New-York tribune., 1885-01-25
FOUND DEAD IN VIRGINIA.
WAS HE MURDERED FOR HIS MONEY!

THE BODY OF w. p. sHELLING BROOKLYN
PRINTER, IDENTIFIED BY HiSBROrHER.
The Identification of the body that was found on
Monday at Lambert's Point, on the Elizabeth
River, near Norfolk, Va, as that OF William L.
Shelling is now established beyond doubt. IL was
believed at one time that it was the. body or Dr,
Richard Brandeis who has been missing Ior more
than month"; but investigation proved otherwise.
Mr. ShellIng was printer III q large JoD once III III
Brooklyn and was a sober, industrious man and IL
is said had not missed day at his case for the last
thirteen years His system was run down from rom an
attack of malaria and short time ago ne took q
trip South tOr his health He was lnmarried.
After gong away he communicated regularly wiIn WIN
his brother, George d. Shelng, lawyer at NO. lOZ
Broadway, for time, and then nothhg was nearu
from him. His brother became worried at ms slience
and telegraphed to several places IN the South
for information concerning him without success
Hearing that body had been found near NoriGk
that III measure from lts description r%eselipieu %
his brother, he, accompanied by another protner
his farheT-n-law and James H.. Laird, OF NO; 3oo
Broadway, went 10 Norfolk to look at the body ,
coroser's jury had already investigated tne
case and had brought In o verdict that the death
of the person to them unknown had been caused py
violence &C the hand of some unknown person, me
evidence of which was Two bullet holes one In tue
neck and the other in the chest. The body had
been placed in a rude pine box and buried near tne
spot where it w found. Mr.. Shelllng ana ms
friends driven there The coffin was dug up
and opened and the face of William p. Smelling
was identified. The body was taken
ont put into another coffin and buried In the city
Mr. S6elling had at least 800 in his possession
and gold watch aud chain, which are still MISS
ing thorough search was made in the bushes
and on the banks of the Elizabeth River for these
missing things, and also for any revolver tnat ne
might nave committed suicide with. The idea OF
suicide is destroyed as it appears that the
wounds are In such position that 1t would have
been mp0ss bic for Smelling to have inflicted them
ON himself. Around the spot where the body was
found there were many footprints and the turf was
torn MP III some places ii there bad been strng
gle. The cot hes found on his body were those
which he had on when he left this city, and We're
much soiled, by the weather perhaps and In places
the seams ripped as If they had been severely
pulled. The hotels at Norfolk and Portsmouth and
other places III the neIghborhood were searched,
but his name was not registered. No one mas
been found Who remembers seeing him alive near
the place where his body was found, He possessed
"a great curiosity TO things, and 1t is thought
that he was inveigled to the spot where he was
found By some one who had gained his confidence
on the preience of showing him something wonder
ful. and had then robbed and murdered him.. Inc
authorities of Norfolk working on the theory
that Sheng was murdered at some place near by
and his body taken to the lonely place where II
was found and covered up with bushes. 1t was ac-
cIdentally found by a hunter.