The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1906-08-23
Body Of Man Taken From the
River
A LONG TIME RESIDENT
Donald, Who Resided on Road to East
Barre, Was Last Seen in This
City on Saturday
lFT Forenoon.

The body of the man taken from
the Mari & Gordon mill pond at South
Barre yesterday was identified today BY
Alexander Bruce as that Of William
Donald, who resided between this city
and East Barre. The first identification
was made by John Cleary Of this city
last night, md he called Mr.. Bruce 10
confirm the Identification. Both are con
fident that the body is TINT Of Mr..
Donald. A brother of the dead man,
John Donald, a granite man OF Groton,
was summoned today to make sure and
TO care for the remains.
Donald was seen by Mr.. Clcary on
Monday forenoon between the hours
OF eight and nine O'Clock. On leaving
Mr.. Cleary he stated that he was going
to South Barre and would be back BY
noon Of the same day. So far rs known,
that was the last seen Of him in this
city. Mr.. Cleary had suspicious regard
ing the identity of the body, and so
went to Graniteyille, where it was left
for identification. The man probably
fell into Stevens branch Monday af-
teruoon, as it was that day that Fred
0'Brien saw the body and thought
it was bundle Of waste which
had been used by repair men when the
water was drawn out by the dam on
Sunday. The physicians who performed
the autopsy yesterday afternoon gave it
as their opinion that the body had been
in the water from as to 72 hours.
The physicians found no marks
whatever on the head and none at all
on the entire body except for two slight
wounds on the left leg, which might
have been made when the body came
IN contact with sticks or other ohstruc-
Jackson decided after the autopsy that
here was no call for his services. The
marks on the mans leg were hardly
more than scratches, one on the side
Of the leg, near the knee, being about
two inches long. and another mark low
er down being less pronounced. On
the left side Of the face there was an
old scar, just back Of the mouth. The
nail on the left forernger was torn.
There was very little water in the
lungs, death being due to asphyxiation
or suffoeation. The heart was in a
normal condition, but the stomach was
slightly infamed, which might or might
not have been due to alcoholics. There
we're no solids in the stomach. DIR. z.
H. Bailey, the town health officer, and
DIR. NJ. L. Chandler Of this city per
formed the autopsy, after which the
body was placed in the Hooker under
taking rooms at Graniteville. In the
pockets there was nothing to aid in
identification except two pairs Of new
stockings in the pockets. On the river
bank small cap was found. The
clothing was OF dark material, either
blue or dark grey The body was cloth
ed in shirt but no collar The mans
moustathe was inclined to be light,
while the hair was darker. He was
a man under the medium size, weighing,
the doctors estimated, from 40 10 145
pounds.
William Donald had been resident Of
Barre for about 20 years, being em-
ployed in the granite business. He has
family in Aberdeen, it is understood
Alfred Becknan Reports.
Shortly after the publishing of the
finding of the body yesterday afternoon,
Alfred Beckman, who was reported miss
ing and who, it was thought. might
be the man taken from the river, came
to this office and identified himself
Since then another man, James Black,
has been reported missing. and his
friends thought he might be the uu-
known man. But the description as to
the height differed by more than half
foot, SO he was dropped in the search
for Identification Of the body.
Brother Believes There Was Foul Play.
John Donald arrived in town this af-
ternoon from Groton, having read the
account OF the finding of the body as
told by The Times yesterday He stat
ed that he had no doubt that the body
was that Of his brother who left tiroton
on Saturday afternoon to come to Barre.
He had been living in Groton since
last February, but previous to that had
resided in Barre score of years.
IN talking with Times reporter this
afternoon John Donald voiced his sus-
picions Of foul play and to substantiatc
it he told the following circumstances.
He gave William S55 on Saturday and
this money the man had when he came
to Barre, also some money of his own,
the exact amount not being known On
arrival here he paid SIS to Mrs. Cleary
on an old board bill. On Monday morn
ing William was given new pipe.
When he left Groton he also had some
valuable papers in his pockets, mostly
contracts belonging TO MS brother John
Everything found in the dead mans
pockets when his body was taken from
the river AZ South Barre yesterday was
an old cob pipe and two pairs Of stock
ings. What had become vof the money,
the papers and the new pipei
John Donald went to Graniteville this
afternoon to view the remains.
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