Republican news item. [volume] (Laport, Pa.) 1896-19??, 1901-08-22
DROWNED IN
LAKEMOCOMA
Fishermen Discover Corpse
Floating in Water Near
Steam Boat Landing.
IDENTIFIED AS THE BODY
OF PAT BURKE.
Badly Bruised Face and Head.
Aroused Suspicion of Foul
Play. Investigated Careful
ly by Coroner's Jury.

ly by COrOner's Jury.
The dead body of Pat Burke was
found Tuesday morning at 0:3O float
ing in Lake Mokoma, one-half mile
from town, short distance below
the steam boat landing about eigh-
teen feet from shore by Fred Fitz,
Chas. Coleman, Frank Wayman and
Geo. Snyder who had gone to the
lake to fish.
The sight of this awful discovery
somewhat unnerved the boys but
they proceeded at once to bring the
body ashore and learn who it was.
With the aid of plank they sue
ceeded in reaching the corpse which
floated in the water, face partly
downward and clothed in a good suit
of black clothes. The young men
not being able to identify the 6ead
man they sent word to the Burgess
who directed them to leave the body
remain where it was and to mott
fy the Coroner, which was done.
Sheriff Osler seeing that the air was
having bad effect on the corpse or
dered it placed back into the water
and weighted with plank below
the surface that it might be better
preserved for Identification.
THE TOWN IN EXCITEMENT.
BY the time news had spread
throughout town that mans dead
body had been found in the lake and
people We're hurrying to the scene,
delegations from all sections of the
county was arriving to attend the
Democratic Convention. They, too,
swelled the crowds that went rush
ing to the lake. Coroner Rush Me
Henry, of Dushore, did not arrive
until O'clock in the afternoon and
i'm the meantime the banks of the
lake was swarming with excited and
impatient humanity over the tardi-
ness of the officers.
IDENTITY PROVEN.
When the Coroner accompanied
by DR.. Randall and Dist. Atty. Hill
arrived the dead body was brought
ashore and when seen by James
| Walsh was identified as Pat Burke,
of Bernice, others however did not
agree with him. The face was
badly blOated and black, showing
wounds about the head. The body
was borne to a wagon and taken to
Laure's barn where a p item
examination was held b
dali. On examining 7
cigar and eight cents in H..
found, also United Mine Wo,
time book bearing the name of Pa,
Burke and contained three letters,
one of which was addressed to Pat
Burke, Mildred, Pa. "A telegram
was then sent to his parents who live
at Sugar Ridge.
DIR. Randall on making an exam
ination of the body found it to meas
ure feet 10 inches, chest 3S inches,
in good state of muscular develop
ment, weight about 100 pounds, had
been dead apparently sixty hours,
showed a lacerated wound on chin
and over eye, confusion of right eye,
fresh scar over nuckel on left hand,
Deep ridge inch around neck, coag-
ulation of blood i'm throat, deep down,
no fractures or bruises on cartilage
of throat, lungs filed with water,
no evidence that wounds about head
were serious, other functions of the
body about normal, heart slightly
effected. The ridge around neck
was believed to have been caused
by shirt band. Death was evident
by drowning.
HAD BEEN INTOXICATED.
Burke was last seen alive at this
place late Friday night, lust week,
badly under the influence of liquor.
At hotel barn, during the after
noon, he was kicked on the hand by
horse and later in the day was seen
Continued on Page s.