BLOWN TO FRAGMENTS.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1037, 30 November 1882, Page 3

BLOWN TO FRAGMENTS.

A San Francisco paper gives the following details of a horrible case of suicide which occurred in the confines of Golden Gate Park in that city, and which was brought to light by a paity of boy hunters. Between 2 and 3 p.m. het young hunters were roaming over sand hills in search of quail, when they were attracted by a smell of putrid flesh, which grew stronger as they advances, until they came directly upon the source of emanation, in the shape of the most frightfully mutilated body ever brought into the city s morgue, I he glade presented a sickening sight. On shrubs and trees hung bits «>l llesli, clothing, paper, etc., and (wigs were torn off as if broken by a hurricane. The ground was torn up and the fresh earth scattered to a distance of half a dozen yards around. At the foot of a low bank lay the remains of a man, whose only whole portions consisted of his legs and trunk as far up as the waist. The face and breast were completely gone, and the stomach and waist were a mass of mangled and torn flesh. Scarcely a vestige of the trunk and head remained, except the vertebrae and a small bit of the back portion dt the skull that was driven into the sand nearly six inches. The other pieces of the heavy brain-covering was scattered to the four winds, and could no more bo

collected than tie sands of the seashore. As the body lay on its back, r half-smok'-d pipe, a mateli-box, and a bag of tobacco Wife, found between his legs, and bv the side was a box contain-

ing a fulminating cap, and bearing the name of the manufacturer iu Grace Church street, London. Near at hand were two bottles, one containing a quantity of laudanum and tbe other tincture of digitalis, both labels, however, bearing date of over two years previous. In a little confused mass were a memorandum-book, a number of circulars of the Thunder Powder Company, and a bait a dozen torn papers bearing the appearance of letters. One without any location proceeding the date, was plainly written by a child, and ran as follows : —“ Wednesday, August, 1882. Dear Pape,—When are yon earning hick? .1 am very good. I have my five cents yet. Is there much ripe fruit in the country ?” Another cut in two by the destructive and mysterious force. An examination of the memorandum-book showed every leaf that bad been written on to have been torn out and destroyed* Around the disfigured clay were splinters of a heavy walking-stick that had been badly shattered, while half a dozen feet away was the main portion of it driven firmly into the trunk of a young sapling. Near by, on a branch, was a piece of a man’s hat, and his upper clothing was as badly shattered as Ins hat. The face was entirely missing, not a recognisable feature, being distinguishable.