Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1909-06-18
MYSTERY OF FOUR
YEARS. CLEARED Up
BOYS DISCOVER SKELETON OF
EDWARD REED NEAR ARM
STRONG CREEK, WIS.
BONES FOUND IN SWAMP.
Former Railroad Engineer Disappeared
from Boarding House While
Demented
LONG SEARCH HAD BEEN IN VAIN.

GREEN BAY, Wis, June 14-[Spe-
cial.l-The mysterious disappearance Of
Edward Reed, a former well known rail-
road engineer of Green Bay, which oc-
CURED during the deer hunting season Of
1905, has been solved. His snow-white
skeleton was found a few days ago by
some boys who were fishing for trout at
Armstrong Greek, Wis.
Reed was a man with a wide circle Of
acquaintance and his tragic end will
be heard with regret by many. He had
been for many years an engineer in the
employ of the North-Wester road, his
run being on the peninsular division. In
1905 he entered the employ Of John
Murphy Lumber company, which oper-
ated several camps at and near Arm
strong Greek.
Disappears During Night.
Jim Stevenson, then in charge of the
company's boarding house at the sta
ton, and Reed, on the day in question,
had been out hunting, and instead Of re-
turning to camp, Reed remained at the
boarding house, the guest of his friend.
1t was bitterly cold night and exhaust.
ed from their long and arduous tramp
through the woods, Reed partook of the
stuff that cheers and benumbs. His sys-
tenn could not stand the shock and he
became delirious. Early in the morning
he was seen to jump out of window,
clad only in his night gown. Pursuit
was taken up at once but though only
two or three minutes had elapsed before
Stevenson few out of the house and aft
er him, nothing was seen Of Reed.
Several wild and demoniacal yells from
H. Ao1 fon@ i've FySoYI
the railroad trestle east of the. station
and only 200 yards away gave his pur-
suers an idea as to the direction which
the fugitive had taken. There was snow
on the ground but no tracks were found,
indicating whether Reed had run. The
search was kept up until daylight. The
until then somewhat desultory seeking Of
the runaway man from that time on be-
came a systematic one under the dtrec-
ton of Mr.. Herman, who had been
routed out of bed in camp couple of
miles away. Operations in the woods
were suspended by him that day and in
stead some 800 odd men, employees of the
Murphy company, and various residents
near by, became man hunters in earnest.
No trace of Reed was found. For year
and longer Herman, whenever the OPP
portunity offered, instituted inquiries,
but nothing developed. The fate of Ed
ward Reed remained unknown.
Skeleton in Swamp.
An eighth of a mile south of Camp
No. of the Murphy company, and di
rectly south of the 500 track. lies
small, but in the summer, almost impene-
trable tamarack swamp. Through it
runs a trout stream. Within fifty feet
of the 500 track the boys while making
for the creek stumbled over the skeleton.
The bones are intact and have been
identified by reason Of a peculiar de-
formity of the one arm. But for the
fact that the swamp is even inaccessible
to most animals, porcupines probably
would have made short shrift Of the
bones.
During the search for Reed the edges
Of the swamp were carefully searched
but no track was found in the snow. It
is probable that in his frenzy he made
mighty leap from the high road bed
and track, crashing through the dense
growth Of trees and landing in the deep
snow beyond and below where the in
tense cold soon made an end Of the I'M
fortunate man.