The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1894-06-13
MYSTERY IS CLEARED
Body Of Richard CalreY Found in River
Near the Elm Street Bridge.
been IN WATER THREE months
On the Morning of March 7 Caffrey
Fell Over Retaining Wall Near Gas
House Bridge Into the Water and
Was Carried Down Stream Until
the Body Found Lodgment Against
Water Main.

The body of Richard Caffrey, who
was drowned in the Lackawanua river
about II o'clock on the morning of
March Z, was discovered yesterday aft
ernoon in the middle of the river un-
der the Elm street bridge.
Three painters. Andrew Baker, Peter
Hartman aud George Grieser, have
been at work on the Elm street bridge
for the past two weeks Ten days ago
they observed an object in the water
caught against the big main of the
Scranton Gas and Water company that
goes through the river at the lower end
of the bridge. 1t resembled the bloat-
ed carcass of a dog and that is what
they supposed it to be.
When the shower started yesterday
they sought shelter under the bridge,
and while waiting for the rain to
cease, one of them remarked that the
decomposed OBJECT ought to be loos-
ened or else the stencil would nauseate
them when they began work on the
under-structure.
Upon scrutinizing more closely the
men Were Mortified toEfnd that it was
the body of man.
The trunk of it was without any
clothing and had reached that stage of
decay where the flesh was the color of
brown wrapping paper. The Fl 'sh
was zone from the head leaving the
ghastly white skull and the upper ver-
tebrae OF the spinal column exposed.
The arms and legs were eaten away,
nothing but the bones remaining. The
trousers that the dead man wore were
turned inside out and attached by
shreds 10 the bones OF the feet.
HOW BODY WAS IDENTIFIED
BY the trousers and pscuiarity of
the teeth, Patrick CIffrsy, his brother.
identified the body. News of the dis
covery was telephoned to tho police by
the painters, and Captain Edwards de-
tailed Officer Mills to keep off the
crowds.
Coroner Kelly arrived Mt 3 80 and
impaneled the following jury: Thomas
j. Flannery, Thomas H. Kelly Officer
T. E. Mills, W. J. Scott, James Malta
and d. j. Moriarity. The body was
viewed and the testimony of the paint
ers taken. Mrs Cdffrey and her son
Patrick were positive that it was Rich
ard Catfrey and Thomas Dwyer also
swore to that effect
The jury adjourned to the hotel of
Michael Gallagher and returned YER
dict that the corpse was that Of Rich
ard Caffrey, who was drowned in the
I,no yn Nj
z, and that drowning was accidental.
Undertaken Owen Cusick was mott
fled and the remains were taken from
the stream and brought to Mr.. Gu
sicks establishment on Washington
avenue, where they were prepared for
burial. AT O'clock the funeral was
held and the body inferred in Hyde
Park Catholic cemetery.
FELL OVER THE WALL.
The dead nan lived with his wild q.
owed mother and brother at 204 EN-
NETT street. He had been employed at
the schutes OF the Bellevue breaker as
car loader. March was the regular
monthly pay day and tho Bellevue
mines did not work on the following
day. On the morning OF May 7, CAT
frey arose early and left home at 7
o'clock in the morning.
He was returning home about II
o'clock and was walking along the
Jersey Central tracks Near the gas
house there is high retaining wall
aud an old man who was fishing drift
wood ont of the river saw him topple
over this wall and roll into the river.
The old man thrust pole out to
Caifrey, but he did not grasp it and
sunk, his body not being seen there
after until it was discovered as stated
in the above facts.