The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1890-07-29
c0R0AER'S PROCEEDINGS.
Inquest on the Body Found Above
the Broadwater Continued
Until To-day.
Tho Jury IN tho Boyle Case Exon
crate the Railroad
Employees.
Body OF the Unknown to be Examined
By Physician for Marks
of Violence.


engine house, next to the county jail, lay
the body Of the man which was found on
an island in the creek about q mile and a
half above the Broadwater. The doors
were kept open during the day and
hundreds of people went there to look at
the remains. The usual throng Of morbid
curiosity seekers were on hand and Rratified
their longings by standing over the body for
several minutes at time, and even the cd OF
which came from the coffin did not
seem to deter them at all. They
stood around in groups and exchanged
stories Of the CHASTITY sights they had
witnessed at various times, and then went
back to take another look. Small boys
were there by the score and coarse Jokes
were made in their presence, and in the
presence Of the dead. and who the man was,
where he came from. and where he was
going when death overlook him, seems to
be as far away from human ken as when
his decayinR remains were found by the
coroner and his jury last Sunday night on
the lonely little mound in the creek. The
theories are numerous and one man VINO
went out with the party thinks that it is a
clear case of murder. Some think that he
died of heart disease and others do not
The clothing in which the body was dressed
at the time Of the discovery indicates that
the man must have been one whose walk in
life was that of countless thousands who
make their way through the world by hard
manual labor, and who, when they suddenly
drop out of the struggle cause but mere
passing comment.
No one who looked at the body yesterday
was able to identify it and it ID very doubt
full if any one ever will be able to tell who
the unknown was. The body is clothed in
pair of new overalls and boots. blue shirt
and the hat is new. The hair on the sides
Of the head is gray and the top is en-
tirely bald. There are remains of chin
whiskers of blonde color but the cheeks
are shaved.
It was supposed that the body might pos
sibly be that of O. G. Rinker, who disap-
peared in a sudden and mysterious manner
some months ago and whose whereabouts
are to this day unknown. A son of the
missing man visited the engine house yes
terday and examined the body for the pur-
pose of naturalization but is satisfied that
1t is not that of his missing father. He
thought he could identify the body it it
were that of his father by reason of miss
ing tooth in the left side of the upper jaw.
The matted hair and skin were forced away
this point and a tooth was found missing,
but Rinker said that while his father was
quite gray he was not bald.
The time for the inquest was fixed at
o'clock yesterday afternoon and the Cor
oner and the jury were at the court house
ready to proceed with the testimony of wit
nesses, but no examination of the body had
been made to ascertain any marks Of vio-
lence or other indications which might re-
veal in some way the manner in which the
man came to his death. This caused some
delay as the only witness SO far found is w.
F. Green, who was attracted by the smell
from the decaying corpse last Monday and
all through the week and was unable to
find out whore the odor came from until he
made search last Sunday and found the
body, and the coroner thought it best to
have careful examination made by some
physician before proceeding any further. DIR.
Atchison was present when the jury met and
was ready to make the examination
but there was some difference about the
fee. DR.. Atchison was unwilling to make
the examination unless the amount of his
fee was guaranteed by the coroner, and this
the latter would not do, as it was a matter
for the county commissioners to take
care of. The inquest was then adjourned.
DR.. Rockman SAID last night that he had
visited two of the commissioners, who were
in the city, and also the county attorney.
They authorized him to employ the serv-
ices of DIR. Atchison, and the examination
will probably be made to-day. The jury in
the case are John Steinmetz, Charles F.
Stewart, William Reed, L. W. Silcott, w,
G. Miller and Harpin Davies.