New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1871-06-06

DEATH OF GEORGE FRERET, EsQ.-In
the early hours of Monday morning the
workmen at the crevasse in the New canal,
at Hagan avenue, discerned what appea red
to be a human body floating in the water.
At daylight the body was taken from the
water, conveyed to the sheilroad and there
laid down, covered with the new sacking
used for sand bags. No one recognized in
the swollen and distorted face the black
ened visage, bursting with blood, Mr..
George Freret, but his relatives, who had
been on the search for him some days, on
arriving at the spot Immediately saw in the
peculiar cast of the features all that re-
manned of the deceased gentleman. Super
intendent Badger, on his rounds Of inspec-
ton, saw the body and notified the Cor
oner, who, arriving and summoning a jury,
gave a verdict of found drowned, which
appears to be the only conclusion to the in
vestigation.
The deceased at the time of his death
was ffty-four years of age, of large build
and fine appearance. A general bookkeeper
in the Union Bank he had given to his
duties his undivided attention and although
his means were ample enough to ensure re-
tirement vet his active mind could find no
satisfaction except in his daily avocation.
He had owned a piece of property in the
vicinity of the Metairie Ridge and on
Saturday told his family that he had an APP
pointment with a gentleman of the name of
Whitley at the Halfway House. The bar
keeper, who appears to be the only one who
had seen the deceased between the time of
his leaving home and the finding of Is
BODY, said that his actions appeared
strange. that he looked like a man who
had something on his mind. He testified
that he took from four to five drinks and
that he went out and stood upon the
bridge looking into the water. His family,
on seeing he did not come home at the
usual time and had not been at the bank,
supposed he had gone up to his plantation
above Carrollton, which he frequently
visited without previous warning. 1t was
ONLY on finding out he had not been there
that they became alarmed and the news OF
the finding of the body reached his home.
On the person of the deceased were found
a charm, a pocket knife, three keys on a
beaded charm, a pair of eye glasses, tied up,
and a ticket. The papers found in the
pocket consisted of memoranda relating to
matters Of business, items and descriptions
of plantation machinery, and the weights
and gauges of a cargo of sugar and molas-
ses. Among the memoranda was one mem
tioning the names of "men employed on the
crevasse of Freret Brothers not down on
the pay roll" All Of the papers were wet,
and had to be dried before they were legible.
No marks whatever of violence were found
on the body, which was sent to Mr.. Bothlck
for Intern ent by the relatives.
From all the information the reporter can
gather the deceased must have been taken
with an apoplectic fit while standing or
walking near the canal. Apoplexy was his
great dread, and he had used every precau-
tion and means to ward off this destroyer
of his life. He was not a drinking man,
abstaining from all exciting drinks and food
for the sake of his health. The report that
he had left a letter foreboding self-destruc-
ton. az well as another report that he mad
been in great dependency on account OF
losses of money, were both of no founda-
ton.