The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1906-03-08
MORGAN'S BODY FOUND.
All Indications Are That Oshkosh Man
Was Murdered.

SA~>
lake inside tho breakwater piling near
the bridge spanning the mouth of the
Little Manitowoc River near the
Northern Traction companys power
house, last Saturday morning at about
1890 o'clock, by Charles McDowner
and John Smith while they were on
their way to the city.
Chief of Police August Drews was
hurriedly summoned, and he, assisted
| by McDowner Smith, James Pfair and
Daniel Fleischer, succeeded with no
little diificultyin getting the body ashore.
The corpse was taken to the under
taking rooms of Frazier Bros, and DR..
Meany and District Attorney Hougen
were promptly notified. After hasry
examination of the body it was decided
to hold an autopsy on the body, and an
inquest was called by the district
attorney. A jury composed of John
Egan, John Kelley, Charles Kunz,
Charles McDowner, Charles Herzog and
Theodore Anderson was named. The
inquest opened at o'clock p. III. After
the jury had viewed the body adjourn
ment was taken until Monday morning
at o'clock.
The post-mortem examination was
conducted by Drs. Pritchard and Meany.
There was no outer clothing on the
body when it was discovered and taken
from the lake. The remains, when
picked up, were found to be garbed in a
union suit of underwear and red and
white striped night gown. There were
stockings and patent leather shoes on
the feet.
There was a deep cash in the head
just behind the right ear. The right
hip was dislocated, the right thigh and
the left ankle fractured and several
ribs and both arms also fractured. A
blood clot was found on the brain, and
the shrunken condition of the lungs
indicated that death had taken place
before the body was thrown into the
water.
At the adjourned meeting of the
inquest Monday morning the two
physicians mentioned testified, the exam
ination being conducted by Distric,
Attorney Hougen. While the two
doctors agreed in most of the testimony
given by them, their statements disagreed
as to certain important particulars, one
of them holding that the condition OF
the lungs was such as to indicate almost
conclusively that death had not resulted
from drowning, and the other asserting
that death was probably caused by
drowning.
Several other witnesses, including
Charles McDowner-who was the first
to see the body atloat on the Lakeland
Chief of Police Drews, were examined
Owing to the fact that, despite care
full search conducted by the police force
under the direction of Chief Drews, nc
trace of the (presumedly. murdered
mans outer clothing with the exception
Of a cap, which was found in the river
by lake captain two months ago. could
be found; that the diamond ring Morgan
was known to have worn on the little
finger of his left hand was missing
that nothing could be learned as to what
had become of $50 in cash and a gold
watch Morgan was known to have had
on his person the day he came here on
business from his home at Oshkosh and
registered at the Williams house dec
%, 19O5J-and owing to the fact that
other mysteries surrounded the case
District Attorney Hougen decided tt
adjourn the inquest until Saturday
March 10, in order to permit of further
inquiries and investigations.
Chief Drews was instructed to have 8
thorough search conducted along either
bank of the river, at the lake beach
where the body was found, and else
where, with view to ascertainine
what became of the dead man S clothing
watch, money, etc.
Morgan was last seen alive-as far AZ
can be ascertained from the records OF
the case-on the evening of Dec. 23 last
at about 730 o'clock, when he wa.
walking along Franklin street, where
Officer Trochell met him and converset
with him. Morgan told the officer
that he was going to return to hi
home at Oshkosh that night over the
Chicago & North Western line on the
limited train, in order to spend the
holidays with his wife and children.
The following morning it became
known that Morgan had mysteriously
disappeared. A search was promptly
instituted, but no trace could be found
of the missing man, with the exception
of the cap above referred to, which was
picked up about two weeks after the
mans disappearance.
The circumstances under which the
mysterious disappearance occurred
were such rs to lead to the suspicion
that the missing man had been murdered
and the mans relatives at Oshkosh
offered reward of $50 for the recovery
of the body. An other thorough search
was then instituted here and elsewhere
throughout the state.
Morgan was member Of the order