People's Pilot, Volume 3, Number 21, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 10 November 1893 — Page 8 Advertisements Column 1 [ADVERTISEMENT]

WHO IS IT? Same Strange Documents Found In a Hay Stack. j .Vo fine Yet Heeu Found .tn to The 'leaning of Them. On last Tuesday afternoon, I while the men who are running :E. A. Aldrich’s hay press at James Creviston’s. on the old i Burgman farm, about one mile i east of town, in pitching hay off 'of a stack to the press, discov- ■ cred an agent’s canvassing book | imbedded in the hay. It was a sample copy of the “World’s Columbian History,” and on the subscription pages in the back part of the book were found some queer inscriptions. Among them was the following, which is certainly a mystery, as no clue has been found that shows where anything has occurred according to the story told by the inscription. It reads as follows: Notice. Notice. To whoever finds this book: If you will look 100 feet south and about 50 feet east, you will lind the dead body of a man 5 feet, 11 inches high, dark hair, smooth face, weight about 180. Has on brown suit of clothes and is from Chester, 111. Write description to newspapers at Chester and let them know that he died with his boots on. For any further information, inquire of the secret band in all large cities. Hold post mortem and decide whether he died of love, heart disease, or bullets. P. H. Dore. To say that the men who found the above were surprised would be telling it lightly. An immediate search revealed nothing that woutd give any possible clue as to the writer of this strange message, or why the book had been placed where it was found. The finding of the book called to the mind of Mr. Creviston that he had seen a strange man in the vicinity of the hay stack some two weeks ago, but thought nothing of it at the time. Near the point indicated in the message as where the body would be found, is a large clump of grass and it was thought that probably there might be something there, but upon a thorough investigation not even the faintest impression of anyone having died there with his boots on, either of love, heart disease, bullets or anything else could be found. Letters have been written to Chester, asking about such a person as is described above, and it is hoped that something may be found that will clear up the mystery which is surrounding the case. This calls to memory • the circumstances attached to a little happening that occurred in that part of the country several years ago. The body of a dead infant was found in a rudely made coffin, and the finder hurried to town to tell of his ghastly discovery to the coroner. The coroner went out the next morning, but every trace of the mysterious death had been removed and not even the faintest clue was left to tell what had become of the child.