The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-03-10
DROWNED BY THE RISING TIDE.
A. II. PrOetOr's BODY Found Under a
River Front Wharf.

The body OF a white man was found in
/ the river al the lumber wharf. formerly
/ the old ice wharf, al the foot Of Mont
gomery street, by a negro boy yesterday
shortly before 2 O'Clock. The boy was
playing around the wharf and looking I'M
der it saw the body OF a man clinging to
the piling. He called out TO a white boy
who was nearby. and the two called sew
eral men.
The body was soon recognized as that
Of A. II. Proctor. a white man in the en-
ploy Of the Mutual Gas Light Company
as a layer of gas mains. Coroner GOette
was notified and took charge of the body.
There was no means OF telling. whether
Proctor had jumped overheard with the
Intention Of committing suicide or whether
he had accidentally fallen of the wharf
while strolllng there. There vas nothing
TO raise any suspicion OF foul play with
the exception OF a mark on the nose.
which looked like a bruise, but acquaint-
ances Of the dead man stated that he had
had this mark for some time. The fact
that the mans arms were tightly clasped
around the piling would go to show that
he had made struggle TO save himself.
The strange part about this is that the
point where he was clinging 10 the pile
was just above low water mark, and the
body was under water at high tide.
There is a horrible possibility that Proc
tor fell off the wharf the night before at
low tide and catching hold OF the pile
was unable TO raise himself higher up.
The wharf being deserted at night he
could attract no one by his cries and be-
ing below the wharf his voice could not
he heard but a short distance. When high
tide came he was too weak. probably, to
raise himself higher up and was drowned.
WanH - "a n 10
truth of this theory.
Proctor had been i'll for several days and
had not been working. He had a room
over Herman Kiene's barroom on Bryan
street. but had not been seen there since
the afternoon before. When Kiene was
told that his ledger had been found
drowned in the river, he was greatly
shocked. II thought at first that Proctor
had spent the night in his room, but on
going TO the room he found that the bed
had not been occupied None of the en-
ployes of the place had seen him during
the day. Mr.. kiene said that Proctor had
not been drinking. He occasionally took
drink but had not done so for the last
three days, because of being i'll, as he
said.
Proctor had intended returning north
on the City of Augusta, which sailed yes
terday, having completed his work here
with the gas company. He was a main
layer by trade, and had been coming to
Savannah for the last several winters to
work for the gas company. He was en-
ployed in the same work by a large pipe
manufacturing concern north during the
summer months, but the ground being
frozen at the north during the winter he
worked at his trade in the south during
that season Manager J. W. Golden of the
gas company said that Proctor was a
steady, reliable man and a first-class
workman, earning good wages. He did
not know whether he had any family at
the north but thought he came from
Bridgeport, Conn.
Coroner Goethe found letters on Proc
tors person from friend in Newport r.
l., to whom he telegraphed for informa-
ton as to the disposal of the body. The
body viii be buried to-day, unless a re-
quest for its shipment to his friends in
the north is received. 1t is possible that
Proctor committed suicide but his ac-
quaintances do not think so. He was a
very quiet, reserved man and gave little
information concerning himself. His ac-
quaintances do not know whether he has
a family or any near relatives at the
north. He was between 80 and 30 years
of age. Proctor was drowned just at the
point where the steamship Laurada ran
into the lumber wharf and damaged it
several days ago.