Bridgeton pioneer., 1900-08-09
JOHN TRADERS HEAD
LESS BODY Is FOUND.
The Head Has Not Yet Been
Discovered.

just upon the very day, when the
"Pioneer'' at some length reviewed
the great mystery the headless body
of John Trader was found by j. W.
B. Vannaman.
The body was found in the Endi-
colt swamp, about half-mile east
OF Fries mill. The body was horri-
IDLY decompoSed and was headless.
Mr.. Vannaman<immediately notified
various people, and Col. ]. HI. Willets
Wednesday night telegraphed Con-
stables Lore and Dare, of the finding
of the body. 1t was not known that
the body was that of Trader, but
there was little doubt of it in the
minds of the people in that vicinity.
Thursday morning at o'clock Con-
stable Lore and County Physician
Diament drove to the scene of the
finding of the body. A" Pioneer
representative from Millville was
soon upon the spot and assisted with
the Investigations.
When the authorities arrived and
took charge of the case, the body
was carefully examined and by those
in a position to know, was positively
and certainly identified as that of
John Trader. The head was missing
and has not yet been found. DR..
Sharp, of Port Elizabeth, assisted in
the professional examination. and he
gives it as his professional opinion
that the throat had been cut
The authorities are now continuing
d search for the missing head.
Murder certainly has been commit
ted if the opinion of DR.. Sharp, is
correct. Who cat the throat of the
unfortunate young man?
The body of John Trader found,
! the authorities must now bend every
effort to learn who caused hs death
and secreted the body in the jungle
where it was found.
Murder was committed. a dark,
ugly murder the like of which Cum
berland County has never known.
That means murder must be avenged.
Identification of the body is COM
plete. That Trader was the victim
of an assassin is just as certain.
That John Hand knows something
of the crime is firmly believed by
the authorities who have been work.
ing on the case.
The finding of Traders body was
wholly accidental. Wednesday, John
w. B. Vannaman went out buckle
berrying. His search for the fruit
led him into Endicott's swamp near
Manumuskin station, and while in
that dense jungle he was attracted
by peculiar odor. He went in the
direction from whence it came and
after greatest difficulty in making
his way through the thicket came
across the prostrate body of man.
In twinkling he had made up his
mind that he had solved the Trader
mystery, but he did not stop to make
any Investigations. He quickly made
his way from the place and reported
his adventure to Col. J. Howard
Willets, of Port Elizabeth.
Nothing was said to anyone of the
finding of the body but a telegram
was Immediately sent to Constable
Lore, notifying him of the finding
of a body.
At three O'Clock Thursday morning
Constable Lore and County Physician
Dlament left here for Port Elizabeth,
arriving there al five o'clock.
They were taken to the place
where the body was found. 1t was a
wild. deSolate spot, about mile and
half north of Manumuskin station
back in the swamp some four hundred
feet from the roadway. The Jungle
at this point was almost impenetrable.
After much difficulty the party ar
rived at the spot and before them lay
the fieshless bones of poor John
Trader. a9
Face downward it would have been
if the grinning skull had remained
intact with the body. The body had
Deen UnrOWn over small Sapl1ng
which had bent down beneath it's
weight. The clothing was intact,
and with the articles in the various
( pockets, made Identification possible
and sure.
A hasty examination of the place
revealed the fact that the skull of
USradar had hacOma dotoobaJ fra,,,
: the body and rolled few feet away
from the trunk. 1t was found that
Trader was dressed in two pairs of
!. s.pveralls and a blue serge coat, while
.lpderneath this were four shirts.
The watch of Trader was missing, as
was also a considerable amount of
money that was known to have been
in Traders possession shortly before
tho ri mo Of h &c n