Democratic Northwest and Henry County news. [volume] (Napoleon, O. [Ohio]) 1894-1905, 1894-09-27
MYSTERIOUS !.
Jos, MGCurdy'S Body Found in
a Badly DsCOmpOsed Condition.
No Evidences to Support Murder Or
Suicide Theory.


Haly received notice that the dead
body of a young man had been found
in a field on the farm of William Nc
Curdy, about two and one-half miles
northwest of Mcclure. 1t being late
at night when notice of the find was
received, and the information being
that the body was badly decomposed,
the Coroner issued authority to the
young men who had brought the
news, to remove the body from the
lonely place in which it was found.
But decomposition was too far ad-
vanced to permit of the body being
taken to the house, so it was carried
into an enclosed woods near by where
a lonely watch was kept until Mon
day morning, when Coroner Haly,
accompanied by DR.. Bloomfield, pro-
ceeded to the scene to make an eX-
animation into the cause of death.
The body proved to be that of JOS
McCurdy, eighteen years old and the
son of William McCurdy on whose
farm the corpse was found.
1t appears that on Tuesday, the
18th inst, young McCurdy had been
to Mcclure and returning inthe even
ing had eaten his supper with the
family and about s O'Clock left the
house, saying he was going to put the
horses into the pasture. This was
the last seen of him until the body
was found, Sunday afternoon, by his
mother. His failing to return Tues
day evening did not alarm his parents
who concluded that he must have
gone back to Mcclure, and when he
did not return Wednesday they con-
cluded that he had perhaps came to
Napoleon to seek employment. But
his not returning and not hearing
from him began to alarm the family
and a search was instituted resulting
in the finding of the body in a fence
corner, in corntield about sixty rods
from the house, Sunday afternoon.
Upon their arrival at the McCurdy
farm on Monday morning the Coroner
and physician found the body in a
fearfully decomposed condition.
Theory upon theory as to the cause
of death was advanced but critical
examination of the body failed tc
substantiate either a theory of murder
or suicide. The body was found ly-
ing concealed in the weeds in fence
corner but there were no evidences
in the surroundings to indicate a
struggle of any kind. While the body
would indicate that he had walked
to the spot and laid down, it was
thought probable that he might have
fallen from the fence and broken his
neck, but upon examination the neck
was found not to be broken. Upon
the theory that he may have been
murdered the scalp was removed
from the head but no contusions
could be found indicating that he
had been struck with any blunt in
strument and no marks could be
found pointing to gunshot wound.
A partial examination of the stomach
was made but failed to show traces
of poison, the examination showing,
however, that death had occurred
within short time after the young
man had eaten his supper. A por-
ton of the stomach was brought to
tins city by the Coroner and will be
subjected to chemical analysis for
the purpose of ascertaining whether
OF not the young man may have com
mitted suicide by taking poison. But
neither DR.. Haly. nor DR.. Bloomfield
seem to take much stock in the poison
theory. Both say the cause of death
is one of the most mysterious that
has ever come within their observa-
ton, but are inclined to a belief that
the young man was taken sick, wan
dered to the spot, laid down and died
within an hour or two after eating
his supper.
William McCurdy, father of the de-
ceased, is a. minister of the Gospel of
the United Bretheren faith, and at
the time of his sons mysterious death
was absent at conference, and the
young man appears to have been one
of ordinary intelligence and there ap-
pears to have been no motive for
suicide, although it is not impossible
that in fit of temporary insanity he
may have taken his own life. 1t ap-
pears that about year ago a sister
of the deceased did commit suicide
and while there is no determinable
evidence as yet that young McCurdy
took his own life it is not an unreason-
able conclusion that he did, but as
long as there is nothing to support
the suicide or murder theory the only
reasonable conclusion is that he took
sick while in the field wandered to
the fence corner and died where, he
was found.
The Coroner has not yet rendered
a formal decision as to the cause OF
death.