The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1905-03-23
BODY OF UNKNOWN
Man FOUND IN RIVER
FL Goodenough Risks His Life LDhile
Wading Riuer AboUe Falls to Rescue
Body of Unknown Man

Men working in the lumber yard on the big island,
along the North Howard street bridge discovered the
body of caught driftwood at the edge Of the little
falls in the north channel the Centennial mills this
morning. The discovery reported to the police and
Coroner Wtter notified.
The found the body to be almost in the center
Of the north channel the edge of the falls where the
rapids made it dangerous to attempt to recover it.
The county undertaken, Alex Turnbull notified
and instructed to the body. 1t problem
which kept the two county officials guessing until
ward offered by the undertaken for the recovery Of
the body.
FJ Goodenough fnay volunteered to wade the rapids
and tie a rope to the body.
BY the time the attempt made the bridge and banks
crowded with spectators many of whom there
expecting to the Of the body swept the
falls before he reached the point where the body caught
1t hazardous undertaking. but ropes secured
and tied to Goodenough who started wadng through the
swift water
The ropes not long enough to reach and the
compelled to stand and fight the current until
more rope secured.
After half hour of battling the rapids and waiting
for rope Goodenough finally reached the body and
tied one line to it.
Then dozen men started to pull drag the body
through the water the sharp rocks The current
caught the corpse and rolled it the falls, nearly
dragging the off the high bank back of the Centennial
mill
The swing of the rope and the sweep of the current
swept the body around into hole where after great diff
fculty it finally held until more help secured to
drag it up the steep rocks.
When this was done and the body carried to a spot
under the Howard street bridge Coroner Wter appeared
again and made examination of the corpse.
The body was badly decomposed and bore indications
Of having been in the water for long time.
The first impression that the the sup
posed to have been shot at Front and Bernard
street few weeks ago of which AL Babb claimed to have
been witness Babb declared then that the
carried back to the river and thrown in.
close examination however, failed to reveal any bull
let wounds
August Betterch, living at E1426 Fourth avenue who
was present declared his belief that the dead
Jack Nelson aborer formerly employed by the Wash
ngon Water Power company, who lived at Fourth
and Hogan street
Nelson disappeared about three months ago while
drunk The last of him when he left the
Western saloon Riverside to go to the river to
clean himself after drunken freak OF hthiness. 1t has
been thought since that he fell into the river.
| The taken out today so badly dishgured
through the action of the water and the contact with rocks
that he could not be easily recognized His hair off
in spots either through the action of the water or through
being bald just few hairs, apparently gray sandy,
were found his upper lip The hair his head was
black
The dead man weighed in the neighborhood of 200
pounds and about feet inches tall. He heavy
set and to all appearances aborer who into
town and spent part of his money in buying clothes that
seemed His coat and trousers were OF lark mixed
goods with vest "A blue flannel shirt buff coored
underwear and new shoes completed his dress.
Not scrap of paper single article except small
aluminium comb found in his pockets.
The body left under the north end of the Howard
street bridge until the could be taken Mrs Nelson
to see if she could identify it. Failing in this Identification
the body will be inferred without the formaty of an in
quest
Undertaken Tunbu this afternoon took the coat found
on the dead man to Mrs. Nelson. The able
to state positively that it not the coat by her
husband when he disappeared
The body was buried in the poters field this afternoon
expense of the county and the mystery surrounding
the death is likely to remain unsoved.
j Cre Ia grinns