Perth Amboy evening news., 1911-04-17
MYSTERY OVER
FIND IN WOODS
Coroner and County Detec-
tive Investigate Case Eth
or Suicide or a Murder.
BULLET HOLE IN NECK
Body Found Between keasbey
and Fsrds Yesterday
Tramp Locked Up Here.

ohP ~oeNSu W iVi s'
Investigations are being made to-day
by Coroner Garretson and County De
tective Richard A. Peltier to determine
whether another murder has been com
Dlitted in this county and whether the
body of the man found yesterday after
noon in the woods midway between
Fords and Keasbey with bullet hole
through the neck is that Of suicide.
The body was found by John Rose,
tramp who Is being held on suspicion
pending the result of the official g in
quiry. The body is that of either
Japanese or a PHILIPPINE.
Not Yet Identified.
The man is as yet unidentified, al
though strenuous efforts are being made
to place him. All the Japanese and
PHILIPPINES In this section of the coun-
ty were looked up by the coroner this
morning and none were found missing
From his clothes it is thought that the
Dead man is from New York. Nothing
of value was found in his pockets.
John Rose, the tramp who discovered
the body, gives his home address as
$40 Race street, Philadelphia. He is
locked up at police headquarters in this
city.
Man Noticed at Keasbey.
About three o'clock yesterday after
noon, Ingward Lund, with others, while
at the Keasbey school house, saw the
Japanese, as he more strongly appears,
going across the fields towards Fords.
he had bundle Of papers in his pock-
cts. Around clock, Rose, the tramp,
states that he went into the woods to
hide his bundle Of clothes and discov-
cred the body Of the Japanese lying on
his back ON some papers. He went to
the nearest houses and informed them
of his find but was not believed at
first. Finally a man named Smith,
thinking that there was something to
the man's story, telephoned to Coroner
Garretson about seven o'clock.
Coroner on Scene.
The coroner got on the scene about
7:30 clock. He found the dead man
surrounded by about twenty-five Or
thirty people discussing the event in
subdued voices. The body as 1t lay,
was about midway between Able Han
sons factory and the Lehigh Valley
railroad tracks, about half mile from
the nearest habitation. By this time
the japanese was viewed laying on his
back, with his two hands raised before
him near his side. The bullet which
had caused his death had gone through
his collar near the front button, to the
right and the back of his neck, where
1t could be felt near the skin.
No Weapon Found.
The revolver, which had sped the bull
let, was nowhere to be seen however,
and could not be located this morning,
although thorough search Of the prem
ises was made by the coroner and
County Detective Peltier.
Spread beneath the Japanese was the
papers with which he was seen passing
the Keasbey school house. They were
the New York Sunday Herald, OF April
Q. The body was removed to Coroner
Garretson 8 morgue, in this city, to
Await autopsy and Identification.
Little In Pockets.
In the Japanese pockets were
found handk erchief, q lead pencil
and box of matches, nothing else. He
was dressed in a good suit Of black
A good tie and suspenders with the
Wanamaker label, with the clothes,
seemed to identify him with New York.
He was between twenty-five and thirty
years of age, possibly. His laundry
mark was 3771-0.
The Suicide Theory.
If the case was that Of suicide Cor
oner Garretson Is of the impression
that the weapon was fred with the left
hand There Is what appears to be a
powder mark on the forefnger Of the
left hand and powder marks are also
seen on the collar, showing that the
weapon must have been held close to
the mans neck. II suicide, the miss
ing revolver may have been picked up
by someone who was early on the scene.
As the man was seen going alone in
the direction Of the locality that his
dead body was found in, there seems
little reason that murder should have
been committed especially as he had
taken trouble to lay the papers out be-
meath him, and if murdered he must
have been shot while asleep, murder be-
ing unnecessary to surprise him IT any
one had it in mind to rob him. The
coroner thinks that death was due to
suicide.
The coroner got in touch today with
chicken farm near Metuchen where
two Filipinos are employed. Neither
was missing. A japanese keeper of b
restaurant in this city was found at his
place, as were some auction men, re-
cent arrivals in town.
Tramp Tells His Story.
John Rose, the tramp lodged in the
city lookup Saturday night, and again
showed up last night after his discov-
cry of the body. He was placed under
arrest on suspicion, but seems to tell a
straight story. He gives the Evening
Bulletin, Of Philadelphia, as refer
ence. He states that he was going to
work in local factory today and had
taken his bundle out In the woods to
hide it yesterday. Nothing Of an In
criminating nature was found In his
bundle.
County Physician Carroll will proba-
bly, h, d an autopsy either today or to-
morrow.