The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1883-04-28
THE NORTH EAST TRAGEDY.
JEFFERIES' BODY FOUND - wHITAKER's
WATCH ON HIS PERSON

The body of the third person of the I'M
fortunate Whitaker party, drowned on
Thursday, the 9Th inst, that of Lewis JEFF
ferris, was found on Saturday morning last,
by some fishermen, while laying ont seine.
The body had tioated, being considerably
decomposed, having been in the water fifteen
days. 1t was found at a point about three
fou:thS of a mile from the shore between
Red and White Points, some distance fur
Their up the river than where Whitaker was
discovered, and much nearer shore. When
the fishermen saw the body, not being able
to go to it, as a large portion of their seine
was still in their boat, they called to some
OILERS in skitf, near by, to tow the body
ashore, but they refused to touch it. The
fishermen then proceeded TO lay out the re-
1nainder of the seine, and when they reach
ed shore they sent small boat out, ard
brought it in. The body was much decom-
posed and marks of bruises received while
the struggle for life was going on We're
plainly visible. The remains were taken to
North East, and placed in charge of an III
dertaker, and on Sunday at noon were
buried, service being held at the house of
the mother of the deceased, Revs. Miller
and Todd officiating.
One of the most remarkable features OF
this whole affair, was the finding of Whita-
ker's valuable watch in Jetferis' pocket.
| is the first discovery made throwing any
light upon this terrible affair. Heretofore
all has been conjecture, as TO the time,
place and circumstance of the accident, but
this watch, recovered from the deep, tells
thrilling story. 1t had stopped at two o clock
A. NJ. 1t tells the story of the struggle If
the unfortunate men, upon the capsized
boat, from the time it went over until about
this hour in the morning; of the final de-
termination of Jetitris 10 take the unshipped
mast, and with it to endeavor to reach the
shore (marks on his person corroborate this
theory; of the hopeleSsness of Whitaker of
ever reaching shore alive: of his snatchinu
the watch from his person. breaking the
chain Gas he could not use both hands to
take it Off and handing it to JetftriS, to be
given to his wife, if he (Jetferis> succeeded
in reaching the shore, together with mes
sage of love to his family: of .Jetfers start,
the watch in his pantaloons' pocket stop
ping very soon after it was submerged, and
thus marking the time: the fearful struggle
against the cruel waves, and the final sur
render. This is what the watch tells, and
it is is 4 message from the dead. 1t is
thought, and upon good grounds, that the
accident to the boat must have happened
before or about eight o'clock. not later than
that, perhaps earlier, so that Whitaker and
Ietferis, at least, struggled upon the cap
sized boat about six hours. The colored
man, or men-and it is not certainly known
whether there was more than one of them
1t Is thought, went down at the time the
boat capsized. Indeed the points at which
the bodies were found, prove that Hopkins
went down some considerable time before
W hltaker. Whether the second colored
man, "AStel,' was on board or not cannot
be determined He has not been seen since
the afternoon of the start, and many persons
think he was one the party. Nothing be-
longing to him has been found during the
search, while some piece of clothing belong
ing to each of the other three was found
previous to getting the bodies Mr. Peoples,
who saw them from the tug, in the evening.
says he could make out but three persons
in the boat, while the captain of the tug
thinks lie saw four. This cannot be settled
until Astel turns up alive, or his body is
found