About five o’clock yesterday morning the mutilated remains of an unknown man were found lying near the track of the New York Central Railroad at Lancaster, about ten rods from the line of the town of Alden. Coroner Davis was notified, and immediately repaired to the place indicated. The body presented a sickening appearance. The head had been severed from the trunk and smashed almost beyond recognition, a hand and foot had been separated from their connections, and the body was mangled in a terrible manner. In one pocket of the clothing of the deceased was found an envelope containing a paper on which was written: ” Christian Nilseen, landed in Portland, Maine, from Liverpool, England, last of March or 1st of April, 1874. He don’t speak much Euglish; send him to the City Hall.” A German religious tract was also found in his possession. Another paper with the words: “Christian Nilseen, Neverille, N. Y.” was also discovered in another pocket. And still another one on which was written: “Christian Tigerson, Lansingburk. N. Y. put this fraud out.” The clothing of the unfortunate man consisted of a drab slouch hat, a pail of brogan army shoes, striped cassimere pants and vest, coarse brown overcoat and linen duster. He had dark hair and moustache, and was apparently thirty-five years of age. It is supposed that he was run over by the freight train from the east at 4 A.M. Subsequently the Coroner empaneled a jury. and held an inquest, which resulted in a verdict of “accidental death.” The remains were brought to this city and taken to Vaughan’: morgue, and later in the day were interred at the Howard Cemetery.
Source: Evening Courier & Republic, Buffalo, NY, 14 May 1875, p. 2. NYC Historic Newspapers.