Republican news item. [volume] (Laport, Pa.) 1896-19??, 1910-11-04
Two Hunters Find Head|ess
Corpse Near Reading.
POSSIBLY A PHILAOELPHIAN
Head, Arms and Chest Are Missing
and No Clue to Identity-Was Dead
Probably Two Months.

A mysterious murder was discovered
by gunners on the Neversink noun
tain. near Reading, Pa.
The body of man, with the head,
arms and chest missing, was found.
partly covered by leaves. The body
had been completely and cleanly cut
through as by dissecting knife just
below the juncture Of the arms and
the trunk.
Where the upper part of the body is
and who this victim of foul play was
constitute a mystery on which the
whole efforts of the Reading police
and the Berks county coroner's Office
are directed.
The man apparently had been dead
two months, and it seems probable
that he was resident of Philadelphia.
Copies of Philadelphia papers of Aug.
80 were found in his clothing, and a
hat lying nearby bears the trade mark
Of a Philadelphia store. The rest of
the clothing was unmarked.
Gunners Find Body.
George Kemp and Edward Binga-
man, both residents of Reading, are
the gunners who made the discovery.
They were out for days shooting on
Neversink mountain and had wandered
There. almost covered by leaves. they
stumbled across the body, mutilated
and badly decomposed.
The gunners were quick to realize
that it was case of murder, and hur-
riedly got into communication with
the Reading police authorities. Coro-
ner Wagner and detectives immediate
evidence sto the mans identity and
clue to his slayer.
Their search was rewarded only by
the finding of the black derby hat
about twenty feet distant from the
body. They were baffled for the time
being by the failure to find the arms,
upper part of the trunk, and especially
the head.
If the head were found, they felt,
the identity of the man could be estab-
lished. and then the motive for the
murder could be uncovered With this
to work from the detectives were san.
guine of their ability to solve the mys.
terry of the tragedy.
Coroner Wagner expressed the be-
lief after careful examination of the
condition of the body, that the man
had been dead fully two months, indi-
Gated by the fact that the newspapers
found were dated Aug. 80.
In addition to the derby hat, part
of white shirt also was found, but
1t bore no mark. The rest Of the mans
clothing consisted of navy blue serge
coat, with a vest to match, and gray
trousers with large stripe a little
darker in shade. An empty wallet was
found in one pocket with a keyring
bearing a Yale & Towne lock key and
trunk, key. A comb and horseshoe
nail completed the list of articles dis
covered on the body.
Woman Heard Three Shots.
Strengthening the theory that the
man was killed on Aug 80 is the tale
told by Mrs. ]. II. MacFarland, wife Of
the owner of a hotel nearby. She says
she heard three shots fired on the
night of Aug. 80 and thinks the man
may have been killed on that occa.
sion.
Mrs. MacFarland heard the shots
about II p. m. and says she looked
out of the window toward the hill to
see what the trouble was. A moment
later she heard an automobile start
away as If 1t had stopked at the edge
of the park. The motor dashed south
ward on the Philadelphia pike. She
could not tell how many persons were
In the automobile the night Waa