John Kelly |
| Posted 2015-02-28 by Pat R |
| Hassayampa Miner (Wickenburg AZ) Thursday, March 15, 1917, p 8:4 Skeleton Found On Desert Word was brought to town Monday evening that the skeleton of a man had been found on the desert, about twenty-five miles south of Aguila. Judge John Riggs left with a party, Wednesday morning, for the scene, to hold an inquest on the remains. There is much speculation as to who the unfortunate man was, and popular belief indicates that he must have been John Kelley, who wandered away from his camp, south of the Pump mine, over a year ago. An extensive search was made for him at the time, but no trace of him was discovered. His camp partner at the time of his disappearance was Charles Pegrum. The remains were found at a place described as about five miles south of the Sisson mine and five miles from the camp of Baker and Finn, who are prospecting in the Little Horn Mountains. The body is described as being merely a skeleton, with parchment-like skin stretched over it. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Hassayampa Miner (Wickenburg AZ) Thursday, March 22, 1917, p 1:6&7 Mountain Peak Mystery Solved Our last issue announced that the remains of a man had been found on the desert southwest of Wickenburg, but at the time we went to press the party carried out by Coroner John Riggs had not returned, and the findings of the jury sitting in inquest were not available, as the party did not return until late that afternoon. The facts in the matter are as follows: While out prospecting in the 12th, Bob Fenn climbed a very precipitous peak at the west end of the Little Horn Mountains. This peak is practically inaccessible from either the east or west, and the south side is a sheer drop of many feet, being accessible only from the north, and at that it being no child's play to make the climb. The summit is a mere barren crag of naked rocks, and from the vantage point that it gives, it overtopping all the surrounding peaks, the view is unbroken for many miles. It is located about twenty-five miles southerly from Aguila, and about five miles south of the old Pump mine. When Fenn reached the summit he was horrified to find there, on the very pinnacle, the skeleton remains of a man. The form was in a semi-reclining position, the bones bleached to a snowy whiteness, and only parts of the tendons and parchment-like skin present. Word of the discovery was brought to Wickenburg by a partner of Fenn's, and on Wednesday Judge Riggs and Deputy Sheriff Ike Wood assembled a jury, which viewed the remains. The most important of the witnesses introduced was Christopher C Pegrum, who positively identified the remains as those of John Kelley, whose partner he was at the time of Kelley's disappearance. The gist of Pegrum's testimony was that he and Kelley were prospecting, and on Jan 4th, 1916, they were camped at a point about one and one-half miles northerly from the place where the remains were found. On that day Pegrum left the camp in the morning to go to the manganese camp, north of the Pump mine, from which point he was going to Aguila to get supplies. Kelley was to get their burros and meet him at that camp to pack the supplies in. On Pegrum's return to their camp, he found Kelley absent, and also missed a bridle. Kelley failing to return, he gave the alarm, and a number were interested in the search for him, among who was A J Kellis, of Wickenburg, who was camped south of the Pump mine at that time. After several days of searching, the task was abandoned, and it was agreed that Kelley had wandered off, as he had done on former occasions, and would turn up again in due time. Some months later, word was brought in that Kelley had been seen herding sheep at a point south of there, and so the matter was dropped, considering his disappearance as one of the acts of an eccentric man, until Fenn's discovery on the 12th. Besides Pegrum's identification of the remains, several others positively identified them beyond doubt by the hair, a deformed foot, and certain personal effects found in the clothing. In fact, everything tallied so perfectly with the information given that there can be no mistake. The jury brought in a verdict that he came to his death from causes unknown to the jury, a cairn of rock was piled up over the bones, and John Kelley's remains found a tardy burial on the very peak of the mountain, where he met his end. Nothing is known of Kelley's history except that he was a native of Ireland, fairly well educated, about forty-five years of age, and came into this section in May, 1906, coming here from San Francisco. He left absolutely no personal effects. The general opinion of those who saw the conditions surrounding the remains is that Kelley ascended the peak in an effort to locate the burros, and, standing on the smooth rock that crowns the peak, slipped and fell, either breaking his neck or so injuring him that if he regained consciousness he was unable to move, and so perished, with a number of his friends searching around the foot of the mountain for some trace of him. No matter what the circumstances were, it is now a sealed page of the desert history. See Also: Find A Grave |
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