Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1908-05-19
Body Of Henry Mercier
Recovered From River.
Seen BY Two Men Near River
During the Afternoon.
Drowning Man Later Seen and Still
Later Body Recovered.

Was it suicide? That was the ques-
ton asked by several hundred people
standing on the Waterville shore OF
the Kennebec river, i'll the rear of the
Maine Central car shops in this city
late yesterday afternoon. The body or
Henry MERCER or Mesier, Il weaver
aged IS or Whereabouts, was recovered
from the bottom of the river by Dep
uty Marshal Toulouse and Special Of
ficer Vigue and two other men. The
body was fully dressed No person has
been found who saw the man enter
tie water but two men have been
found WHO saw him a few minutes be-
fore he took the plunge. These men
are Nathan Mcleod and Oliver Coro
who stood on the shore near the water
when MERCER passed them, going up
stream.
Mcleod and Coro say they entered
a clump Of aldcrs for the purpose of
securing poles for fishing in the river
near the dam. When they had secured
the poles and had returned to the wa
ter's edge, they discovered Il mans
hat floating on the surface about 10
feet from the shore. While they gaZed
at the Tat and agreed that it looked
like the one worn by the man who but
a few seconds previously passed up
stream, the body of man rose to the
top of the water. There was motion
to the body natural in cases of drown
ing. The body remained on the surface
but a few seconds and then began to
sink. Neither Mcleod or Coro can
swim and they We're forced to search
for a boat, giving the alarm along the
shore. Whether the body again rose
to the surface is not known
The police were notified and the Of
ficers mentioned went to the scene.
Mcleod end Coro had secured boat
and with this the grapnels were used.
The body had probably been in the
water q half-hour when it was hook
ed and taken to the shore. Coroner
Redington was notified and he took
charge Of the case. The coroner could
hnl no one who saw the man enter the
water nor could he find q person who
had seen any other man about the river
shore other than Mcleod and Coro.
They did not know MERCER personally
They think that possibly 10 minutes
may have passed between the moment
MERCER passed them on the shore and
the moment when they discovered his
hat floating on the water.
Among those who gathered at the
river shore to watch the searchcrs G.,
their work We're several wcavers who
quickly identified the body as that of
Henry MERCER, whose home is in
Woonsocket, r. I.
Among the Weavers were several
men who We're intimately acquainted
with MERCER. These say the man I'M
doubtedly committed suicide through
dependency and give as a reason for
such dependency what appears to be
a sure enough fact that a local attor-
ney-at-laW had been pressing the
young man pretty hard of late. This is
indicated by letters from q local at
torney found on the body Perhaps the
cause of the young mans death may
be discovered in the story of one of his
fellow workmen, one who had known
him for years. TO the Journal that
person said last evening:
Henry didn't go in bathing with
his clothes on and he wasn't on q
booze today. There is no evidence of
a struggle on the shore and besides
tiiC " y iIlSl w IO saw INN ~ up dIOIlS
didn't know him and there isn't any
sense in saying they could have quar-
relied with him. Henry knew what
liquor tastes like but he was never a
boozer. I never saw him intoxicated in
my life. / think he was drinking some
Saturday and Sunday but not to any
great extent. Ile was a good workman
and as honest as the days are long.
He had been pushed hard by a lawyer
in this town and I knew he was blue
for several weeks. He had made pay
ments to the lawyer who kept on nag
ging him until last pay day Henry
had nothing coming his way. He has
some folks in Woonsocket. r.. l., |
but l don't know any of them nor do
| know his Woonsocket address. ]
saw him moment on the railroad
crossing this noon and he said to me:
Ben. debt is worse than war"
That's about the size of 1.-THE boy
was pushed so hard that he hadn't
q cent in his pocket. he couldn't go
around with the gang as he would
rave liked to and before he came to
this town he always had q little spare
change In his pockets. He was sober
this noon and / can think of no other
reason for him going up the river and
winding up as he has, than suicide"
Coroner Redington caused the body
to be moved to the Redington morgue,
where it will be prepared for burial.
The coroner believes no further invcS-
tigation is necessary. The police of
Woonsockat have been notified and q
search for the dead mans relatives be-
gun.