The Sunday tatler and Jersey City express. (Jersey City, N.J.) 1883-1886, 1885-04-19
PROF. GASKELL'S DEATH.
FASTENED IN MEADOW MUD TILL
he DIED.

Missing Since Monday morning, Dul
Supposed to be ON "a Spree till a
Grocer's Clerk Discovered his Corpse
The remains of Prof. George A. Gaskell
lay packed in ice in his neat home, No. 234
Fourth street, last evening. The funeral
will be held on Tuesday, and the body re-
moved to its last resting place.
The body was found at 1:30 yesterday
afternoon, face downward, at spot mid
way between Payonia avenue and the foot
of the hill. 1t is swampy sort of a meadow
The swamp is caused by the sewer from
the hill. 1t is supposed that Professor
Gaskell, while under the influence of IL
quor, wandered off the street into this
meadow where he got into the mud and,
being unable to extricate himself, finally.
from mere exhaustion, fell on his face and
was smothered.
It was at first thought possible that the
Professor had committed suicide, but, al
though he had been troubled for some time
with malaria, there is no Foundation for
any such theory. Martin Luther, the young
man who identified the dead professor,
s collector for Grocer James j. Westervelt,
corner Erie and Fourth streets. The TAT
Tier called at the store last even
ing and interviewed the young man.
81 saw Prof Gaskell, he said, yesterday
afternoon about o'clock. was in
carriage attending funeral at the time.
He was standing within three blocks of
where the body was found. knew the
Professor well, and as we passed / nodded,
at the same time turning to my friend and
remarking there's Professor Gaskell.' He
did not appear to be under the influence of
liquor. A friend of mine saw him shortly
before at the corner of Eighth and Mon
mouth streets walking toward Brunswick
street, and Mrs. Bowman saw him pass her
house. $50 Fifth street, yesterday morning.
About 2 o'clock this afternoon | was re-
turning from dinner. Some boys told me
that body had been found. / went to
the spot and Immediately identified the
body as that of the dead Professor. They
told me I was mistaken, but / knew |
could not not be as / knew him well, and
had taken him home more than once when
he was under the influence of liquor. 1t
was learned around town last night that
the deceased was quite heavy drinker.
In fact, he was in the habit of going
on periodical sprees, which it would usually
take him several days to get over. At the
second precinct police station he was well
known. He has several times been taken
there in state of intoxication, but was
never locked up, as he was known and al
ways seen safely home. They speak of
him there as being man of most excellent
parts, and was always remorsefql after he
had recovered his sober senses,
The TATTLER called at the residence of
the unfortunate man last evening. Mrs.
Gaskell was too much overcome With grief,
to be seen, but her brother, fine looking
young gentleman, answered for her.
6 Mr.. Gaskell took severe cold early in
the winter and has been complaining ever
since. He had great dread of pneumonia.
A month or six weeks ago he got malaria
and for some time was confined to his
house, Have we any suspicious that he
committed suicideP No. No! No reason
could be assigned for such an act. In fact
such a thought never occurred to US. /
think he was delirious and wandered off to
where his body was found"
Mr.. Stell-for that is the gentleman's
name-said that the deceased was in the
habit of staying away when on bout, al
though he had never remained away for so
long time.
Prof. George A. Gaskell was born at
Penn Yam, New York-situated on Seneca
Lake, in 1842. When be was very young
the family moved to AshtahulA County,
Ohio. Here young Gaskell received
received good education and became
pupil of the celebrated master Speneerian,
b. G. Spencer, whose proficiency in PEN
manship the Professor nearly equalled.
FROM Ohio he wendell his way, III 1866, to
Newark, where he BECAME Professor in
Bryant and Stratto1s Business College
Here he remained till 1871, when be vent
to Manchester, N. H. At Manchester he
established business college, which he
continued to manage until two years after
he came to this city, when he sold out to
Prof. Heron, his old principal. About
1879 he came to Jersey City and established
his Business College, of which almost
every citizen of this city knows. For
time, during his stay In Newark, he was a
Professor in the Bryant and Stratton Col
lege, Trenton. He was always successful
in everything he undertook, and his ex-
perience in this city has been no exception
to the rule. He was fine looking, well pro-
portioned man, of medium height, and it
is to be regretted that the cup got control
of him of late years. He was of kindly
disposition, and was we'll liked by all who
knew him. He married Miss Stull in
1875, but has had no children. He nm
doubtedly left some means, but Mr.. Stull
could not give any idea how much. The
body will be buried on Tuesday from his
late residence.