The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1901-06-12
Body Found on Buzzard's ROOst,
New Catlin, ILL.,, Partially
Identified Again.
THOUGHT IT WAS HIS SON.
Charles w. Shafer Had Claimed
the Remains as Those of His
Boy, but. Doubling. Had
the Body Reburied.

REPCBLIC SPECIAL.
Dany ille ILL.,. June ll.-Charles W. Shafer.
n wealthy and prosperous farmer. living
near Brunswick. Md. arrived here this
afternoon for the purpose of taking home
the remains of his son, Wilmer o. Shafer.
identified the corpse found on Buzzard's
Roos;. near Catlin. on May - with pistol
shot in the skull.
So certain was Mr.. Shafer that the corpse
was his son that he purchased n casket and
took ii to the grave. but on viewing the re-
mains he BEGAN 10 doubt and. not wishing
10 take back home with him a corpse which
was not fully identified. he caused Il to be
reburied until he made further investiga-
tion.
This is the fourth time the corpse has
been exhumed and re5ur.ed since its dis
covery.
Charles Harrison. City Marshal of Ridge
Farm. ILL.,: Henry Farr. a well-to-do livery
man of Sherwood, Ind. and Charles Byers
of Glenburn all vanished mysteriously. and
their families and friends caused the first
three openings Of the grave.
IL was at the last opening that two re-
ceipts were discovered that had been over
looked at the inquest and two preceding
eNhumations. These receipts were for pay
men; for subscription to the Valley Regis
given 10 Wilmer o. Shafer and T. II. Will
lard. eN-Sherifr. The publisher of the Valley
Register was communicated with. and sent
in reply these two messages:
Identified ms wilmer O. Shafer.
Midd.etown. Nd. June s.-wilmer o. Shafer Is
a son Of Charles W. Shafer. prominent ard
wsll-to-do farmer living near Middietown. He
left here several months ago late at night while
supposed be suffering from Brghts disease
and not heard from until several weeks later
in Indianapolis.
ISigned, VALLEY REGISTER.
Middletown. Nd. June lo.--Corcner's letter re-
ceived. There Is 10 doubt Of the body's being Sha
fer's. He was aged es. Left home the first week
in April. Wrote home some weeks later from
Indianapolis. and nothing has been heard from
him since He was engaged be married. and
his physician told him that he had Brights dis
ease and that IL he married he would not live
long 1t is thought that this preyed his mind
and caused him 10 go West and commit suicide.
Shafer was the manager Of his grandfather's
large farm and was an estimable man. No bad
habits. He a wealthy granifather's pet.
had $50 Of his own in bank and took $500 with
him when he left. He ought still to have a good
sum. as he would not spend 1t fooiishiy lie left
his gold watch ring and best clothes at home.
Send copy each newspaper containing anything
Of story.
tSigne4l VALLEY REGISTER.
Mr.. Shafer says that the two receipts
were given by the publisher OF the Valley
Register to the grandfather Of young Sha-
fer. and by him handed to the grandson. 1t
has also been established that the silverine
watch was sold by the manufacturer. the
Waltham company. to Max Kohner. q re-
tail jeweler in Baltimore. Nd. who kept no
record of its sale.
What caused Mr.. Shafer to doubt the
identity was the fact that he received a let
ter written April II from his son. who was
then working for an IndianaDolis! Ind,
dairyman.
The remains bore every appearance when
found of having been dead from six to
eighteen months Buzzards had picked all
the flesh of the face and hands and sep
arated the head from the body. The shoes
were coarser than young Shafer wore.
MANY think 1t Is q murder from the fact
that the ball found in the skull was a No.
p caliber. while the pistol lying by his
side was a No. 80. and that the body. after
life had departed. was dragged to the top
of the lonely hill known as Buzzards Roost
and a pistol placed by its side to lend cred
ence to the theory of suicide.
Mr.. Shafer. the father, leaves for Indi-
annapolis tonight to endeavor to locate tho
dairyman for whom his son was working.
He has faint hopes Of finding his son alive.