The A. J. Nelson mystery

In 1902, Bracken Brae was owned by a man named E. E. Simonds. His friends, A. J. Nelson and W. L. Vandercook, were camping on the Brimblecom grove, which is off Highway 9, adjacent to Bracken Brae, and now called the ‘River Rights’ neighborhood. Nelson left camp with Simonds and headed back to his house. To reach Mr. Simonds place, he would have had to walk the same trails we have today. Mr. Nelson was never seen again.

A couple weeks later the authorities made the connection that a man had committed suicide by jumping in front of a train the same day near Lexington (Los Gatos). However, his ‘head was ground to pieces’ and it was impossible to ID the man. Could it have been Mr. Nelson? Or was there foul play in Bracken Brae?