Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1908-06-06
body FOUND IN CANAL
John Warner Met With Foul Play
Near Weyerton.
CORPSE FOUND EARLY TUESDAY
Cards and Letters Give His Identity
Coroner Orders an Autopsy
over the Body.

Brunswick, June 3s--Tne body OF a
middle-aged man. thought to be John
Warner, a stranger in this locality
was taken out OF the C. and D. Canal
at Miller's Bend, tbree-fourths of a
mile west of Weverton, at daybreak
Tuesday. A boat passing by that
point stirred up the body from the
bottom. The corpse was dragged our
on the bank Of the canal by. boatmen
and an inquest held. 1t is thought the
man, who was fairly well dressed
was about 30 years old. He was said
Ito be a boilermaker and weighed over
200 pounds.
+ On Sunday morning about O'Clock
some papers, a mans cap, two nickels,
brotherhood cards, etc, were found
along the canal by a trackwalker near
the place where the body was found.
They were turned over to Justice Of
liver. M. G. Younkins, at Stonebraker's
Station, who wrote a letter to States
Attorney Armstrong telling him of the
strange find and the suspicious of the
people that a murder had been com1
mitted. This letter was taken to Hag-
erstown by J.. c.. Stonebraker and
turned over to the States Attorney,
who left for Weverton, to be present
at the inquest. When Justice Yount
kins had written the letter the body
had not yet been found.
The canal was dragged but the
body was not then found
'rhe Justices letter stated that at
the point where the papers were
found where deep footprints IN the
mud They had the appearance of
having been made by man who had
been pushed or thrown into the ca
nal and did not seem to have been
made by a person who had stumbled
or fallen into the water.
One of the cards found stated that
Warner was a member of the Wash
ington Hunting and Fishing Club OF
Allegheny, Pa, and was entitled to
all the privileges of the clubhouse.
The card was signed by w. B. Con-
kee. president and secretary, and
Charles Eek. treasure. A book
also, was found showing him to be
a member of the International Bro
therhood of Boiler Makers, Iron Ship
Builders and Helpers of America, ini-
tiated in 1898, local No. II, Scran-
ton, Pa. A working card and due
book certified he was a member OF
the local lodge, Elizabeth City, n. ]
The theory of suicide is also adj
vanced. Where the man vent into
the canal is wall six feet high and
the bank slides down gradually. In
the mud We're the deep footprints of
the man, as though he walked on his
toes or had been preeipitated into
the water headforemost. Some think
the man was on B. and o. train an
was hurled off by sudden jerk. The
documents on the canal bank were
picked up by 3. and o. Trackwalker
James Kidwell s5 SIS
States Attorney Armstrong reports
that, in his opinion, Warner had been
murdered. A jury was impanelled
and a physician from Brunswick ex-
amined the body, which was later
brought in a skiff by. two men TO
Brunswick, where an autopsy viii be
held to ascertain. if the man had died
before or, after he was thrown into the
water.
The spot where Warner was taken
out showed evidence of severe
struggle Two lines, showing where
he had been dragged into the water,
ran from the canal bank to the waters
edge. Warmers neck was broken
and there were several slight bruises
on his head and face. Whether these
were sustained when he fell in or
were inflicted by his murderers, if he
was murdered, is unknown. He had
sandy hair.
The crime was probably committed
Saturday night and the body was in the
water AS hours. When the body was
taken out the coat was buttoned. In
one of his pockets was found another
lodge card. 1t is thought he was muir
dered and then robbed and after his
coat was buttoned up the body was
pitched into the canal.
Two men, covered with mud, were