Show the following associated press dispatch and story from the grand junction sentinel will prove of interest to times independent readers for the reason that the W E mendenhall mentioned Is well known at moab where he has been interested in mining ventures for many years hollywood calif jan 20 the weird discovery by members of the bithe bray colorado river expedition of a skeleton seated bufore an unfinished chess game may result in the i uncovering of i murder committed 34 years ago E 0 la rue head of the expedition tion today revealed circumstances su rounding the discovery which was made in an adobe cabin 20 miles below lees ferry arizona on the river trip south through the river canyon several weeks ago A checkbook issued by the first national bank of durango colo indicated that the skeleton probably was that of W E mendenhall a alo cancelled checks bore the signature mendenhall bros A number of checks had been cashed by the san juan operative cooperative co company of bluff san juan county utah letters mailed at hesperus colo and addressed to W E mendenhall were found on the body they were dated 1894 members of the exploring party found the skeleton seated at a table an unfinished chess game laid out before it A chair opposite had been pushed back indicating that the other player may have left hurriedly after killing his chess partner possibly tor the gold the prospector had mined an investigation was being made today in an effort to definitely establish the identity of the skeleton W E mendenhall pioneer western colorado mining man and prospector resident of lake city for many years past and who has spent the past few months in grand junction in connection with his mining interests enters a vigorous denial to the charge that the skeleton reported above as being found in a lone adobe hut down the colorado river from lees ferry as his and that he has established a long distance chess record by sitting 34 years in an unfinished game the finding of the body and checks and letters bearing his name in the skeletons clothing recalls vividly to mr mendenhall a trip he and his brother ray and alonzo savage made down the colorado river in the early nineties of the sudden ending of that trip when savage became ill of the caching of all of their supplies aside from those they could carry on their biks on the long hike to flagstaff a walk which required two weeks to complete the only explanation mr mandenhall can offer as to the identity of the body found in the lonely cabin near where their cache was rande Is that it must have been some early day prospector or sheep herder who raided their cache stole his clothing and who later met an instant death while sitting at the table playing chess with chess men whittled out by mr mendenhall s brother and which had evidently been taken from the cache when it was raided mr mendenhall recalled vividly incidents on their journey down the colorado river that they might prospect for gold originally the party consisted of seven men but it finally dwindled to three mr mendenhall his brother R ray mendenhall now of lake city and alonzo savage then resident of del norte the men were poorly equipped for such a dangerous joumei as that of following the course of the colorado river and the trip was proving a trying one near lee s ferry mr savage became ill and decided to quit the party he sought to prevail upon the two brothers to go on but knowing that he was in no condition to reach civilization alone they refused preferring to accompany him A heavy box was built and in this was cached all of their earthly possessions the cache being well hidden the three men were able to take with them only what they could carry and this was but small as the trip was a 1 long one over some of the roughest terrain in the world A prized possession they carried was a small water keg on which they depended tor water along the desert stretches they encountered mr savage played out and it was necessary for the two brothers to force him on and on until finally flagstaff was reached there they remained for some time mr savage later returning to his home in this state the mendenhall brothers later returned to their prospecting along the colorado river but they struck the stream many miles further down than their cache and as it was of comparatively little value they never returned to it it is evident the cache was found and that the man who rifled it and took clothing belonging to mr mendenhall was the man who later met death in the little adobe shack anji who for 34 years has been sitting beside the table on which remained the chess game in progress when he met death mrs J L dougan yesterday received the distressing news that her youngest brother had suddenly died at the family home at vernal mrs dougan left at once for that place W E fird driving her car |