of Coroner Eek
niger.
The coroner is busy looking up rec
Ords of families who have occupied the
house since its erection. The case Is
entirely in his hands and the police
say they have no authority until fur
thcr evidence is secured to act upon
Persons in the neighborhood say
that Mrs. Hopes was writer for
magazines and spent most of her time
close at home with her literary efforts.
and did not minglc much with neigh
bors. Many intimations were that She
was queer character and some said
she was little "off' and several inti-
mated that she was witch"
With Shreds of cloth wrapped about
the skull and bones, the skeleton of
human bcing-belicved TO be that of
girl of about 10 years of age-was
uncarthed yesterday by workmen of
{. X. eastman, zoo South Thirteenth
street, plumber, while searching for
sewer trouble. The skeleton was
found about two feet beneath the
surface.
According to DIR. r. l.. Perkins. who
examined the skeleton, said this morn
ing that tn bones were slightly char
red, which leads to the belief that
the body was buried in quclllime. The
entire skull wasn't found. only the left
side and part of the lower Jaw being
picked ZIP by the plumber. 1t is
thought that the skull might have
been crushed by heavy blow. Near
ly all the bones of the skeleton were
found. however, in the gruesome
grave.
Bones in Hole Three Feet Long
Tha plumbers, Charles Thomas, and
his helper Samuel Hillman, were sent
by G. r. eastman. registered plumber,
to repair a leak in the sewer pipe.
and were digging in an offset from the
cellar wall where the outside steps
lead up. The ground was soggy and
they had dug about three feet down
when they came to the bones, which
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