Daily new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1897-1906, 1900-12-05
MAY BE DILL.
Dismembered Body Recalls a
Mysterious Disappear
ance.

Cattle Man Left Here Two Years ago
and was .NeYer Seen again-His Wife
and Brother were here Looking after
Him-Body hay be His Disappear.
ance of Dill Caused Sensation in Nor
gant0wn.
= MoNNEssEN, Pa, Dec. 1.-Two inn
portant things happened to-day in
connection with the mystery OF the
headless body found on the bank of
the Monongahela river at Sheppler,
just below Monessen, last week The
body, which was buried in the Belle
vernon Cemetery, was dis-inJerred and
the clothing, which is now deemed of
the utmost Importance in the way of
affording clew to the Identification
of the man, was removed and brought
to Monessen. The garments will be
kept by Undertaken r. S. Kelly
for length of time sufficient for
Identification.
1t is now recalled TO many living on
the Monongahela river in Westmore-
! land and Washington counties that
the river furnished a big mystery two
years ago in October, which may pos
sibly find its solution in the discovery
of the headless body at Sheppler. The
valley was then stirred almost to the
extent it now is. In scanning to-day
the list of missing people, whose bod
Ms have long been searched for
throughout the upper river section,
the police of Charleroi ran across the
name of George Dill, a leading stock
man and drover of Finleyville, Wash
ington county, whose disappearance
from Monongahela packet one night
was never accounted for.
DILL's STRANGE DISAPPEARANCE.
Dill was a man of large proportions,
and the fact that the body found at
Sheppler is that of nah of similar
build, moves many TO the belief that
the body of the unknown is that of
Dill. There seems TO be some war
rant for this belief. Dill bought stock
all along the Monongahela valley and
was well known and liked. He was
man over six feet tall, tipped the
beam at something over zoo pounds,
Sand Invariably dressed in black. One
customary expeditions down the river
in search of stock. He had consider
able ready money about him and wore
h handsome gold watch and chain.
Just before the steamboat stopped at
Gibsonton that night Dill was seen
about the decks. No one recalled see
ing him leave the steamboat there,
and no member of the crew saw him
about the boat after it proceeded on
its way.
The disappearance came to the
notice of the authorities through the
wife of the dead man. A brother
came from distance and offered a
reward of $1,000 for evidence that
would lead to the recovery of the
body. For days TIE river was dragged
from GibsontOn down to Lock No. A,
but not the slightest trace OF the
body could be found. Finally the
search was given up. 1t is said here
that the widow of the dead stock deal
Yer remarked.
SEEKING FOR DILL's WIDOW.
Charleroi police say that Dill was
known by many in the neighborhood
of Gibsonton, and that it had been
ynosed about that he carried consider
able money on his person whenever he
came there. 1t was suspected that
at the last moment the boat stopped
at the Gibsonton landing he concluded
a to spend the night there and left, get
ting off so hurriedly that he was hard
ly seen. Then, they believe, he was
murdered on the shore somewhere
nearby and his body so mutilated as
to cover up the crime. The Charleroi
police have already sent inquiries out
in search OF the dead stockman's
widow.
Undertaken Kelley of Monessen,
who handled the remains taken from
the river last week says that the con-
dition of the flesh indicate. that the
man may possibly have been dead fol-
IA couple of years. What flesh there
MAS left has been preserved solidly,
which rather sustains the underta-
ker's belief that death came long be-
fore the unfortunate mans body en-
tered the water. AS the flood Of a
/. week ago was the worst experienced
since the date Of Dill's disappearance,
it is possible that the decapitated
body was his, and had been washed
out from some sheltered place, where
it had been covered with rubbish.
Chief of Police Snow of Charleroi feels
convinced that the headless body will
prove to be that of the stock dealer.
THE CLOTHING RECOVERED.
The mistake in burying the clothes
with the body last Saturday was rec
titled. Undertaken Kelly drove out
to the Belleyernon Cemetery and the
coffin was taken up. The clothes
were put in bag and brought to Kel
ley's place of business, where he will
keep them to show to those who may
come in search OF missing relatives.
A second inspection of the clothe:
Yields little that Is new. Instead Of
Being made Of broadcloth, the mate
rial Is fine grade OF clay diagonal