New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-08-21
III LOOKS LIKE A MURDER
THE BODY OF A MAN FOUND ON ROCK
AWAY POINT.
TWO BULLET HOLES IN HIS HEAD FEW
CLEWs TO HIS IDENTITY-THEO-

Ni-E"o IL MS IDENT1TN-T1IEO-
RIES OF THE CORONER
Coroner Smith. Of Hampstead, and the Long ISL
and authorities have another mystery on their
hands Late on Sunday afternoon, while Meyer
and Fisher. Daymen who have huts on the extreme
point OF Rockaway Beach. were coming in from a
hshing trip they saw the body of a man floating
In the water. 1t was being washed up and down
on the beach by the incoming and outgoing waves
The two fishermen dragged the body out of the
reach Of the waves. and covered 1t with a piece
OF canvas. Then they walked five miles to the
Rockaway Park telegraph office and informed
Coroner Smith at Hampstead
Yesterday morning he went down to the Point
and after viewing the body sent for undertaken
When the body lifted into the undertakers
wagon. 1t was discovered that the had two
bullet holes in his head. A bullet had passed
through the eye and out through the back of his
head. The man had thrty-two calbre revolver
IN his right hand hip pocket when found. There
was nothing In the mans clothing to indicate his
identity with the exception OF bunch OF five keys.
a pocket knife and small pair of scissors. on
his shirt and collar in indelibe ink the letters
r. F. r." on the collar was also the figure "S."
The man was dressed in suit of black basket
cloth of fine material He had a white shirt.
and white butterfly necktie, a pair OF congress
gaiters and black stockings.
The body badly decomposed The ap-
peared 10 be about thirty-hve years Old about five
feet eight inches in height and weighed about 80
pounds. Coroner Smith and the undertaken. FitZ-
patrick. Of Far Rockaway. think that the body has
been in the water at least three weeks. and
into the Point with the tide.
Coroner Smith advanced theory that the man
might have had two revolvers and shot himself with
OF them. He might have committed suicide on
board OF steamer and fallen overheard as
he fired the fatal shot. he might have been muir
dered board of the steamer and thrown over
board. The revolver a ane Of nickel plate.
and was badly rusted. This fact Coroner Smith said
convinced him that the man had been in the water
for time nickel would not rust readily All
the chambers Of the revolver charged.
The keys that found in the mans pocket
Of peculiar shape. Two Of them are hardly
a half an inch long and are either keys to strong
box or a watchmans signal box. The other keys
ordinary door keys. The knife was corn Ian
Get with a white bone handle. The scissors were
OF the small pocket kind. DR.. Caldwell. Of Far
Rockaway. will perform the autopsy to-day. and
make his report the coroner when the inquest
takes place on Friday afternoon next at O'Clock.
II II not for the man having his revolver
in his hip pocket Coroner Smith would say that
the committed suicide. but as the revolver
found In the pocket and none OF the chambers
empty. he believes that the man was murdered
He will make thorough investigation and try TO
find out who the whether he met foul
play or not. II is singular thing about the case
that none Of the thousands OF people who were AT
Rockaway Beach on Sunday or the police heard
The place where the body found ia almost
Wilderness. There are no houses within hve miles
OF the point with the exception OF Few hsher-
mems huts.