Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-08-10
FOUND IN tHE RIVER
Body Of an Unknown Nan Taken From the
Potomac.
Removed to the fer<ae-So One as
Yet.Has Been Able to Identify
the Remains.

was found floating in the Potomac this
morning, shortly before o'clock. a few
hundred yards east of the Aqueduct bridge,
and almost opposite Tenney's Touring mills
The discovery was made through an acct
dent A crowd of boys were in swimming
at this point. and one of their number, a
son of Mr.. Ben. BranEeH, while out in the
water almost struck floating object with
a peculiar smell. 1t did not take him long
to see that 1t was corpse. and, scared at
the discovery, he swan to shore as quickly
as possible and gave the alarm.
The Body Brought to Shore.
Messrs. Gus Grimes and William Edin-
burg. two boatmen, who were near at hand,
heard the excited talk of the boys, and
securing a small boat rowed out to the
scene. They soon reached the body, and
had NO difficulty in tying a rope around it
and hauling it in shore. Policemen Brown
and Lucas stationed at the entrance to the
Aqueduct bridge, were notified in the mean
while and they summoned the patrol wa
gon. The body remained at the wharf but
short time before the arrival of the pa
troll though in the short space of time a
number of persons with morbid curiosity
looked at It, Out of this grew report that
the man had jumped from the Aqueduct
fridge and committed suicide, which was
Ii.
Of the condition of the corpse, the body was
rot taken to the poorly equipped morgue
at the seventh precinct. but was carried in
haste to the morgue at the sixth precinct
where better facilities for keeping the re-
mains are afforded.
Description of the Remains.
The body is that of middle-aged man
and is in comparatively well preserved
condition. Evidently it had not been in the
water longer than two days. but in that
short space of time there was some effect
produced, the face being bloated and hands
decomposing.
The body is that Of man about five
feet seven inches in height, with a rather
stout appearance, Weighing in the neighbor-
hood Of 165 pounds. The face in life was
apparently full. with red W hskers and mus
tache. The upper set OF teeth were false
The dress was pretty respectable, the body
being clothed in black diagonal suit. The
deceased wore an undershirt. and an outing
shirt, with reddish stripes The cuffs were
held together with a pair of gold buttons
the center piece of which was a large p
fully three-quarters of an inch in length.
The hat was missing. and there were nc
shoes covering the feet pair of brown
stockings showing up. In life the deceased
was evidently democrat, as Bryan pc
litical button was fastened in the lapel OF
the coat When searched nothing was
found in the pockets but memorandum
book which contained the names of 2
rumber of Washington people. giving rise
to the belief that the unfortunate
canvasser. The only 1sWelry outside of the
cuff buttons was silver open-faced watch
with a Springfield movement. with the
name of Schmidt OF San Francisco en-
grayed on it. I
Not Yet identified.
The identity Of the unfortunate canno
he ascertained From the police record.
there is no description of missing people
which tallies with that Of the drowned
eide is only a matter Of conjecture. Some
people believe that the abseIce of the shoes
| is clear indication that it was a case o.
self destruction, while there are others wht
are of the opinion that the man, in seekins
relief from the heat. hskd down near tn,
river shore 60 cool Qff4-i>Rd in hif> sleep roll
ed overheard and was drowned. This latter
surmise seems the most plausible TIL.
body will be held at the morgue for identi
f1catioE, and II no 4one claims the corpse
1t Will be inferred by the District author
tiles in potter's field.
No one had called at the morg,1e I'M n .
o'clock this afternoon to see the BODY of
the dead man. Who he Is the police have
not yet aSceftained. In searching the BODY
Tor some means of identification the
morgue keeper found q notebook which
contained the names of several typewrit-
erS copyists and ladies who have done
work in printing offices. In addition 10
these, there are the names of a number Of
department clerks and several residents OF
MQntsomery county. Md, as well as of 9TH
er sections OF the state. The initial ..P' is
eiiproidered on his handkerchief and is
also on his pear cuff buttons in gold let