Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1908-04-30
s1via's Body Is Found
Wednesday also. Gardiner
Remains Positively Identified
by Michael WEIGH.
Whose Body Found at 0aklands,
Thought to Be SiIvia's?

a body was found in Lawrence Bros
boom at South Gardiner about IL
o'clock yesterday forenoon which was
afterwards positively identified by
several persons as that of Joseph Sill
yer, who fell overheard last November
from the steamer Ransom 3. Fuller
while that boat was at the Gardiner
landing. The body being thus ident-
fed the question Of the identity of the
body washed ashore at Oaklands last
week becomes mystery whose solu-
ton is extremely doubtful as no one
has been reported missing along the
river during the past six months.
The body found yesterday drifted
into the boom at South Gardiner and
was discovered by Leonard Gross, a
riverman in the employ of Lawrence
Bros. Gross secured the body with d
rope and word was sent to Gardiner
for q coroner. The body was in a good
state of preservation considering the
lergth of time it had been in the wa
ter and was dressed in drab sweater
and dark trousers. The trousers were
fastened with q belt and the feet We're
clothed with a pair of shoes that were
drowned.
Deputy Sheriff Burns and Coroner
Frank Andrews of Gardiner were sum-
moned and after reaching the place
whore the body was found ordered it
taken ashore and conducted an exam
iration. The body was at once turned
over to Undertakers Preble & keene,
who brought the remains to their
rooms at Gardiner. The remains were
viewed by d number of persons who
were well acquainted with Silvia and
they had 10 hesitation in saying that
there could be no possible mistake in
regard to this body being that of the
deck hand of the Ransom B. Fuller.
Michael Welch, night Waterman Of
the steamer City of Augusta, which
was alongside the Fuller when Silvia
was drowned. identified the body by
a ring on his finger and by two gold
filled teeth. Michel Burns, who saw
Silvia on the day that he was drown
ed was positive that the clothes with
which the body was dressed were those
worn by Silvia on the day that he was
drowned.
The body will be held at the under
Iak1HS TOblliS 10 await luI tItI ldclItl-
fication by members of the crew of the
Ransom y. Fuller, which will arrive
here on her regular trip this morn
ing. Some loose change was found in
the mans pocket and also key to a
valise.. t4.4 ~. t........... 4. 4
The body which was found last week
was buried in the High street .ceme-
terry at Gardiner and the undertaken
VINO buried it, not being satisfied with
the assertion of several people who
thought they knew, that the body was
that of Silvia, recorded it in his regis
ter as that of a person unknown and
Coroner Henderson of Hallowell who
conducted the examination of the body,
did not feel that what was almost q
skeleton except for the flesh on the
trunk could be identified as anybody
in particular.
1t will be remembered that when the
body WAS first discovered the flesh re-
naming on the trunk was so spread
apart and the hips appeared so large
that the body was first thought to be
that of a woman. When that idea was
secuted after the examination OF the
body by DR.. Lamb, those who saw
the remains still commented upon the
smalness Of the bones and what must
have been the short stature of the
body in life and the idea was express
ell by some yesterday that the body
found last week might have been that
OF Il boy instead of Il grown person.
Undertaken F. l.. Amesbury, who
buried the remains found at the Oak
lands said to the Journal reporter yes
tertlay afternoon that in his opinion q
body must have been in the water a
year or more to have been in the shape
that this body was when he first saw
it. If the body was that of il person
who WAS drowned in warm weather
DIX composition would set in much more
r. idly than at other seasons OF the
wear The fact that the fragment of
tie :; alpaca shirt was the only
GER nt found on the body would seem