The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1909-07-01
Whether Suicide or Accident is
Not Known
WAS FROM AUGUSTA
Former Liquor Merchant Of Georgia
City discovered by Officer at Day
break Floating on West Side of
ths Colonial Pond, Charleston, s.
c.. Nude and Dead.
c., Nude and Dead.

The Charleston Post says Police
man White found the nude body Oh
q white man at the west side OF Co
lonial Lake, near the flood gate, Tues
day morning at daybreak, and inVes-
tigation showed that he was drowned.
His clothes were found at the north
side of the gate. The man was TO-
tai stranger, but The Evening Post,
following up a clue found on his per-
SON. verified the evidence that he was
Oscar Villinger Of 4l6 Houston
street, Augusta.
Undertaken Stuhr took charge Oh
the body at the instance of Mr.. e.
3. Reaney, who is said to be con-
nected with the dead man, and who
received long distance message
from Augusta to have the body TAX
en- care of.
Coroner O'Dorell hurried to the
lake q few minutes after the call
came to him from the police station
and he had the body removed from
the shallow water where it was lying
face downward and it was taken to
the Roper hospital to await identl-
fication.
There were no marks Of violence
on the body, which was quite nude.
The clothes of the deceased were dis
covered on the concrete curbing near
the place where his body was found,
and the water all about was only
from two to four feet deep. indl-
eating that he must have taken
plunge last night some time, perhaps
with the intention Of cooling on,
or with intention of making an end
OF himself.
Nothing was found in his clothes
but a recommendation written IN
February, 1908, by a Mr. A. r.
Padgett, of 1901 Broad street, Au-
gusta, an envelope that gave his
wife's address, in Augusta, and bore
his name and general address. Char
lesion, and half written note, con-
tanning the words: Cant write
much. l am still nervous"
The envelope found with his name
on it in a woman's handwriting. was
covered with illegible writing and L
good deal of figuring. Words like
work" 'beg,' 'sleep," )" Monday,
yera made out.
There is no doubt that the death
of the man came about by drown
ing, but whether it was deliberate
or accident is hard matter to de-
eide. The stranger was evidently in
very humble circumstances, and ap-
but failed to find it. 1t is possible
but failed to find it. 1t is possible
that be was overcome with weakness
from hunger, and when he fell into
or dived into the water for his cool
ing plunge, he was unable to help
himself, even in a shallow depth.
The deceased was apparently between
forty and fifty years Of age.
Comparatively few people saw the
body in the pond, as it was removed
as soon as possible to the morgue.
An early morning oarsman helped
to get the body out of the water,
and the police patrol wagon took it
over to the hospital.
Following up the clue given by the
envelope, q telegram was sent to Au-
gusta BY The Evening Post, resulting
in q message to Charleston to Mr..
Reaney, stenographer at the Bur
ton lumber mills. The first identiti-
cation Of the dead man came from
this message to Charleston. 1t is
understood that widow and chill
dren survive the victim Of the drown
ing.