Evening journal., 1899-03-06
WALLS BODY FOUND.
Remains of the Drowned Man
Recovered in Mill Creek.
THE MYSTERY CLEARED UP

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l1lHE DECEASED MAN DISlAPPEAR.
'nD FlRCnI HOMIE ON SATURDAY.
JANUARY IA, AND HAD NOT
SINCE BEEN sEEN-FAMILY IN
DEsIGnUTE CIRCUMSTANCES.
The body Of Benjamin f. Walls, who
was drowned in the Christiana river ON
the night of January IA last, was found
yesterday afternoon in Mill creek.
James b. Stokes and John Saunders
were walking along the shore Of Mll
creek, near where it emptes into the
Chrsdana at the pulp works, when
they noticed an object lying upon the
mud Of the bank which looked like a
d1g. Closer investigation, however
proved it to be the body OF a drowned
man, and securing a rope the men tied
the remains to the pulp works wharf
and at once notified the coroner. wb3
took charge Of the remains.
Body IDENTIFUED.
Deputy Coroner Giles at once hasten
ed to the scene and, taking charge of
the c5Irse, conveyed it to the morgue
where, though in a bad state of de-
composition, it was recognized as that
Of Benjamin +. Walls. The body. when
recovered, was dressed in a black coat
and vest, sea, brown overeoat and
pants Of a fine striped pattern. and i'm
the pockets OF the clothing were found
besides the fifty-five cents. a pair of
steel riding-bOw spectacles. a two-foot
carpenters rule, long, heavy earpen-
ters pencil, small combination impro-
yised chalk line and plumb line. pearl
handled knife tool chest key and the
following credits from The instalment
house Of F. Altman, SC7 West Second
street; May Is, s.; May %, 81; June s.
81; June 10, 50; September /, 81.
AN inquest viii be held to-day.
MYSTERIOUS DIsAPPEARlANCE.
The finding Of the body Of Walls
ciears up mystery which has remain
ed unsolved since the might cf Januarv
II last. On that night William Green
the bridgtender at Market street
bridge, heard cries for help coming
from the Christiana, and running to
the railing and looking over saw a man
struggling in the water. He and some
other men tried to rescue him. A rope
and a p,le were put down to the man.
but he was too weak TO grasp Them
and sank undsr the water with the
cry TOO ate" A boat was launched
as quickly as possible and search
was made for the body, but it could
not be found.
IA cap was found floating near the
spot where Walls sank, and through It
the mans identity was partially estab-
llshed, although it was at first sup
posed that the man was a member of
the crew Of the British steamer Pemi-
ana, which was then at Harlan and
for repairs.
Francis Began, might watchman at ].
Morton Poole's shors. said that he
heard the man calling for help. 1t
seemed so close. that he thought some
one was in the little Matchbox at the
edge Of the water. The next he heard
was down towards the bridge, and he
supposed that the man had been saved.
The cap was afterward identified by
Mrs. Walls, who lived at Reed and
Adams streets, as she one worn by her
husband.
On the morning of January IA he left
home to go TO work, but did not return
as usual on Saturday night. For sew
7ral days men grappled in the Christi
ana i'm the hope cf finding the body,
but were forced to give up the hunt.
The cold weather kept the body under
the water longer than usual, and. an
hopes of ever recovering it were given
up by Walls family. Some peop.e
were Of the opinion that Walsl was not
drowned, and one theory advanced by
he police was that he had crawled out
ln one OF The barges and got away UNI
seen by the persons who were looking
Tor him.
FAMILY IN NEED.
The disappearance Of Walls left his
family, composed cf a wife and one
,hild, in destitute circumstances and
broke up a once happy home. Mrs.
Walls was of the cpinicu that her hus-
band met with foul play, and said she
was positive he was pushed overheard
by some Of his enemies. A short time
before he was drowned Walls was seen
In a saloon IN Front street near Ship
ley. An examination of the body was
made yesterday by the coroner, but no
marks of -four play were found,
As there were 60 many conflicting
-umors regarding his disappe peaTance and
his body supposed to have beenseen
IN many different localities, the Board
Of Police Commissioners offered a re-