When you think of eerie discoveries, the phrase “10 gruesome ways” instantly conjures images of bodies surfacing from the depths of forgotten wells. In bygone days, a new report of a corpse emerging from a well seemed almost weekly, especially across Australian newspapers in the early twentieth century—far outpacing similar tales from the United States. From accidental plunges to calculated concealments, the stories behind these watery graves are as diverse as they are disturbing.
10 The Water Tasted Peculiar
In 1915, a crew of laborers toiling at Bearbong, New South Wales, halted their work after noticing an odd flavor in the well water. Assuming a stray sheep might have tumbled in, they investigated the source of the strange taste.
The well was deep, its bottom hidden from view. One brave worker descended the shaft to uncover the cause of the tainted water. At the bottom, he was met with a chilling sight: the decomposed remains of a man.
Police were summoned, and the corpse was hoisted to the surface. Examination revealed the body had lingered in the well for roughly three weeks and belonged to a local laborer. No foul play surfaced; investigators concluded the worker likely fell into the well one night by accident.
9 Murder Sees Light Of Day
Honor among thieves proves elusive, and crime rarely pays, as two members of a horse‑stealing gang soon discovered.
Ben Tasker and Old Man Lund began as close companions, but legal battles and courtroom betrayals turned them into bitter enemies. Lund had loaned Tasker money; after Tasker refused repayment, Lund sued him. As the lawsuit neared its end, Lund warned friends that Tasker threatened his life.
Shortly thereafter, Lund vanished. No one knew his fate until, while Tasker served time for an unrelated offense, he bragged about murdering Lund and dumping his body in a well at Bingham, Utah.
Authorities tracked the confession, arrested Tasker in 1876, and dispatched men to the well. Roughly 27 meters (90 feet) deep, they retrieved Lund’s remains—decayed but identifiable by clothing and other evidence.
8 Headfirst
Old newspaper accounts, especially from Australia, reveal that many individuals chose wells as a means of ending their lives. Not only did they plunge in, but they often employed bizarre methods, prompting speculation about their state of mind.
Take Thomas Hutchings, a 55‑year‑old discovered dead after deliberately slipping headfirst into a well in Yamba, NSW, in 1927. He tethered a long rope to a tree stump, secured the other end around his ankles, and measured the rope so that only his head was submerged when he leapt.
Police ruled the death a suicide, noting Hutchings had appeared despondent to acquaintances. In 1938, East Maitland, NSW, saw the grim discovery of Mrs. Hariet Barclay, 44, found in her yard’s well. After disappearing for a day, her body was located six hours later; investigators had to pump over six meters (20 ft) of water and a heavy weight tied to her neck to retrieve her.
7 Forgotten Old Wells
Abandoned wells, long neglected, remain hazardous to livestock, pets, children, and even adults. In 1912 South Dakota, a young threshing‑rig worker named Clem McDaniels vanished after falling into an old well.
McDaniels, often away from home for days, was presumed absent by his mother and coworkers, who thought he might be ill. When a check‑in revealed he hadn’t been seen for days, a search began.
His body was eventually recovered from the well, but only a few hours after his death. Evidence suggested he survived for days in the water before succumbing to cold, hunger, and fatigue.
6 Brought Up In Bucket
Early twentieth‑century reports recount numerous infants crawling unsupervised and tumbling into wells, as well as tragic cases of infanticide. One chilling incident occurred in 1931 at Red Range, NSW.
E. Scott fetched water with a bucket, only to pull up a fragment of a small, decomposing body. Police investigation uncovered a weighted bag containing the remains of a young female child.
Given the era’s limited forensic resources, the case remained unsolved, reflecting the grim reality of many infanticide investigations of the time.
5 Leave It To Curiosity
Curiosity can be a double‑edged sword. In 1940, Mr. A. Cowling of Woodford Island, NSW, led his horse to a trough for water, then paused to peer down a nearby well.
To his horror, he saw a man’s corpse at the bottom, a black snake coiled around the torso. Authorities were summoned, and the body was retrieved.
The death was ruled accidental drowning. Police believed the timber worker had stopped at the well to wash clothes, saw the snake, leaned over, and slipped in. No signs of struggle were evident.
4 Sometimes There Were No Clues
In 1905 Kentucky, a grim discovery was made: a soupy, unidentifiable mass in an old well.
Police had to fish out flesh with a hook before retrieving the rest of the remains. While the corpse was identified as male, its identity and how it entered the well remained a mystery.
Such incidents were common; migrant laborers and the forgotten often fell victim to abandoned wells, their bodies unclaimed and interred in potter’s fields.
3 Dead Before Dumped
When attempting to conceal a homicide, a local well proved an ill‑chosen hiding place. In 1904 Ohio, the tragic tale of Isa Matthews unfolded.
Isa, a 17‑year‑old domestic worker, argued with boyfriend Joseph Kelcher and returned his ring. Days later, Kelcher arrived in a buggy; the pair vanished.The buggy was later found abandoned by the Ohio River, blood inside. Isa’s body surfaced in a nearby well, revealing she had been murdered before being dumped.
Kelcher’s fate remained unknown; speculation suggested he leapt into the river, ending his own life.
2 Possible Homicide Ruled As A Mere Stumble
Jack Conway’s corpse was discovered behind the Farmers’ Arms Hotel in Matong, NSW, in 1936. The scene suggested homicide: a man falling into a well, closing the cover, and empty pockets.
However, investigators concluded the death was accidental. Conway, 55, had reportedly over‑indulged in alcohol and, being blind in one eye, stumbled into the well after emptying his pockets. In his drunken state, he allegedly shut the lid above himself, sealing his fate.
1 He Just Went Nuts
In 1906 North Carolina, the bizarre demise of Mr. H.C. Braswell shocked the community. After breaking a window, he sprinted to a nearby well and plunged in headfirst, drowning in less than 1.2 meters (4 ft) of water.
Police investigation concluded he suffered a temporary bout of insanity, leading him to leap through the window, dash to the well, and end his life. The case was ruled a suicide.
Elizabeth, a Massachusetts‑based researcher of early American history, continues to explore such macabre tales in her spare time.