Evening journal., 1912-11-07
DROWNED,
BUT INJURED
BEFORE END
This the Conclusion Of COrOn-
er'S Physician in Van
SAINT Case
CONTINUE PROBE
OF THE MYSTERY


NEWARK, Nov AFTER day of
investigation the authorities have
failed to solve the mystery surround
ing the death of oliver Vansant,
whose body was found yesterday
morning by Isaac Tyson, near Nc
Clellandsville. but additional facts
we're learned that makes the case all
the more mysterious. State Detec-
tive Frank Mccoy OF Wilmington
came here late yesterday afternoon
and is in the neighborhood again to-
day working on the case. Coroner
James T. Chandler, also came TO
Newark last night and empanelled
jury. of which James Mckeivey, is
foreman, to inquire into the cause OF
death He was accompanied by Cor
oner's Physician Dir. j. w. Bastian,
and a post morten examination was
held The jury after hearing the tes-
tiIhony of Or. Bastian and that OF
Isaac Vansant n brother of the dead
man who Identified the body and gave
the age of the dead man as Al. adj
iourned to meet again at the call of
the foreman
The autopsy showed that the skull
was not fractured as Was the first
impression II did show, however,
four Commissions on the left side of the
breast DR. Bastian, stated that death
was due to drowning but that the
contrihutory cause was wounds on
the head which were likely received
before he was drowned The place
where the body was found is only a
small drain from springhouse.
Z Where the body was laying accord
I ing to a statement of Isaac Vansant,
/ brother OF the deadman, there was
not more than bucket OF water.
! There is a small bridge over this
drain or run but this bridge is only
! two or three feet above where the
! body was found large quantity Of
sand was found i'm the mans lungs,
As he was lying face down in the
/ little puddle of water and there being
sand at the bottom, it was the sup
/ position of DR. Bastian and also OF
/ Or. H. G.. M. Kollock, who Witnessed
/ the autopsy, that Nansant was prob
/ ably still partly conscious when his
! face first struck the water and breath
cd the sand into his lungs. The
wounds on the head, there being
three. were about two inches back of
the right ear Dr. Bastian, said they
were not such woulds as would have
caused death.
From the position of the Commissions
on the breast DR. Bastian, described
as contusions. such as could have
/ been caused by nails on the heel of a
mans shoe. One Of the mysterious
developments yesterday. was the fact
that d. was learned that the dead
4 mans cap. was found some distance
from where the body was and that
the cap had considerable blood on it,.
This blood Il is supposed got on the
cap before Vansants head got In the
water, as il is not thought possible
that he once got up after his head
was buried i'm the water and sand and
then there is no signs OF struggle
or any blood around where he was
found to indicate that he had walked
around after being hurt
Vansant's movements have been
traced from the time that he was in
Newark on Election day until 4
o'clock yesterday morning, three
hours before his body was found. He
came to Newark and voted in the af-
ternoon and then went to tho barber
shop at the Deer Park Hotel and was
shaved. After that he waited around
for "a short time for a son of Thomas
Campbells where he was working
near Head OF Christiana Church and
rode out to the Campbell home. He
arrived there shortly after s o'clock
and later had supper. II Is under
stood that the Campbell family are
positive that Vansant stayed all night
there. He said something during the
evening about getting up early and
going TO Newark 20 hear the election
returns.
Mrs Campbell was awake at $50
o'clock yesterday morning and heard
Vansant stirring around and thought
he was getting ready to come to
Newark to hear the returns. Ae few
minutes later she heard him talking
i'm the yard and says she though he
was talking TO the cats. Ihat was
the last heard of him until the body
was found by Mr. Tyson at o'clock
The Mace where the body was
found is two miles from the Camp
bell home and was not the direction
that Tyson would have taken to come
TO Newark. He has "a sister living
near McClellandsville where he some
times makes his home but the run in
WHICH the Uuuf vas A'hHN - ~ '''
her home.
Coroner Chandler. inquired if the
man had any enemies but this brother
was sure he had not The autopsy
showed that Vansant had eaten some
! thing after he got up yesterday morn
ing. although II may have only been
a piece of turnip. II is not believed
by many that IT would have been pos
sible for such wounds TO have been
made as where found on the mans
head and body by simply falling such
IA short distance Off the bridge. Then
the wounds were on the back of his
head and he was found lying on his
face aud not near any stones that
could either have made the wound on
the head or the Commissions on the
breast. and the fact that there was no
blood on any stones when the wound
must to have bleed freely at once
makes the case a mysterious one. The
vicinity will be searched today for
any other traces OF blood.
officer Shellender OF Newark, stat
ed last night that he had been told
that team was seen going down this
side road where the body was found
with "A lantern on the wagon at .
o'clock yesterday morning.
POLICE COMMISSION WORK.