The Brunswick news. [volume] (Brunswick, Ga.) 1906-2016, 1911-12-28
THE REMAINS OF
BRUNSW|CKMAN
FOUND IN WOODS
J. r. BARCUS HAD BEEN DEAD
MANY MONTHS BEFORE DIS.
COVERY WAS MADE.
People Near Grand Haven, Michigan,
Were Puzzled by Mysterious Case.
Barcus Wore Necktie Purchased in
This City.

An article appeared in The News
several days ago concerning the find
ing of a body near Grand Haven,
Michigan, supposed to be some Bruins
wick person, as the necktie which the
dead man wore contained the name
of the Wood-Bailey Clothing company.
Efforts were made to trace the lnan
in his city, but it was impossible
The people around the city where
the body was found have been en-
deavoring to solve the mystery and
have just established the identity of
the dead man who proved to be John
X. Barcus, who resided in this city
up TO year or so ago. For many
years Mr.. Barcus was filler at the mills
of the Hilton-Dodge Lumber company
out on Glynn avenue and was we'll
known among many people of the city.
The Grand Haven Daily Tribune con-
tains the following about the case:
The mystery of the skeleton of
the woods, which has been puzzling
the officers since the discovery was
made last week by Eddie Wander
Veere, has at last been solved, and
in an unexpected way. The name of
the man whose remains were found
among the leaves in a lonely spot On
Leggatt's hill, was John R. Rarcus.
THE Identification was made posi-.
lively this noon, when w. w. Rarcus,
a well-known real estate dealer of
Muskegon, and his son Wilford, who
is an employe of large Muskegon
machine shop, viewed the remains
and the clothing found with them.
Mr.. Barcus had read the story of
the finding of the body in the woods
and he came up just before noon,
with the idea that they might be
those Of his brother, John R Barcus,
who left Muskegon in July, 1911, and
had not, since been heard from AS
his brother had at one time been
resident of Brunswick, Ca, the news
that clothing marked with the marx
of Brunswick firm, had been found
upon the body, aroused the suspicion
of the Muskegon man.
There was nothing of the pooy
which could lead to the positive
identification, but as soon as the
two Muskegon men saw the clothing,
they were confident that the re-
mains were those of the man whom
they were seeking. They positively
identified the spectacles as those
which had been worn by John R.
Barcus. Other articles of clothing sub
stantiated the identification. Coroner
de Kleine was notified and when he
was satisfied that the Muskegon man
had identified the remains, he re-
leased them. The body will be taken
to Muskegon by the brother and bur-
led there, in the civilized grave which
is the right at least of every man.
John R. Barcus, who came to his
death in lonely thicket in the lake
shore hills surrounding Grand Ha-
ven, was saw filer, who until about
two years ago had lived in Brunswick,
Ga. In October, 1910, Barcus had
come north to Muskegon, with the re-
mains of his wife, who had died in
the South. After the funeral Barcus
remained in Muskegon until July of
1911, when he announced to his broth
er that he was going to take little
trip over to Grand Haven and from
there to Savannah, Ca, where he
would look around a little. Nothing
more was heard from him, and the
brother finally growing anxious as to
his whereabouts, inserted advertise
ments in the Savannah papers. How
ever, all efforts to find any trace of
the missing man had failed. Until
the brother read the account of the
finding of the body in Grand Haven,
there has not been the least suspicion
as to the missing mans whereabouts
"Of course, the manner in which
he met his death can never be known,
but, it is reported that the unroFruh-
ate man was addicted to the morphine
habit, and the fact that bottle Of
morphine tablets was found in his
pockets builds up a, believable theory
at least, that Barcus wandered up In
to the thicket, and either deliberately
or accidentally took an overdose of the
drug. In all probability he was deep
" grieved over the loss of his wife,
and feeling in lonely mood, dis
couraged and at odds with life, re
found a darkened spot in the woods,
in keeping with his darkened spirits.
OF course this is but conjecture, but
for all it may be the story Of the end