Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1875-10-06
TEGE4EGss EsAEpHHHG.
CRIMINAL RECORD.
The Browning Of Isr. Porteous
probably - Foul Murder.
The Citizens Dissatisfied with
the Verdict of the Cero-
Ner's Jury.
The Reverend is Drowned will,
"a Brandy Bottle i'm Els
Pocket
Suspected t'on, s,.ay.

spread in this city and Brooklyn this af-
tcrnoon that the Rev. DR.. Portens, instead
OF bong accidentally drowned had been
murdered. Still later committee of citi-
zens of Sea Cliff, sent The following 10 the
dis'ric, attorney
SIR: The friends Of the late Rev. Geo.
ii. Portccus are not satisfied with the coro-
ncr's inquest held over his remains. Pub
lie opiniou states that crime has been
committed, and some citizens of Sea Cliff
feel 1t due to their places fair fame to. have
the facts investigated. The evidence upon
which this suspicion rests is this:
l. Mr.. Benjamin, who was in the upset
boat was near the shore, where i. was shall
low, ard has not putin an appearance since.
The bay is being searched tor his supposed
body, ordinary Investigations having failed
to find any.
2. DIR. Porteous had hold of the boat,
Heating with it. The water was as calm as
a mirror 1t is alleged he let go his hold
twice, which il very unlikely.
8. DR.. Portcons' forehead bears the marks
OF blow or injury inflicted by some extra
neous agency.
q. The men We're quarreling.
s. His watch is gone.
G. Mr.. Hoop did not inform the rescuers
that DR.. Porleons was in the water. He
did not tell them that he was alive, as evi.
IDENTIFY must have been, having been in the
water only few minutes.
Z. Instead OF being taken ont Of the
water. DIR. Porteone was dragged face down
through the water, and at the shore was
tied to stake. He floated for ten min
utes, and only then at the stake was drown
ed.
s. Mr.. Koop 10 reticept about the mat
ter.
Charles Brant, who was I'm his Yacht. q
quarter of mile from the place where the
boat containing the party was upset, says
that DR.. Porteons aud the others had been
fishing in the neighborhood that day, and
had attracted the attention OF all in the har.
Dor. In the afternoon the clcrgyman's par
ty rowed near the yacht, aud Mr.. Brandt
heard DIR. Porteons say, "Well, well, go and
fish ten minutes, and il the fish do not bite
well we'll go ashore and get some grog."-
He noticed them rowing about the bay If
ter that and said TO his fellow yatchmen
that some OF the party were intoxicated
At the time of the accident his yacht was
still at anchor in the same place. He was
attracted by cries for help. At first he
paid little attention to them, for frequently
parties on the bay were very noisy, and
shouted and hallooed to the vessels and to
those on theshore. At length. however, he
shouted in reply, but received no answer
save repetition of the cries for help. Then
ono of his mon shouted, asking what was
ha 10 l..
| III schooner, anchored much nearer the
| overturned boats than was Brandt's yacht,
that man was drowning. Mr.. Braudt then
ordered two Of his men, VIM. Grifliths, of
Greenpoint, and Harry Fitzsimmons, to
lower the yachts small boat and hasten to
help the drowning man. The boat was got
off as soon as possible, and was hastily
rowed to the person. who was struggling ia
the water. Grilliths says that when they
| reached the scene of the accident, Mr.. koop
was clineng to the overturned boat, and his
two boys were ON The boats bottom. Grit
tith's boat was very small skif, and he
feared to attempt to pull Keep into it, for
there was danger OF upsetting. koop star
ted toward them, and Giifliths said, "Hang
on your own boar. You drunken whelp -
Wen take the boys off," Koop was very
much Intoxicated. Griffith explains that he
answered, "iiet me be; only save the boys.'
aud that his intoSicaiion adaed to tho dan
ger of upsetting the yachts skifi. They
rowei close to the overturned boat, and one
OF the little boys gave spring and landed
safe in yatchman's arms The other boy
was lalalyzed with fear, and it required
some strength TO get him into the boat
The yawl-boat from the schooner was by
this time got ander way. and was approach
ing. Griffith says that he saw something
black on the surface of the water, few rods
away, and he turned his boat around and
rowed toward it. 1t proved to be an ordi-
nary floating buoy, go the skiff was turned
about again, and rowed back to where koop
was still clinging to the overturned boat
The yawl from the schooner arrived at the
| same time that Griffith made this second
visit TO koop, and q moment afterward
Griffith espied DR.. Porteous' body floating
on the water, ten rods away lie went to
it as soon as possible. 81 put my hand
down under his head and raised it ont of the
WATER he said yesterday, land it was the
face OF q dead man. He was cold and there
was no life in him whatever. held on to
the body till the yawl came up, and then
one of their men took hold of it and towed
| it to shore. lie must have been dead when
| | fonnd him. His head was entirely under
| water, and his position was downward
From the time when we first heard the cries
for helpt found the body twenty min.
| utes elapsed, for we were a quarter of q
mile away to begin with, and then we los,
| considerable time in rescuing the boys and
going ont to the boat" Both Mr.. Griili III
| and Mr.. Brandt were asked whether they
heard any quarrcling among the clergyman's
party. They answered that they did not.
rney noticed only that some of those in the
boat were drunk, and at the coroner's in
quest they saw II bottle of brandy taken
from DIR. Porteons pocket. Why the cler-
gyman did not cling TO the boat, they didn't
know, and what subsequently, became of
BENJAMIN was q mystery to them,