Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1895-11-14
THE PAPERS TRANSLATED
A Passport Which Reveals
Some Information.
THE PORT PENN MYSTERY
The Mans Pockets Laden with
Religious Manuscript.
Editor Koock OF the Freie Presse Assists
the Coroner In Investigating tho Affairs
OF the Man Whose Dead BODY Was Found
Last Wednesday at Port Penr--The Death
Still Shrouded IN Mystery.

The identity OF the man whose dead
body was found in the water at Port
Penn on Wednesday last is about set
tied, but the manner of his death is
still a profound mystery, as are also the
circumstances which led up to his
demise and his career. According to
the best Of information obtainable the
mans name was Carl Heinrich
Claussen, and he was born in Tubingen,
Wurtemburg, Germany, in 1874, 81
years ago
A. j. Kooch, editor of the Freie
Presse, the. local German daily paper,
was called in by Deputy Coroner
Chandler last evening to interpret the
letters, books and papers that were
found on the dead body. The first
thing examined was passport book,
which was issued in Tubingen, to Carl
Heinrich Claussen, and which expired
on January 2Sth of the current year.
The passport thus described the per
son in whose name 1t was made out,
and who is supposed to have been the
dead man. He was Of slight build,
dark brown hair, gray eyes, and oval
face; no particular marks on the body.
The age was also given. The SUPPOSE
tion is that Claussen took out the pass.
port when he left the country OF his
nativity. his object evidently being to
travel, either in other parts Of Germany
or in other European countries. He
probably travelled in Europe for awhile
and finally drifted to America.
A letter, which was also found on
the man, and which was received in
Germany, was addressed to the same
person as the one In whose name the
passport was made out Part of the
letter was gone, and there was no name
and no date by which it could be
traced. All that could be made out was
the following: 60 have endeavored to
impress on him to send you money to
come 10 this country" 1t was written
In German, but the words given are
the translation into English. The pre-.
sumption is that he was in Germany
when he received the letter and was
induced to come to America. But
when this was is not known and there
is nothing that will point out the time
OF its receipt. The water has effaced
the figures on the postmark
\ note book, which was among tho
mans belongings showed that he was.
a cabinetmaker and that he had been
working for somebody (no name givenl
who owed him s14. The book had &C.
counts scattered about through 1T,
which II is thought pertained TO his
personal affairs.
The indications arc that he was either
very religious man or was a religious
crank, from the fact that most Of the
papers-and there were many of them
on the body--were religious manuscript
copies evidently written by himself.
There were several original religious
compositions and one OF the PsalmG
was rewritten. One sheet of paper,
which was covered with religious manu-
script was 14x21 inches. All of tho
papers had been nicely folded up and
the owner was evidently preserving
them with care
Besides the papers the only other
articles found were pocket knife,
five cents and pocket full of apples.
As stated in Every Evening yester-
day, among the papers was tax
receipt issued in 1892, at Smithfield,
Pa. Deputy Coroner Chandler will
communicate with the Smithfleld
authorities for any information that
can be obtained there about the man.
Mr.. Kooch will write to the Mayor OF
Tubingen also and ascertain IL possible
IL anything Is known about the man
there. 1t is thought that his identity
can be definitely established in this
manner, and possibly other informa-
tion may be obtained that will throw
some light on the mysterious death.
Nobody in Delaware appears to know
anything about the man, but peopla
who saw him in the vicinity of Port
Penn before the body was found are of
the opinion that he was Of unbalanced
mind.