The Clarksburg telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1874-1926, 1895-09-27
Murderer SdieideY

IhlLiPPI, w. VA, Sept. 23.-
Barbour county comes 10 the
front again with another shock.
ing suicide. Herbert Wolf, a boy
ten years old, made a horrible
discovery yesterday morning
while gathering chestnuts on the
banks Of the historic Tygart's
Valley river at a point one mile
below town. About 8 o'clock in
the morning he observed some
suspicious looking object in the
river that seemed to be lodged
against a rock that protruded
from the surface of the water,
and with a companion he went
out in a skiff to investigate, and
was Mortified to find that it was
ii e body of a man. The waves
made by the skiff started the
body to float away from the rock,
but it lodged again against some
willows along the bank of the
river a short distance below and
close to the track of the Grafton
& Belington railroad.
1t proved to be the body Of
Columbus Freddy. a prominent
farmer. who had lived about two
miles from the river, and who
left his home under strange cir.
cumstances last Tuesday morn
ing. A large leg cham was
fastened around his body dag
onally, and the rein of a bride
was tied around him at the waist.
band. A part of a common mill
sack was pulled down over his
head and then tied with a cord
around the neck.
He was identified by friends
and relatives by the clothing and
a day book which was found on
his person. There was nothing
else in his pockets but a copper
cent and a penknife. His fea-
lures were horribly blackened
and distorted and it would have
been impossible to recognize him
except as above. The jury after,
hearing the statement OF DIR. J.
w. Bosworth, and the evidence
of Henry Bennett and Dowden
Boyles, adjourned TO Justice
Hovatter's office to prepare a
verdict, and preparations were
made to bury the corpse last
evening in the Philippi cemetery;
but the jury learned before they
had their verdict ready that
Friedly's hat had just been found
on the river bank, a short dis.
lance above where the body had
been found. and that the crown
of the hat. which was a stiff one,
had been crushed and the rim
partly broken off. The jury went
to the cemetery, and after the
coffin had been placed in the
grave they decided to have q
complete post norton examina.
ton made. The coffin was taken
out of the grave and removed to
the Philippi Iron Foundry where
DIR. Bosworth. assisted by DR.. @.
B. Williams, made a thorough
autopsy. but discovered no marks
of violence, and at eleven o'clock
the jury rendered a verdict to the
effect that Columbus Friedly
committed suicide by drowning.
The interment then took place at
once.
Friedly was a single man,
about thirty-seven years of age,
sober, honest and Industrious and
was not known to have any enc
mics. He lived with his two
sisters; and on Tuesday morning
he started to Philippi, but re-
turned to the house in a short
time, not coming to town.
THE editor of this paper and
Mr.. Friedly at one time were
school mates. He was a popular
young man of pleasant address.
His father Joe Friedly was a
stone cutter and worked a long
time on the Government build
ing in this city.-ED.
Williams & DAVIDSON Company
Wholesale Hardware dealers are