Telegram-herald. ([Grand Rapids, Mich.) 18??-1892, 1891-04-15
GRAND RIVERS DEAD
Another Body Washsd Prem Its
Cruel Depths.
GRANT PORTER TIE LATEST vlcrII
his Pstrid ksasins pssesssrs1 - . oass
Tender - a Beer Chsek ana kmnsv
WnisEy Fiask IN Has Peckso-
Js Ne Basiea 1saAy.

Tuesday morning At s O'Clock, Archis
McDongal. went 70 the gates ~ The hsad
of the West Side canal. He ss en-.
ployed 10 tend the guard gates aud
regulate the supply of water In the
canal. His efrAna Tuesday vas %
open the gates. He had zone this aud
repaired 70 fishermsn's hut. standing
on the bank, where he eat down ON .
bench, and lighting hs pipe. watched
with curious interest, through the
wreathes OF smoke. The eddylne waters
as they rushed into the swift carrenf of
the canal. The opening of the gates
eansed the back water 10 reoede and ss
/: slowly lowered IA front of the smok-
ZIG gate-tender he saw an object damiy
outlined on the sandy bottom upon
which he riveted ms gare. Presently
the current threw the object from lls
lodging place and above the surface
were thrown q pair of human ioes.
Startled half out OF his wits the smoker
arose and saw below the legs the dead
body OF man, the face lying Hat on
the bottom. The rapidly reoeaing
water soon exposed the body 20 the air
and then the gate-tender hurried 10 the
Office of Perkins a Co. aud telephonei
the news of has awful discovery 90 the
police and the coroner. ofsiccf Millales
responded 10 the call and reached the
spot Just before Coroner Bfadlsa
arrived. With the assistance of Michael
Hogan, fireman, the body was with
difficulty taken from the canal.
sicksniag Spectacle Presented.
When the officers turned the BODY
over sight met their atfr.ghtod ewes
that was indeed slckensng. The eye
balls of the dead man prouudea froa
their sockets. and IN their depths Mas
the CLASSY stare Of = violent death
struggle. The nostrils were filled with
n black mud. Over the face a clamfay
slime had formed making the features
supernstnraily ceaih-lIke, awcing tie
men INTO horriiicG silence. The cofrso
was lifted gently, but before il could bs
land upon a plank the flesh sloughe1
away from the tones, and Was held ia
place by the coarse clothing IN whica
the deceased was dressed. Ii had beea
in the water for long time, and putre-
faction was so far advanced that tie
flesh was but a yiscid jelly, and emitted
. stencil that was insutfefable. gas
men succeeded in getting the offensive
remains into ala emergency coffin uhea
they were driven 10 koch's nndeTsAk-
ing rooms. where a coroner's jury Mas
impanneled.
The Dead Man Identified.
The corpse was shoeless. In the
pockets of his coarse clothes was found
five cent beer check and one empty
| whisky bottle--two significant clues ss
10 the cause of hls death. lie wore two
pairs of trousers, flannel SHIRT and
coarse wooien coat. The absence of
his shoes Was explained 10y the condition
of his body-the current had removed
them and the flesh as well. lie was ap.
parenuy about p years of age. brown
hair and mustache and of medium sta
ture. Considerable speculation arose
as 10 hls identity, bat just after moan
Mrs. William Porter, residing on North
| Front-st. called at the morgne and ,den.
tified the body as that of her son, Grant
Porter. One night IN the latter part Of
December, he went 20 a dance al the
Northern Hotel, on Canal-st.. near the
railroad bridge, and became consider
ably intoxicated. When he started for
ms home on North Front~si.. he went
across the river on the ice and wac
never seen again.
The coroner's jury will meet at 10
| O'Clock today at tho Office OF tAe coro-
ner. The remains will be interred this
| afternoon.