The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1873-07-08

MATERIAL FOR WITNESSES.-I esterday,
Q Number OF women visited the Brook
I'm Morgue, to view the body found in
the river at the foot Of King street, on
EhurHday morning. Each described Pc
cniiarities of marks about the feet, teeth,
mouth and hair Of. a missing husband or
friend, and established beyond doubt in,
her own mind the dead mans identity.
Mrs. Floyd, OF 523 Grand street, Will.
said that tho body must be that of her
son-in-law, Charles Diehl, an insurance
agent, who has been missing some
months. Her description Of the height
and build OF Giehl oorresponded exactly
with that OF the dead man. Size snid
that Diehl did not live happily with his
wife, and went from home last Septem-
Der. saying he was going to Germany to
recover come property. Three weeks
ago, he wns seen in williamsburg.
While Mrs. Floyd was describing her
missing son-in-law, woman, accompa-
MED by an officer from police headuuar-
ters, examined the clothing and the
body. At first, she was positive that il
was the body of her husband. Further
Investigation, however, convinced her
that she was mistaken.
On the dead mans left arm is scar.
Two German women were the first to
call attention to this mark. One identi-
fed the body as that of her husband,
the other saying that it was that of her
son.
In the afternoon, young German wo-
ing either the clothing or the body, she
claimed the body as that Of her husband,
having been told that her description of
her husband oorresponded in every par
ticuIRr with that CT the dead man. She
had described the scar on the arm, say.
ing that it WAS bullet wound. At the
side OF the elevator. connecting with the
cellar, are the dead mans clothes. While
the keeper was turning the crank which
raised from the gloomy depths below the
platform on which was the body covered
with ice. the weeping woman stood ex-
amining each article of clothing and
recognizing 1t as belonging to her hus-
band. When the body rose above the
floor, the woman, looking at it, said: ::
"Oh, sir. that is my husband, Ferdinand. I"
She said that his natne was Ferdinnnd
A. Meeker, OF 'Throop avenue. He
went from home last November with
S700, which he had taken from savings
bank: He left letter saying that be
would never return. Three weeks ago
10 WIS beeU IN N1lNameOnrR. Meeker
has been soldier In the war and was
wounded in the arm. >0n his return to
Williamsburg he obtained s4OO pension
money.
80 positive was Mrs. Meeker that the
body was that of her husband, that she
begged to be allowed to take it home.
The. other woman had been equally
positive. Mr. MoGuire for the tenth
time examined the body, particularly the
mark on the left arm. He ascertained
that it was not scar, but an abrasion,
caused by the ice which had been placed
Oh the body to preserve it.
Who the man is, or how he came 10
his' death. is q mystery. If he commit.
ted suicide, he first placed seven pound
smoothing irons in a leather satohel, and
after tying the satchei to his wrist. fred
q pistol bail through his brain and fell
over into, the river. The clothing is
well preserved. and does not seem TO
have been long in the water. The paper
cuffs are intact. The polish on the irons
is marred by only few spots OF rust.
Ne,o York Sun.
r.t. :! :.