A DEATH CHAMBER.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XV, Issue 236, 5 October 1880, Page 4

A DEATH CHAMBER.

A colored mau named William Jones, who came to Leadville from Mississippi during tbo great rash about two years ago, made a remakable discovery on bia lot situated on Capitol Bill, one day about two weeks ego. In making an excavation some twenty feet back from bis log cabin, ho suddenly encountered a hard substance, extending for a considerable distance under ground, at a depth of nearly fifteen feet. Kemoving the dirt from around it, ho was greatly surprised to find that what bis pick had come in violent contact with was the upper wall of a vault, formed of large pieces of rock cemented together by means of prepared clay, which had become almost as hard as the rock ilsslf, and had not been in the least tfiected, as ordinarily, by the action of the dampness contained in the earth. His curiosity was excited (b the highest pitch, but feericg to prosecute his researches in the light of day, he suspended his work until the succeeding eight, wben he returned to the spot with a dark lantern, and by the dim light it afforded, commerce! to attack th.9 stone of tho subterranean catacomb with a pick. For some time the wall resisted his efforts, but he at lest contrived to looseu one of the stoues, and effected an opening large enough to admit his body. He had re* moved the rock while standing at the bottom of the shaft with the lantern by his Bide, its gleam directed agaioßt the spot where he was applying the pick. Jußt us he w«8 in the act of withdrawing the huge rock which ha bad loosened, he beard a noise at the brink of the shaft, and looking up, discerned a face peering down upon him from the darkness. It immediately disappeared, however, seeming to vanish in the gloom resting over the shaft. He quickly ascended to the top, but could find no trace to indicate that anyone but himself bad been about the opening. Concluding the vision to have been a fancy creation of his excited imagination, and urged on by an unnacountable feeling to continue his investigation, he again descended * the shaft, and removed the stone from its foundation. Directing the flash of his lantern to the interior of the vault, he found the dimensions of the same to be nearly equal to those of an ordinary-sized sleeping-room. The walls were well preserved, and presented an appearance cf substantiality which centuries might not impair, while outside of a dark mass in the corner farthest removed from him the vault was entirely empty. After, some hesitation, Jones finally crawled through the opening he had made, and crossed over to examine the dark object in the oorner. As he did so his foot collided with a hard moveable object, which gave forth a clanking sound, and convinced him that it was a metal chain He etooped down to inspect it more minutely, and qb he did so he was startled by the' light of his! lantern falling upon the mass and revealing to him a ghastly skeleton, reclining in a crouching attitude against the wall of the subterranean chamber. This convinced him beyond doubt that he w»« an intruder in a catacomb of the d ad which perhaps for centuries had slept there in silent, undisturbed repose. Badly frightened, yet Unable to resist the fascination whtah urged him od, h examined the frightful object with increasing interest* The chain be found to be of ancient patern, the links being forged equare instead of the modern pattern, und as firmly rivetted in the wall, the other end being linked in an iron band which encircled the bony waist of the skeleton. A few feet from tho latter, but evidently beyond reach of his arojß while life animated the flesbless form, was a rude platter placed on the floor, which appeared at one time to have been covered with edibles of some kind, sustaining beyond question the theory that in «ges gono by the unfortunate beings whose bonts alone remained to tell of his existence, had been incarcerated in this place, and left (o die a slow death of starvation, food being placed almost with his reach to, add to the lingering tortures of hu horrible fate. A piece of parchment, nearly consumed by the wear of time, Jones found fastened in the nervelese grip of the skeleton boad, which oriumbled to dußt as he endeavored to withdraw tbo tender sheet, which only preserved its oondition by the exercise of] the utmost care on his part. Jone9, being a poor antiquarian, attached but little interest to his discovery, and, after reducing the skeleton to powder by a thrust of his foot, he left the vault, only preserving the parchment. The outhouse was completed and the ancient catacomb made to serve a good purpose. Probably nothing would ever have been heard about the matter had it not been for a certain party, whose name is, by request, withheld, who appri asbed Jones on Sunday,' arid.aßked him what he was doing in the excavation one night some weeks ago. At the same time this gentleman introduced himself as a secret detective agent who had. come in possession of the knowledge of: his nocturnal doings through a person who had secretly watched him. Jones -then made an open breast of hisj'discovery, and sur-^ rendered the piece of parchment he had found in the hand of the skeleton. The chjemicals with which in times, past parchments were prepared .to render th'em impervious to the action of damp aqd age, had. caused the dried-up document to retain the- crumpled condition which it had obtained from being clutched in the hand while pliable. Faint traces of writing appeared on one side, and with a view to unravelling the mystery which enveloped the vault and its' skeleton tenant, the gentleman Bubtnjtted the parchment to a chemist. Through some process the crisp folds were smoothed out, without .injuring the document, and an effort made to decipher the writing upon the Burface, an undertaking involving a great, .deal of; labour. The writing was Spanish, and was executed in a bold hand in imitation of the old English style of printing. It was dated 1746, and the name Marcus Sierta, appeared conspicuously in the body writing, while another, Alfonao Calrode, constituted the signature. • The. body writing ha'd become almost obliterated, but several words could still be deciphered :— "M.onVV "D.'oj," Jlgiace," "madre,"

"rialto," " parcophage," nnd several lines in inteligeut Spanish, enough to convey that Marcus Sierata had," by order of Alfonso Calrada been condemned to incarceration in a 1 catacomb until starved to death, and his soul commended to tho mercy of the Lord and the mother of Jeaus. . For what offence could not be ascertained. The parchment has been sent to some reputed professor at antiquarian researches to undergo a'thorough inspection, and hopes are entertained that the writing can, by a chemical process, be reproduced, in its original distinctness, and a clue obtained to its full import. — Leadville (Col.) Chronicle.