A
mysterious and sensational story developed
yesterday concerning the iron coffin and the
remains contained therein dug up last week by
workmen engaged in excavating for a sewer
opposite 2731 Hickory Street. The old-fashioned
attire of the remains in the coffin, which was a
very costly and elaborate affair, showed that the
deceased must have been interred in ante-bellum
days, but, as there was no name on the coffin,
there was no clew to the identity. It was
presumed however, from the costly character of
the coffin and his attire that he was at the time
of his death a man of wealth. Nor was there any
doubt that the remains had been interred in St.
Vincent's Cemetery, which once occupied the
section. The story developed yesterday suggest a
deep-laid plot successfully carried out of murder
and robbery that would make a splendid framework
of a novel.
The
interment who brings forward the clew to the tale
is an old resident and retired merchant named
John Drew, who resides at 2326 Olive street. He
called at the Coroner's office and intermed
Deputy Coroner Meade that he had no doubt in his
own mind that the coffin contained the remains of
Warren B. Pilcher, a wealthy fur trader, who died
ver suddenly in St. Louis in 1842.
"Mr.
Pilcher," said the informant," was at
the time of his death a bachelor about 70 years
of age. He had accumulated an enormous fortune in
the fur trade and lived in a state of royal
magnificence for those days at Carr place at
Sixteenth and Carr streets, now the center of
Kerry Patch. One day in the winter of 1742 Mr.
Pilcher gave a grand ball which was attended, I
believe, by Thomas H. Benton, the famous Senator
and the great attorney, Blennerhassett. In the
midst of the toast, fell back senseless into his
chair. He was carried out of the dining hall to a
private apartment and medical assistance
immediately summoned, but when the doctors
arrived he was cold in death. The ball, of
course, came to a sudden termination. The
brilliant concourse of guests, comprising the
brain, wit, beauty and wealth of St. Louis,
dispersed in consternation to their homes.
"The
funeral must have been a grand one, though the
particulars of it I have never learned.
"The
deceased had at that time a brother and four
nephews living in the East. The nephews were
children of tender years. The brother was an old
man, who died a few months later. Apparently none
of them attended the funeral. Whether they were
informed of the death of their relative in time
or not I do not know, but the nephews must have
been too young to comprehend the nature of the
event.
"However,
the deceased was interred in St. Vincent's
Cemetery with great pomp and ceremony. No expense
was spared by Pilcher's friends. Then began the
search for the will. It was finally found locked
up in a drawer in a room in Pilcher's mansion. To
the astonishment of all the deceased made no
mention of his relatives who were know to live in
the East, but bequeathed a lot of personal
property valued at several thousand dollars to
friends who were no kin. No mention was made of
the bonds and mortgages, the real estate deeds
and the vast sums of gold that the deceased was
supposed to possess. Several rumors floated about
to the effect that the deceased had been robbed
of them by unscrupulous friends who had obtained
undue influence over him in his old age. It was
bruited about also that there were several iron
chests in his mansion filled with gold, diamonds
and precious stones, and that these had all
vanished on the very day that Pilcher took his
departure from this earth. However that may be, a
thorough search was made for them, but they were
never found.
"Years
passed and the four nephews of the deceased
arrived at maturity. They returned to this city
but just at what time I cannot say. At any rate
they learned of the great wealth of their uncle
that had so mysteriously disappeared when he
died. They quietly investigated the matter, and I
was told have Blennerhassett $500 to help them
find out what had become of the money. While they
were pursuing their search for some trace of it,
an old white haired Negro named Henry Jefferson,
who had been in the employ of the deceased as a
servant, called on them and offered to impart
important information as to what had become of
the fur trader's wealth if they would agree to
share the proceeds with him. The eldest brother
was in favor of accepting this proposition, but
the others demurred. They were afraid of being
robbed of their share of money. While discussing
the matter the darky disappeared and has never
since been found. All of the brothers are now
deceased, I believe, except one named Warren,
who, I think, lives somewhere in the southwest
portion of the city. It was the eldest brother
who told me this story, and by him I was employed
in searching for his uncles' remains. The search
was unsuccessful, however, though a headstone was
found that bore the name of Warren. I am
convinced, however, that the body taken to the
morgue is the remains of the fur trader."
The
body was interred yesterday in potter's field.
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