The San Francisco call., 1904-12-30
Corpse of Professor c. P.
Converse, With Pockets
Full of Iron, Discovered
Floating by Key Line Pier
VICTIM WE'LL KNOWN
THROUGHOUT WEST
Once Prosperous Specialist
Comes to End of Life
in Poverty, Clouded Under
Mysterious Circumstances
Oakland Office San Francisco Call

OaklanQ OIlCe Dan ELdLCioNo N044s
l016 Broadway, Dee. 90
The body Of an elderly man believed
to be Professor c. P Converse, me
chanical and mining engineer, late Of
Uenver, and recently resident at 5O4
Powell street, san Francisco, was re
covered Chis afternoon from the bay off
the Key route pier. Though there WAS
an, element Of mystery about the case
"a the outset. with some hint of mur-
der. il was doubtless a suicide, as Con-
. verse once attempted TO end his life
The body was recovered with dill
Guilty by George Cans and George Ray
mos. who saw il floating between the
Ksy Route and the Southern Pacific
pier. Ii was a badly decomposed
corpse the features being unrecogniz-
able The key 10 identity was supplied
by a memorandum book and papers
1Dund by the Coroner at the Morgue.
On the front cover Of the book Was
written: Professor G. p. Converse, N.
r. 1ol1 Fifteenth street, Denver, Colo,
dune l6, 1902" The pockets also con-
tiined a newspaper subscription receipt
dated November 2L 1904, made out 70
c. i. Converse. 504 Powell street, san
Francisco, signed short, carrier"
Among the papers was the following
letter:
DEPARTMENT OF STATE. WASHING
TON. u. =, sept 10 1go4-C. 2. Converse,
Esq. 3O9 sutter Street. san Frsncisco-Sir:
have 10 acknowledge the receipt 0f your let
pears 10 you that some one had opened the
department. letter 10 you Of July 25 last In re-
latiOn 10 the whereabouts IN Nicaragua q Mr..
ntephen Caster, ana requesting that future
letters 10 you be addressed 10 you under the
name OF C. J. McNulty In reply ] have 10
say thal your request viii be compiled with.
uDeCleTIr
ALVEY a ADEE, Acting Secretary
This letter was contained in an en-
velOpe addressed 10 c. J. McNulty, 50s
Sutter street. San Francisco.
From the memorandum book, by
tracing many addresses therein, il was
evident that the man had been a trav-
eler over the western country Ad-
dresses Of persons in Colorado, Texas,
Missouri and California were numerous.
Among those in California were:
Stockton, 3l4 South StanisIaus street,
January !. 1863.
Other San Francisco addresses were:
% L. Converse. 3OS Leavenworth
street" and j. d. Cline. State Mining
Bureau The name Captain George
A Converse, commander ir0nclad Illi-
nois," appeared in the methodical list.
On the back Of q Photographic print
q girl child was the following:
Taken Feb, 1904; born June 16 1901.
Ihelma Cornelia was born September
Z, 1879. Raymond was born May Slst
1903"
The pockets contained 81 in coin and
vial Of colorless pungent fluid. the
character Of which has not been deter
Dllned-. The corpse was clad in a suit
OF black diagonal cloth. The only mark
left indicating the personal appearance
OF the man was a fringe Of thin gray
hair on the back Of the head. No let.
ters were found that would reveal 3
cause for suicide.
Mrs. J. z. Paine. the landIad,y at 20.
Powell street. San Francisco. where
Converse resided for more than 2
month, said he left there on Decem.
Der 20 and informed her he would re.
turn IN few days. At that time ht
was IN possession Of a large sum OF
money. q gold watch and other ievv.
elry- Mrs. Paine says Converse was z
man OF steady habits and never dranl
or gambled- He seemed in the best o,
spirits when he departed and his room
rent did not fall due for several dav.
atteTward- He left his belongings IL
his room.
O. E. Converse. SOs Leavenwortf
street, San Francisco, a third cousir
OF the deceased, said the latter was :
man Of means, mining engineer. anC
owneT OF mining properties in thi,
state and elsewhere. Professor Con
verse never talked Of suicide and hst
no troubles He had been separated
from his wife for several years. o. T,
Converse says his cousin was 81 YEAR
or age and had lived in this State OF
and on for more than forty years.
FRESNO. Dec. &C. p. Converse
who was found drowned N San Fran
cisco Bay yesterday, was one O
the Oldest settlers Of Fresno Conn
~ and was a rather unique char
scter in its history. Before tn
town OF Fresno was built An,
even before the old town OF Miller
ton was settled Converse ran a ferry
beat across the San joaquin River. II
was contractor and builder by trad
and built the first jail Fresno Count
ever had On the day Of its connie
ton Converse engaged in quarrel an
killed man. He was the first prisone
IN his own Jail. He was freed on tn
plea OF self-defense.
Converse left Millerton and went +
the Nisalia cou1try and from there L
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