Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1905-06-16
PROBABLY H. N. GUM
Weighted Body Found in Nara.
gansett Bay.

DVatuepoTo real Estate R9ent-Hela-
tlVes In keene skeptlcal.
The decomposing body of q man,
thought to be Herbert N. Gum, formerly
Brattleboro real estate agent, was found
last Friday by Leland Shippee, fisher
man, in Narragan Bay, near Ouonset
Point. Window weights were found fast
ened to the mans legs and others were
found in his pockets, which Immediately
gave rise to the belief that the man was
Gum, he having signihed his intention of
drowning himself in Long Island Sound
and of weighing his body to keep 1t from
floating. Every detail of description ex-
cept the apparent age indicates that the
body Is that of Gum, and relative of
Gum expressed the belief, after seeing
the body that the body was that of
Gum.
The finding of the body was announced
by the Associated Press, and as soon as
the fact became known Lawyer e. w.
Gibson, Gums attorney, communicated
by telephone with Undertaken Cranston
at WEXFORD, r. l., to whom tine body was
delivered for description of the man.
The undertaken said the man appeared to
be about so years old. but he could not
judge accurately as portions of the face
were gone, so that the features were not
easily distinguishable. He said the body
was five feet and seven inches tall and
appeared to have been in the water two
grey, that the body was that of a stoutly
bailt man. with moustache, that the first
upper incisor tooth was gold filled that
the left lower mOlar was gold capped
that the overcoat was long and of dark
mixed goods, that the trousers were of
light mixed goods, that the coat and vest
were OF blue serge, and that there were
in the pockets 81 cents. a skeleton key
and handkerchief, but no papers.
AS stated In The PHOENIX last week, be-
fore Gum left the home of Mr.. and Mrs.
E. d. Conyers in Guilford, he wrote them
letter, dated May 90 in which he said
ne should jump from a Joy line steamer
from New York to Providence, after
weighing his body, and he also wrote to
Mr.. Gibson from New York city under
date of May "a. the date on which Joy
line steamer left New York for Provi-
dence, In which he repeated his inten-
ton. The body was found in the course
OF the Joy steamship line. and the date of
the letter to Mr.. Gibson indicates that
the tragedy was enacted two weeks be-
fore the body was found.
Mrs. Conyers says that when Gum left
her house he wore a long overcoat of
dark mixed goods and light trousers. but
she can not say about the coat and vest
as they were covered by the overcoat
He was Al years old stoutly built and
had light hair, which had begun TO turn
grey and a moustache. He was five feet
per teeth and a gold capped lower tooth
II Is not known whathe had in his pock-
cts except about so in money Doubtless
he would spend the larger part of that
amount in getting to New York and per-
haps remaining in the city day or two
On Sunday Gums brother-in-law, Mr.
tlagg or Gilsum, N. H., came to Brattle-
boro and went to the home of Mr.. and
| Mrs. Conyers. From there he telephoned
TO Undertaken Cranston and found that
the body in his possession had but two
| upper teeth, indicating that the others
were false and had been lost Mr.. Flag
went to Wexford Monday to see the body
Its condition prevented absolute identifi-
| cation, but Mr.. Flagg said the general ap-
pearance indicated that the man was
| Gum.
Gums father and mother, Mr.. and Mrs.
| Nelson Gum, live in Gllsum, together
| with their daughter and husband Mr.
and Mrs. Flagg. and Gums three chill
| dren. Gum sent his trunk key to them
| from New York and in his letter to Mr..
and Mrs. Conyers he told them to send
his trunk to the children Gum came TO
Brattleboro about six years ago and went
into the real estate business having an
office over the Y. NJ c. A, and afterwards
| over what Is now Brosnahan & SulIi-
vans store. His business methods were
| not considered to be careful and he
soon found himself in bankruptcy. 1t is
/
ruptcy before coming to Brattleboro He
went to Newfane jail as a result of a civil
| action for damages in the sum of $4,000.
| being unable to furnish bail for that
amount. Recently the court reduced the
bail to $500, which Gum furnished, and
1t is stated by Mr.. Gibson that Gum had
| absolutely nothing to fear from that case.
His wife left him, and 1t is believed Gum
| committed suicide on account of his
financial and domestic troubles.
The Keene Sentinel OF Wednesday con-
tained an article on Gums disappearance.
which takes the ground that the body
found was not that of Gum. The SEN
tinel says: Soon after the report was
| received of the finding of the body in
Long Island sound, Mr.. Gums brother,
Arthur who is a machinist, and his sis
ter, Nellie A., nurse, both of whom were
not very far from Wexford. r. l., went
there to view the body. They were fully
satisfied it was not that of their brother
| and telegraphed to Fred w. Gunn their
brother in this city, to that effect The
man found had gray hair, while Gums
hair is understood not to have been gray,
| and 1t did not resemble him in other ways
believed to be conclusive. From various
letters received from Herbert N Gum by
| his relatives here they feel satisfied that
| he has simply carried out contemplated
| plan to place himself where he cannot
easily be traced or followed by certain
/
ficulties. The letters he mailed stating
that he should drown himself. and the
trunk sent here, which contained only
articles of clothing he would not need,
they consider merely subterfuges to cover
his real intention, which was to get out
| of sight"
The statement in the Sentinel was
shown to Mr.. Gibson by a representative
| of The Phoenix, to whom the following
| statement was made:
George II. Thompson visited Wick
ford, Rhode Island Sunday and viewed
the body found off Quonset Point Friday
| of last week. He found the remains in a
| very bad state of decomposition. 1t was
| the body of a man five feet seven or
eight inches tall, who in life time would
| weigh about one hundred and sixty
| pounds. of middle age, sandy hair tinged
with grey, sandy moustache, feet small
for the build, the hands showed deceased
| not to be accustomed to manual labor
| The body when found was clothed with
a winter overcoat, coat and vest of dark
material and striped trousers. Body
| was weighted with two window weights
fastened about the waist with a strong
cord. The weights rested in the trous-
ers pockets.
There was no evidence of violence on
the body, and the medical examiner
| stated in his opinion 1t was a case of
suicide The statements of the medical
| examiner and the undertaken showed tha Z