The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-09-26
FOUND ALONGSIDE
A. c. |. TRACKS
BODY OF CHAS. H. MEDLoCK.
HIS NIANGLED REMAINS DISCOVER
ED SIX MILES WEST OF CITY.

The Manner in which MIR. MedIOck
Met His Death is Surrounded by
Mystery and il is Not Even Known
What Train Killed Him-He Had
Not Been Seen in Savannah Since
Thursday Night, But IL Is Not
Known what He Was Doing
where the Body Was Found.
With his skull and collarbone broken,
the body of Mr. Charles H. Medlock
was found beside the tracks of the At
lantic Coast Line near Pipemaker
creek, about six miles from Savannah,
by the crew of Atlantic Coast Line
freight train No. 212, which left here
Saturday night at 10 o'clock. Mystery
surrounds Mr.. Medlock's death, and it
is not even known what train killed
him.
Both the Atlantic Coast Line and the
Southern use the tracks, where the
body was found, and a train on either
road might have killed him. The in
formation that the body had been
found was wired to the Coast Line
superintendent at Charleston, and he
wired to the train dispatcher at Sa-
vannah, who notified Coroner Keller
early yesterday morning.
The coroner and Mr.. Weeks of Fox
& Weeks undertakers, left on the
Coast Line, but were carried beyond
the place where the body had been
found They got on a train coming
to Savannah. and located the body on
the return trip. The body was placed
on this train and brought to the city.
How Body Was Found.
The body was found laying almost
horizontal to the tracks. The head
was resting against the rail, the right
side of the face downward. The head
had been cut almost in two, the entire
right side being crushed. There was
a bruised place on the right shoulder
and the collar bone was broken. There
were no other bruises on the body.
Mr.. Medlocks watch, ring, papers
and money were undisturbed in his
pockets. The watch had stopped at II
O'clock, and it was at first thought
this must have been the time he was
killed. The body, however, was discov-
cred by train No PIP before IL o'clock,
and it was found upon investigation
that the watch had simply run down.
Only 81 so was found on his person.
Among the letters in his pockets was
one from his daughter, Mrs. G.. It.
Stoney of Lena, S. c., requesting him
to come to see her yesterday. 1t was
thought that Mr.. Medlock may have
LII
route.
Many Theories Advanced.
Many theories have been advanced
as to the manner in which Mr., Med
lock was killed. but nothing definite
Is known. 1t was at first rumored that
he had beon murdered and the body
thrown beside the tracks.
Detective Murphy and Chief Deputy
Sheriff Sweeny, who went to work on
the case when this report became cur
rent soon determined, however, that
such was not the case. The finding Of
money and valuables intact caused this
theory to be abandoned.
1t was also suggested that he may
have fallen from a train and been
killed, but no one could be found at
the Union Station who had seen him
board a train. According to the best
information, he had been out of the
city since last Thursday night. On
that night Mrs. Medlock awakened
about 1870 o'clock and found that her
husband had not returned home. She
became alarmed and tried to telephone
his office, but could not get any con-
nection. Early Saturday morning she
called up police headquarters and
asked the sergeant on duty to send
man to the Office to see if he was there.
This was done. but Mr.. Medlock was
not found. He did not return home
after that, and nothing was heard of
him until his body was found.
lie Had Been Walking.
The shoes and the bottom of the
trousers that Mr.. Medlock wore were
wet when the body was found by Cor
oner Keller and Mr.. Weeks, which
leads to the belief that he had been
walking about in the swampy land
near by. A heavy dew fell Saturday
night, but the rest of his clothing was
not as wet as the bottom of the trous-
ers and the shoes. From the position
in which the body was found and the
fact that his shoes and trousers were
wet. it is believed that he was not a
passenger on a train at the time he
met his death. The theory has been
advanced that he was attempting to
board the train that killed him, and
1t is possible that this is true. 1t is
difficult, however, to account for his
presence at that point.
Well known Business Man.
Mr.. Medlock was well known and
had a large circle of friends. He had
for number of years conducted the
Savannah District Messenger and De-
livery Company. Before he embarked
in that business he was in the insur-
ance business, and was also agent for
the Savannah and Augusta Line of
river steamers. He was at one time
connected with the Morning News.
He was as years of age and was
son of Mr.. and Mrs. ]. G. Medlock of
Sylvania. Mr.. Medlock is survived by
his wife and five children. There are
three children by the first marriage,
Mrs. G.. L. Stoney and Hoyle and Law
ton Medlock, all of South Carolina, and
two by the second marriage. a little
boy and girl. He was a member of
and an active worker in the Duffy
Street Baptist Church. He was a MEM
Der of the Knights Of Pythias.
The body was carried to his resi-
dence, No. 212 Thirty-second street,
east. The funeral will take place from
there this afternoon at 4:30 o'clock
Rev. Robert Van Deventer will con-
duct the services The interment,
which is to he I'm Laurel Grove Gene
terry, will be private.
VIII Hold Inquest Tomorrow.
Coroner Keller has announced that
he viii hold an inquest TO investigate
Mr.. Medlock's death tomorrow morn
ing at 10 o'clock at the coroners Office
on Perry street.