Evening star., 1897-01-07
DRAGGING THE RIVER
Joseph Collins Goat and Hat Found on q
Wharf.
There Was . Splash. but No One Ssss
Him Jump-The Body Has
Not Been Recovered.

This coat and hat belongs to Joseph
Collins, No. S05 M street northwest" was
written on a piece of paper and left with a
hat and coat that were found on Wimsatt
& Uhler's wharf at the foot of 9th street
yesterday afternoon. The note had been
written by the Joseph Collins mentioned in
1t, and the police and wharf hands who
gathered about the river front soon after a
splash was heard felt certain that the body
was In the river. No cne saw the man
when he went in the water. but he was
seen Just few second before the splash
was heard. and a colored wharf hand saw
the man when he took off his hat and coat.
Mrs. Collins, the supposed widow, lives
at the house mentioned, and although her
husband did not return home last night
she clings to the hope, as she expressed It,
that he only left his hat and coat there to
fool her.
Joseph Collins came to this country about
one years old, and his pretty little wife was
two years his junior About the time of
their arrival In this country a child was
tern to them. and two years ago another
member OF the family was born. Collins
was an electrician and was senior member
of the firm of Joseph Collins & Co, electri-
clans. at 4O1 7th street northwest His ia
ther Is an engineer employed at the Hotel
Emricn and his brother is also employed
there. Before coming to this city Collins
and his little family lived in Philadelphia.
Believed to Be Collins,
Friends of the missing man who heard
OF the affair had no doubt about the sad
endlns OF the electrician, and one of them
said he had heard Collins make a remark
ABOUT committing suicide early yesterday
morning.
What could have been the reason for his
taking his own life his wife cannot imagine
lie was very affectionate man. who spent
most OF his evenings with his wife and
children, and he was not a drunkard If
may be that his business was not the best
In the world, and that this had made him
despondent. But if this was the cause his
wire was ignorant of 1t, for he had not told
her of any financial troubles So far as
she knew, he was doing as good a business
as ever, and certainly he was as loving and
anectionate about home as ever for only
the night before last he spent his evening
at home and played with the children
When the coat and hat had been found
and the police were told of the splash that
was heard. Policeman Marshall made an
investigation. The man whom it is sup
posed was Collins had been seen on the
wharf. colored man had seen him re-
move his hat and coat and then he dis
appeared behind a pile of lumber. The
man carried in his hand what appeared to
be satchel, but no satchel could he found
about the wharf.
Body Not Found.
This caused the suspicion that the satchel
was weighted, and that perhaps it had
heen fastened to his body before he jumped
fr the water. in order that he might make
certain of being kept beneath the surface
long enough to cause death before he could
be rescued. Members of the crey of the
police boat Joe Blackburn were soon drag
gng for the body, but darkness came on
before their search had been successful
and the work had to be abandoned Until
this morning. Last night Mrs Collins call
ed at the fourth precinct station, and there
she identified the coat and hat as her nus
bands property. In the pockets of His
coat was his pocket book. as we'll as
bunch of keys, and these she also identified
as belonging to her husband. There was
no money in the pocket book
Notwithstanding this complete identifica-
ton, coupled with the circumstances mer.-
toned. the little woman refused to believe
that her husband had taken bis life. He
had been so good to her. she said that she
could not believe the worst. She has no
relatives in this country other than her
two children.
This morning the work of dragging The
river for Collins body was resumed. bat
the body had not been recovered at .
o clock this afternoon.