Perth Amboy evening news., 1910-09-09
find BODY OF
THE MISSING
RED BANK MAN
Frederick F. Gardner, Form
er Manager OF Shore EIec-
trio Co. Died in Pines.
PROBABLY OF STARVATION
Had Lived Like Insane Man
in Old Saw Mill Near
Pine Brook.
NO REASON is KNOWN
Had Put Company on Paying
Bases--Wife CoIIapses
After LONG Search.

Red Bank, Sept. 9:-The mystery
OF Frederick F. Gardeners strange
disappearance Tuesday, August %,
was solved last night by the finding
OF his body in the pine lands at Pine
Brook, six miles southwest of Red
Bank, near the tracks of the Central
railroad which runs to Lakewood
and Atlantic City.
The body was badly decomposed
and showed he had been dead about
ten days. The body was found by
Amos Reevey, who detected an odor
while passing a saw mill. He mott
fed his mother, Mrs. Esther Reevey,
who, with Mrs. Mary Williams and
Richard Reevey, went to the saw
mill and nearby found the body in
a crouched position.
A few days after Gardner disap-
peared Mrs. Rock noticed a man act
Ing strangely, hiding behind and
lodging from bush to bush. When
she sent her son out to see what the
man wanted he disappeared In the
pines. She notified the police here
and a search was made of that sec
ton, but no trace was found.
When the body was discovered the
two women hurried to Red Bank and
notified County Detective EIwood
Minugh, who sped to the scene in an
auto. The detective found the man
answered the description of Gard
ner and notified Undertaken Harry
Fay, Of Red Bank, and Coroner
John I. Sickels.
Upon their arrival last night in
company with DR.. William Sayre,
they identified the man as Gardner
by his hair, gold-capped teeth, his
suit and combination underwear.
His face was gone. He was clothed
in a dark coat and vest, light negli-
gee shirt, combination underwear,
black socks, and on one foot was a
black low shoe. In his right trous-
ers pocket was found $27 in bills.
Detective Minugh made a search
of the mill and found the room in a
dilapidated condition. Gardeners
straw hat was found in one corner of
the room and his other shoe in an
other corner. Blood was spattered
about the floor and on a pillow. 1t
looked as though a demented person
had inhabited the place.
The door of the mill was found
open and from the position in which
the body was found and the condi-
ton of the clothing made it evident
that the man had crawled out of the
mill into the pines, where he likely
persisted from starvation.
Gardner had been general man
ager of the Shore Electric Company,
which operates in this place.. Rum
cAn anl Gao prI1Et To- co,oroJ
months Gardner had been superin-
tending the erection of a new power
plant in the southern limits Of the
town, which was being built by the
company at a cost of $4,000.
Gardner had ben worried greatly
over the new project.
Mrs. Gardner, who has maintained
a constant search for her husband,
is Frustrated with grief. Mr.. Gard
ner also leaves an infant.
Mr.. Gardner was born in Newark,
N. Y, forty-fve years ago. At the
age of twenty he went to EngIewood,
where he accepted the position of
manager of the Bergen County Gas
and Electric Company When that
company was taken yer by the Pub
lie Service Corporation he was re-
tanned.
He left the corporation four years
ago to take charge of the Shore
| Electric Company. He built up a
rundown plant to a paying business
and was held in high esteem by
Philip N. Jackson. of Newark, pres
ident of the company. Mr.. Jackson,
who has been in Europe, was nOti-
fled Of Gardeners disappearance, and
is on his way home.
Percy ingalls,, of Newark, is acting
president, and Irving Finch is in
charge Of the local branch.
A post mortem examination will
be held today.