The daily morning journal and courier., 1901-05-11
WILLIE MCCORMICK IS DEAD
MESSING BOY'S BODY FOUND NEAR
 HIS PARENTS HOME.

Discovered Floating in n Creek-Au-
 thorities and Family Believe He Was
 Disappeared Six Weeks Ago-It Was
 First Thought That He Was Kid
 mapped.
 New York, May 1o-The body of
 twelve-year-old Willie Mccormick,
 who disappeared from his home at
 High Bridge six weeks ago, was to- day found floating on the surface of | Cromwells creek not far from the Me- | Cormicl1 home by two boys who were
 playing on the banks of the creek. By the clothing policeman identified the body which was in such state of de- composition that the features were not recognizable. The Mccormick family was notified and the father and sister
 of the dead boy completed the identifi-
 cation.
 Miss Margaret Mccormick the sister,
 was the first member of the family to reach the place where the body was placed on being taken from the water The scene when the weeping girl rec
 ognized the body and was convinced
 beyond doubt that her brother, who
 had been away from his home for six
 weeks lay before her was pitiful.
 Of the fact that it was the body of
 her brother there could be no doubt
 for the clothing that he wore when he
 1aFt eti rha'
 weeping girl, returning met her father and fainted in his arms. Mir McCor
 mick took her home He then himself
 went to the place and positively iden- tified the pitiful corpse cast up by the river as that of his long missing son. The body was placed in the police pa trol wagon and slowly driven to High Bridge, There on stretcher it was carefully carried into the station and tenderly placed on the floor of the back room pending the coroner's in- ves.igation.
 Willie Mccormick was the twelve year-old son of William Mccormick. a retired florist, living with his family at 164th street and Ogden avenue. The dead boy was attending school at High Bridge and was an attendant at the Church of the Sacred Heart when he mysteriously disappeared. He was to have gone with his father to church on the evening of March 27 but Jagged behind on the way. He was never seen again until his body was found to-day.
 He was dressed in light check suit, tan overcoat, black stockings, laced shoes and a checked cap. William had dark hair blue eyes and oval face and was large for his age. His upper front teeth were very prominent. He was fond of his home and family and en- joyed popularity among his playmates. At scnool he was good student and l faithful in attendance, A number of were offered for the recovery | of theo body on the theory that he had been kidnapped, the aggregate amount ing to $19, ,000 The whole country had | been notified of the case through the press.
 Captain Titus in an interview to- | night relative to the recovery of the | body of Willie Mccormick said "At | the present time I am of the opinion the boys death was the result of an accident. There were no marks of vio- e1lCG. II dIyOIc Idd thiO"A thC l body into the creek 1t would have first | been weighted so that it would have below the surface. My theory | s that the boy was playing alone on he dock and fell into the water. There vas no one there to save him or give tp alarm. The torn condition of one if the pockets of the boys coat would indicate that the garment had caught ,n something under the water, hold ng the body down and thus causing 1t o escape observation. The masses of ca weeds and grasses in the creek where the body was found would also end to keep it from rising to the sur- ace. We shall keep at the case as ong as there is an iota of suspicion as o the manner in which the boy came 0 his death but personally I feel con- dent that it was an accident"
 The parents of the drowned boy and 'athe- Mullen of the Church of the acred Heart of High Bridge, who has aker an active interest in the case, aid tonight that they had abandoned he idea of foul play and that they | bought the boy was accidentally rcwned.
 Deputy Coroner HelSelHdn IHaue
 superficial examination of the body, fter which he said: From the condition of the body it is f course impossible to say with cer- linty that there are no wounds or liuries, but I am inclined to believe lat there are none. The boy in all reliability was drowned. From the ppearance of the body should judge
 had been in the water fully six eeks." Deputy Coroner Regileman said fur Ter: "If after a thorough examina- on tomorrow no marks Of violence i, re found it is more than likely that ) autopsy will be held. If the boy d ct his death by drowning 1t is not 1ssible to tell whether it was acci- r sntal or not" r