The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1890-07-30
IS II 0. c. R|hKER'S BODy}.
circumstances That Lead to Such 4
Conclusion on the Finding
Of : Body.
Whose Remains We're Those
Found Ia the Greek Above
Broadwater' 50

The Coroner's Jury Could Not Decide
How the Body Corresponds With
That of Rinker.
The inquest ON the body of a man found
on an island above the Broadwater hotel
was concluded yesterday. On Monday DR..
Atchison refused to make the post mortem
examination until he could be assured of
being remunerated for the work. This
caused a postponement of the inquest until
yesterday when Coroner Rockman and
County Attorney Nolan interviewed Chair
man knight of the board of county COM
mis- sioners, who said he would allow
claim Ct $50 for the examination. The
coroner then ordered DIR. Atchison to pro-
coed with the post mortem examination
and at the inquest yesterday he reported as
follows:
81 have made careful examination of
known to me, and found the man
to be dressed in blue blouse with
a brown gray overshirt, wooden drawers;
boots new ut the time when he put them on
or at the time of death; wooden stockings;
found in his watch pocket, one silver dollar
tWnlCn WIS luUTOuuceu), pleCe u pug
tobacco. found upon examination. two
teeth, lower jaw, missing; measurement of
head in circumference % inches; hair was
dark brown spinkled with gray, whiskers
the same. No evidence of physical injury
or violence; should judge from the gen
eral aspect of the man that he was from SO
to 55 years of age; about feet 6 or inches
high. man who presume was man of
remarkable tenacity of life, small boned
and good physique"
Question-'Do you think the deceased
was bald headed?"
Answer-''No sir; think the man had q
full head Of hair at his DEATH"
Q.-''What was the length of his beard?"
Answer-About one to two inches.
think those hairs grew since his death and
that he must have been shaved shortly be-
fore death.
Q.-How long do you suppose it is since
Al should say no less than from six to
ten months.
Q.-Whas was the condition Of his
clothes?
AIN a state of decomposition. It seems
to me the man must have been lying there
since the fall. as his clothing show deconi-
position of an advanced state.
In response to questions DIR. Atchison
also said that the tobacco he found war
plug chewing tobacco, and he judged tn.
man was an American from tho shape OF
his head.
W. F. Green, who found the body, said ht
occasion to go to the irrigating ditch ant
the odor was so strong that he began an in
vestigation of the cause of the offensive
smell, which resulted in finding the body
which was situated on an island about on
mile and half to two miles above Broad
waters hotel. This island is in Mrs. Mar
shall's field. The fence. he judged, wa
Ynt mn in the month If June.
This was all the testimony rendered ant
the jury could only decide that the de
ceased was unknown and came to his dealt
from causes unknown to them.
The son Of Q. G. Rinker saw the bod.
Sunday with the view of ascertaining If tn
dead man was his missing father. Afte
viewing the remains and the effects he tol'
the coroner that the knife was of the sam
pattern as his father carried. He said hi
father had pair of new boots, and SO di'
tho deceased; he also said he could recog
nize his father il tooth was missing il
the left lower jaw, and the testimony 0
DR.. Atchison clearly establishes that tn
man was minus the part named. The bo
also told the coroner that that was al
right, too," abiding to the fact that hi
father wore overalls. The only one singh
point which might have exploded the the
was the fact that the body had not full
growth of hair on the head. The boy said
however, that his father was not bald
headed. and that he had brown and gra.
hair. DR.. Atchison's testimony clearly es
tablished that such was the color of tn,
deceased's hair, and he further testitie.
that the man was not bald headed at tn,
time Of his death. Every point went t,
show q likeness to the missing Rinker
the face was decomposed beyond
recognition, and it now lools
as though it is really the body of O; G
~, <orso c1v 1ioo rod
size Of the boot he wore corresponds will
the advertised description as we'll as tn
small features and even the size of the bod,
corresponds. The body was inferred yes
terday by the county. A $500 reward i
: offered by Mrs. Rinker for information o
her missing husband.
A reporter for The INDEPENDENT calle
on Mrs. Rinker yesterday afternoon to as
certain what she thought of the dead man
resemblance to her husband. She.acknowl
edged that she had not viewed the bod
and thought it was great piece of care
have the body disinterred, but the MOTTO
was only temporary as she thought it woul
cost too much money. Then she was sur
that the body was not that of her husband
..though. she added. George Cher SOM sa'
apocket knife just like the one his fathe
the testimony OF DIR. Atchison given at til
inquest. There was no representative c
the i1n,ily there at the time. As the d,
scription of the dead mar was read MIR
Rinker assented to about every point an
in cases of doubt suggested theories tht
might have made them SO. She had bee
to see tho undertaken whom, sh
said. informed her this body We
about feet 10 inches long an
this again led her to the conclusion that
could not be her husband who was abor
five feet six or seven inches. The unde
taker, however, said he never told Mr.
Rinker about the length of the body. Mr.
Rinker had evidently brooded over the ma
Ter in a measure that impa,rs her mind {
memory. She seemed either oblivious
indifferent about this case which has pr
scented more serious circumstances than al
clue yet found. She told the undertak,
hei husband wore blue flannel shirt whe
lie left; to the reporter she said it was re
flannel and DR.. Atchison said this ma
wore white flannel. If she could see IL
feet of this deceased person she said 81
could readily tell if it was her husband
body: she could tell by that even though
had been dead five years, she said. II
missing teeth in the mouth tailed wit
Mrs. Rinker's description and DR.. Atch
sons superstition that the ma
was about 80 or 55 years of age, was not f;
off as Mrs. tinker said her husband WAS
years of age; the nationality and the fa
that Rlnkar w a fol OH olo no