New-York tribune., 1891-08-30
WAS THIS MAN MURDERED 2
FINDING A BODY IN A LAKE NEAR PLAIN
FIELD, N. j.
THE SHEET OF WATER ON PRIVATE GROUNDS

THE SHEET OF MAIEh ON ftNNAIE
INDICATIONS THAT POINT TO FOUL PLAY.
The body Of n welIdressed young man was found
Yesterday In Spring Lake. pretty sheet Of about
three miles south OF Plainheld, ~ ]. This lake is
within the boundaries Of the summer plnce of John l.
Holly president of the Commercial Alliance Insurance
Company Of TewYoriI snd a prominent man in the
sl.ndard oil Company The discovery Of the body
known IN few people In Planfeld last night and when
renorter saw Mr. Holly at his home at lnte hour
NOT even the coroner, county physician any one
having authority b remove the body had seen 1t.
Mr.. Holly hesitated somewhat before consenting to
FOL, tho story Of the mystery far he knew IT, but
hc nnally rnye an account Of II. Last week, on
soturday- said he, "my children were out
rowing on the lake with Young friends
from PIainacld Right IN the middle Of the sheet of
wafer and nj IT'S narrOwest point Is rustic bridge
Drooping over the bridge and the driveway that ap
proach It are weeping willows, the roots OIL "hlch
twine among the rocks underneath ana tor1n Nm-
plete network The water here Is hardly three leet
deep and the nterlaclng roots render mposSloe tne
massage of ANYTHING down stream. The young people
anached tbe bridge several times and noticed what
they supposed was the body of dog lying under the
bridge They FASTENED away from the spot and as
missed the matter from their minus.
aJust before noon one of the young men
~ Tho horsa came TO me and informed me that he
had fonnd the body OF man under the brluee'
went at once with him and satisfied myself that Cic
body was human The body was discovered lying
Tco dovnard the head being underneath the surface
~ the water as II drawn down by rope and hcaVy
weight The clothing worn of the finest texture
and indicated that the was one OF carein haDlVs
and the possessor of means to dress we'll Ills coa'
was a cutaway Of dark CLOTH His trousers were
navy b,ne in color while his undertaking was OF
costly STYLE silk socks and congress CATERS eo'erca
his feet .,..
f,lon dc ol.out here
70 relieve me of any trouble in the matter drew tie
hodv from under the bridge while was In the house
for n few minutes prevented the further oiS'uroi"s
of the body and regret very much th~t piie ooion0
was not allowed TO view 1t in exactly the same
II was I'm when first discovered as nave ho sn""
of doubt that there has been murder comhi'ueo anu
,ht this man is the victim. have not examined inc
poohets OF the mans clothing neither VIII ANU" a9
one 10 even remove the canvas which now covers "o
~ Whom Won realize that the body could not
ncssabv have become lodged by the water III ,io
nos,tIon II was found, you will share my oplhion
To rove his assertion that the man must have been
nloccd by living hands In the DARK ana eioo"i5 "0
under the bridge Mr.. Holly conducted the Reporter
Tho rustic bridge Just back OF his nome anu iS Wv.
illusions seemed indlsputabie MI hoii' Do"o1 1
tho man was murdered and taken in conveyance on
dark night 70 the bridge and the body concealed uhuc
.,e.t, n, the moss and willow roots. The BODY ap-
parently had been in The water for ten days NJ leaI
Tho young man appears to have been twenty years old
His face has been entirely eaten away by the fishes
which abound in the lake
No man has disappeared from Plainheh or its
vicinity recently except James Hampshire, Oh south
Planield, who has not been seen since august =
Ifo uos n voung married who not long ago
senarated from his wife account OF d0mesuc IN
fcE feeo IouDd is that of hampshire. because tile clothing
of the man seems 10 denote that he was above the
Tson i'm life occupied by the south Plalnneld man.
Po Co,no nnonle are inclined 10 believe suicides
hody has been found" said Mr.. Holly in conclnSlon
hut cannot understand why any one can Ihiih 'o'