Scores of people came that morning from Dobbinsville and Ridgetown, and gazed on the mysterious scene of the former beautiful barn, now an ash heap.
Officers came down from the county-seat and joined in the search for the lost Deacon.

About the middle of the afternoon on Monday it was decided that the ash-heap should be searched for any evidence that the man had burned with the barn This search had not gone far when the county sheriff found in the ashes the steel back-springs and blades of a pocket-knife.

Near by were found some pieces of enamel resembling a man's teeth.

Next was found a small melted mass of something which seemed to have been a suspender buckle.

Preacher Bonds picked up three pieces of silver which proved to have been so many silver dollars.
Several pieces of bones were found, but these were so nearly charred to dust that it was impossible to determine whether they were bones of a man or bones of some of the many animals that perished with the building.