A Cave Mystery

BAIRD

Posted By: Ken Wright (email)
Date: 1/3/2008 at 13:37:21

Jackson Sentinel
November 24, 1870

A “CAVE” MYSTERY – For some days past the good people in the neighborhood of Burt’s Cave have been considerably agitated over what may possibly prove to be a case of “most foul and bloody murder.” From Esquire Mann, a denizen of that neighborhood, we learn the following acts concerning this mystery: About the time of the camp meeting at Iron Hill in August last, a little one-horse grocery, the staple article of which was forty rod whisky, was established a short distance from the Cave, for the very laudable purpose of dispensing “straight” drinks to crooked visitors. John Baird, a worthless character of the neighborhood, was one of the most frequent habitués of this “grocery.” One night, during the progress of the meeting, John, having imbibed largely of dry theology, felt the pressing need of something wherewith to wet his whistle, and not having the necessary ten cent stamp about his clothes, proceeded to break open the aforesaid grocery, and not only helped himself to the whisky, but was about to carry off such movable articles as were lying around loose, when he was frightened from his plunder, and succeeded in escaping. This was the last seen or heard of John Baird, until one day last week, when some inquisitive boys, while peering around in that portion of the Cave known as the Ball Room, discovered close hidden beneath the shelving rocks, a pair of pants. Upon bringing them to the light, a tobacco box and dirk knife were found in the pockets and further examination revealed the fact that the pants were soiled and discolored with blood stains. The articles were then submitted to the inspection of a step son of the missing John Baird who promptly identified them as belonging to his father. A rigorous search was at once instituted in the remainder of the Cave, but without throwing any further light upon the mystery.

The query now is where is John Baird? If he ran away upon the night in question why did he leave his unmentionables behind him? If he has been murdered, why did not the murderer conceal these silent witnesses as well as the body?

All of these questions are awaiting an elucidation through the instrumentality of some rural Vidocq.