Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1899-12-28
YOUNG EYRE'S
BOAT FOUND.
A Tug Ran Across 1t While
Floating in the Direction
Of Red Bank.
OARS ALSO DISCOVERED

ENiDENCES POINT MORE THAN
EVER TO MURDER BY RIVER
THIEvEs--A SECOND sKlrF
WITH oARLocKs GONE PICKED
UP.
Chester, Pa, Dec. 2S-Traces cf
missing George B. Eyre, OF this city.
are beginning to appear, but as yet
there Is nothing to prove what has
been his fate. An empty skin. believed
TO be the one In which Eyre started out
on his cunning expedition from tho Al
pha Boat Club house last Thursday
morning, was seen drifting In mid
stream near Fort Mlfflin on Tuesday
by Captain Groop. OF the tug John
Reese, passing up the river
On the tug were Henry Lawson and
several other Philadelphians, and their
attention was particularly attracted to
the boat because OF its clean-cut ap-
pearance and fine finish It was
regular cunning sldf. sharp at both
ends, and painted a dark green or
brown. There We're no oars, and as far
as could be seen the boat was empty.
u was drifting down the river toward
Red Bank, n. j., where is Is supposed
to have gone ashore
The importance Of investigatnr The
skin did not occur to those on the Tug
until It was too late to go back They
were on urgent business. and so did nol
stop. From he drift OF the skin, It hal
evidently started some miles from
where 1t was seem
The second boat missing frcm The
boathouse, that of B G. Ladomus, was
found floating In The Delaware near
this city. Its condition indicated tha.
It had been sent adrift barely a half
hour before it was seen and recovered.
The boat had been stripped even to the
oar-locks by the thieves who evidently
had the intention of Disgusting 1t with
paint, but alarmed at the turn tie H.
vestigaticn had taken the thieves had
quietly showed it into the river
Tho theory that Eyre was murdered
az the boathouse is sustained by q sig
nihcant fact mat the river pirates
broke into the houses and made a big
haul In sails, ropes and oar locks. ana
the fact that they did net take the lat-
ter leads TO the belief that they woe
interrupted, and the interruption was
the return Of Mr. Eyre. who surprised
them at work. Fearing recognition
for the pirates have a rendezvous IS
this city, 1t is possible they assaulted
him, weighted and threw the body into
the river, first stripping of his dia-
mond rings and taking his gold watch
There Is one man, Theodore Rob-
erts, advanced In years, who claims
that he saw a man in Mr. Eyre's CONE
lpany on Thursday. when the latte. da-
parted on his cunning trip Mr. p0r-
erts was standing on the Sugar Nill
wharf, which Is some distance from
the Alpha Boat Club house lsnding.
and he says he heard two men talking
and saw them depart in "a boat. bat he
did not recognize the man with Evre
James Pierce, the fisherman who has
been mentioned as the probable ccm-
panion OF Mr. Eyre on Thursday has
established an alibi. On that day ne
was working at the Consumers Ice
plant, and did not see the young man
lat ALL
j There was brought to police head
Quarters yesterday afternoon an oar
which was identified by several mem-
bers Of the Alpha Boat Club as belong
/. ing to the boat in which Eyre started
! out on his shooting trin now neariv =
week ago. It was picked m Tuesdrr
! afternoon on the nats at the Cherry Isl
/ land lighthouse, just before Else
Moor by the wife Of the keeper of tho
= lighthouse. William d. Randle who
) a prominent member OF the Alpha B0it
: Club, and son OF Captain w. G. Ran6ie
formerly commander of the steamer
st. Louis, went down the river yester-
day, secured the oar and brought it 70
the city. Nearly a score OF friends o.
! young Eyre and members of the boat
club crowded the little office Of Chief
OF Police Berry soon after the oar was
brought in as it was the first trace dis
covered OF the missing man since his
disappearance. Young Randle was
positive the oar belonged 10 Eyre's
s boat. as were also John r. Mowry
). president Of the Alpha Boat Club
n Walter Harvey, B G. Ladomus and
others.
Just above Gordon Heights another
Il piece Of an oar was found floating in
the Delaware. It is supposed 10 be 8
part Of one of Eyre's oars.