STARVATION AND CANNIBALISM.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1260, 23 April 1896, Page 10

STARVATION AND CANNIBALISM.

A ITOKUIHI.E STORY. A terrible story of the death by starvati m of four men in a mine is cabled from West Virginia, by one of Dalziel s correspondents. It was at a town called Wheeling, and the victims are four men who mysteriously disappeared 22 years ago. The men were -John Ewing, of Liverpool, England, Joseph Obney, of Manchester, England, and two Ameri cans, named Benjamin Ayres and Thomas Acklesoti. While the recesses of an abandoned coalmine were being explored a day or two ago four human skeletons were found. One was sitting in an almost upright position against the rock, while on the ground beside io was a bottle containing a note scribbled on a piece of paper, and consisting of the following passages : “ November 2, 1803. —Should this ever reach the world, let it be known th.it we are pi Loners here owing to the caving-in of tlie mine. Our food and water are gone. This is about the eighth day of our imprisonment. “November 4. Ewing and Ackelson have just killed Ayres, and are eating him. I have already eaten a bootleg. The oil in our lamp is getting scarce, and thu air is foul.

“ November 0. —Ewing has just killed Ackelson, and has cut off his feet and is eating them. He is dancing around with a drawn knife like a maniac.

“November 7. I am alone with tho dead. I bad to kill Ewing in self defence. I have just finished eating the other bootleg. Jam going to enclose this note in a fhsk to preserve it, if possible, so that my fate may be known. Joseph ()bncy "

The men’s disappearance is well remembered by old residents of Wheeling, and was finally given up as an insoluble mystery. The then British Consul made inquiries, but was able to learn nothing.