Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1894-07-12
1T LOOKS LIKE A MURDER.

/ Suspicious circumstances Connected with
tho browning of LOhn willis Lead to
| Two Arrrsis-StrRnee Stories Told by
| MeCOilUn And Hein5z-tman, Who Were
With Him L4sl-Ihcir Explanation of
| His Mysterious Eisappearance = The
Body TO he Exhunicd and a Thorough
Investigation Made.
John MGCOilom Is locked up at the
| police station in this city, charged with
the murder Of John Willis, near Angus
| tine Pier, June 10Th, while William
Heintzelman, companion, is languish-
ing in n Philadelphia jail, charged with
completely in the crime.
McCoil0m was taken in custody by
Detectives McNey and Wltsil Tues
| day, while lleintzelman was arrested
| by one Of Superintendent Lindeu's men
about 1890 o'clock Tuesday night, at the
request of the Delaware authorities. lie
is detained at the central station to
await requisition papers.
Both Of the prisoners arc sturgeon
fishermen, and they are wanted to
answer charge of the murder of John
Willis OF Port Penn, a brother of james
l., Willis Of the Clayton House, whose
body was discovered in the Delaware
|
Silver Ran, on the morning of July LIST.
Ills death was shrouded in mystery at
the time, and the only solution that
could be offered was that he had acci-
dentally fallen from the boat and was
| drowned.
This was the theory advanced by his
companions at the inquest held the day
the body was found, and while there
were grave doubts in the minds of the
| jurymen as to the manner Of death,
they rendered verdict Of accidental
drowning. James l.. Willis, brother of
the DECEASED, was at the inquest, having
been summoned to Port Penn by Mayor
Reybold. The latter was notified by j.
| W. Nandegrift, to whose house the body
was taken. AT the conclusion of the in.
| quest the body was inferred at Hickory
Grove cemetery. 1t was so badly dc.
| composed that it was deemed advisable
to bury it at once, and no medical ex-
animation seems To have been made of
the remains.
After the body had been buried there
were suspicious that tue man had been
foully dealt with. James l.. Willis was
informed OF these suspicious and when
he came to Wilmington he called on
| Deputy Attorney General Giles and in
formed him of his fears regarding his
brothers. death. Mr.. Giles at once con-
suited Attorney General Nicholson, and
as q result OF their conference state
Detectives Witsil and McVey were
called in and the matter placed in their
hands.
They went Immediately to work on
the case and believe that their efforts in
this direction will be the ultimate means
Of lifting the veil surrounding the mys-
terry and bringing the guilty parties to
| justice. The circumstances surrounding
the death of Willis, as told by those
familiar with the case, are as follows:
On the afternoon Of July 29th Willis,
in company with Captain John Nc
COLON and William Heiutzelman, left
Augustine Pier in skf for their
fishing cabin along the Delaware river.
McCollom was taken to the skiff by
Samuel Yearsley and was intoxicated.
Willis and lleintzelman, with three
bird dogs, were in the skiff waiting for
Captain McCollom, and when Yearsley
brought him to the boat Willis gave him
seat in the stern. McCollom got
indignant aud heaped curses upon
Willis. He dared him to go out on the
wharf with him to fight. Realizing
that the man was drunk, Willis paid no
attention to his abuse, but Selling an
oar pushed the boat out into the stream.
Then the sail was holsted, and the boat
proceeded on its course down the river,
with Willis at the helm.
When the skiff got a quarter of a
mile below Augustine Pier Willis and
Heintzelman put in under the long
bridge. They rested there for two
hours and half in the shade to allow
McCollom to sober up. Neither OF the
other two men were drunk, at least
Hcintzelman says so. After McCellom
had recovered his normal condition they
pushed out again into the stream, this
time McCollom taking the helm. They
were going in the direction of the fish
ing cabin, where they remained when
not engaged in sturgeon fishing.
j. w. Vandegrift saw the skitf pass
Reedy Island lighthouse. He says there
were three men in the boat at that time.
McCollom was sitting in the stern, with
Willis at his side. Heintzelman was in
the bow of the boat, facing McCollom
and Willis. They were next seen
passing down the river in front Of Van
degrift's house by Mrs. Fandegrift and
colored servant, a quarter OF mile
below Reedy Island lighthouse. They
were within 100 yards Of the shore and
the occupants OF the boat were easily
distinguishable. McCollom and Willis
were still in the stern of the skiff and
the position of Heintzelman was the
same. From this point further trace Of
the three fishermen was lost.
About 100 yards below this house, on
the Delaware side, is where MI. Vande-
grlft discovered the body of Willis, at
D o'clock sunday morning, two days
after the man is supposed to have been
drowned. The water in which the
body lay was only four feet deep. The
body was face downward in the sand.
The face of the dead man was very
much discolored and the tongue was
prOtudng.
The fisherman first reported the dis
appearance OF their companion to
Simeon Lord, proprietor OF the hotel at
Augustine Pier on the following day.
McCoiiom came up to Lord and said,
ave lost Willis"
"How did you lose him?" asked Lord.
1--WE don't know; he got out of the
boat somehow"
81 suppose he got out and went
home?" Lord next asked.