Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1905-09-22
body IS THROWN
IN THE RIVER.
George R. GriswoId the Vic
tim Of Oastardly
Murderers.
RuFfIANs ovERpowER HIM
Motive Was Robbery, as Pockets Wore
Rifled-He Had Shown Big Insur'
ance Draft---Was Last Seen Early
Wednesday Morning September 10

Des Motnes, Sept. 17.-With nc
other clue than a yard of water
soaked rope taken from the wrists
OF George r. Griswold, whose dead
body was taken from the Des Moines
river at o'clock yesterday morning,
the police are faced with one Of the
greatest murder mysteries which has
happened in Des Moines in years.
With his hands TIED together behind
his back, his clothing rifled, pockets
turned inside out. watch pocket
slashed open with a knife. and sew
eral articles of value and large sum
Of money missing, the body OF George
Griswold of 34O7 Ingersoll avenue,
manager of the State Mutual Insur-
ance company Of Worcester, Mass,
was found caught on trot line, near
the east bank Of the Des Moines
river, below it's junction with the
Raccoon.
Since 2 O'Clock Wednesday morn
ing, when Griswold left Munger's
hotel on Fourth street for the Rock
Island depot, with the intention Of
catching the 1855 o'clock train for
Omaha. his whereabouts have been
unknown, and even before the finding
of the body his friends had become
worried at his disappearance and in
stituted quiet search.
No clue as to where he went from
Munger's hotel or what terrible ex-
perience fell to his lot in the hour
that he had before train time has
been found, and only the discovery OF
his travelling bag, which he had with
him when he started for the depot,
a small red pocketbcok presented to
him by friend, or gold watch
which he had with fim, may lead to
even the faintest surmise as to what
were the details of his fate or when
his death was accomplished.
The grewsome find which first an
nounced his fate was made by Gar
field Gray, a fisherman living at 461
South East First street, who, on ex-
aiming his lines shortly after day
light yesterday morning, found them
broken and discerned the outlines Of
the body floating near the surface
about 200 yards below the place
where the line had been set. Gray
hurried to the place with boat,
towed the body to the shore, and LETT
it there until detectives and the cor
oner could be summoned.
Just where the current from the
Raccoon first swirls across the Des
Moines and cuts into the east bank
of the river the lines belonging to
Gray were set, and the body catch
ing on one of the hooks broke this
line and carried it down to point
opposite the end of East Allen street,
where it was caught and held about
twenty-five yards from the bank.
Gray visited his lines for the last
time last Friday night, and found
them at that time IN good condition.
On his visit at 6 o'clock yesterday
he at once found that some
thing was wrong, and it was matter
of but few minutes until the body
was hauled to the shore.
The motive that might lead to such
a revolving crime is thought to have
been the desire of his assailants to
secure possession of draft from
$25, 200, which he was known to have
had in his possession some days pre-
viously.
The fact that Mr.. Griswold had
this draft was no secret, as he had
shown it several times On the
streets, and it had been mentioned
several times in the city papers. The
draft was for the payment Of the life
insurance of B. F. Ebert, and was
received by Mr.. Griswold Monday
morning. He had shown it to several
of his friends, and had been warned
by some Of his acquaintances that he
should be careful about carrying the
draft on his person, but answered
that it was payable only to the Ell
bert estate, and consequently would
do no one else any good. IL
The money was paid over Tuesday
morning, but the fact that he had
carried such a draft with him, with
out a more definite knowledge of it's
actual value, may have been respon-
sibIe for carefully planned holdup.
He was also known to carry large
sums with him at times, and there is
little doubt that the crime was COM
mitted by some one who had made
a close study of his habits, and not
by a highwayman bent on holding
up the first passerby who CHANGED
his way.