Martinsburg statesman-democrat. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1906-1921, 1912-05-24
BERNARD CASEY FOUND
DEAD IN SPRING
Popular Empioye Of Gas Co. Accident
ally Drowned Near Gas Plant
Saturday Mort.

btEutTu 0Astf. Il years otut -A-
South High street, pipefltter and
popular employee of the Martinsburg
( Gas Co, was found dead Sunday morn
ing in "bullfrog" sprinf, opposite the
gas plant, where he drowned Saturday
night
The body of the young man was dis
covered few minutes after . o'clock
Sunday morning. by two little boys of
4 the neighborhood who looked into the
spring after a frog they had seen jump
in. There they saw the body OF a
man. But frightened as they were.
the boys bethought them to go across
East John street to the home of Mr..
John CrowI. adjoining the gas plant,
and tell him of their discovery. Mr..
Crowl, superintendent of the plant,
/ telephoned the news to police head
quarters and soon afterwards Coroner
w. r. Kline and Health Officer Clay
were on the scene.
/ DR. Clay examined the body but
found no marks OF violence on 1t, con
Guiding that the man had drowned.
Coroner Kline decided that an Inquest
was unnecessary as il was clear case
of accidental drowning. Undertaken
Wilen then removed the body to his
establishment, and afterwards to the
home of the deceased.
The last seen of Mr.. Casey alive
WAS about o'clock. He and
some half dozen companions
had spent an hour or more enjoying
themselves just east of The gas plant.
Finally at the hour stated Casey bade
his companions good night, they
starting down the road toward the
bulleye bridge and he going in the OPP
posite direction. The spring in ques-
ton is at the foot of and under the
high embankment of the Baltimore
and Ohio railroad alons by the gas
works. Near the spring a path leads
up the bank opposite the foot of South
High street where Mr.. Casey lived
with his father, Patrick Casey 1t Is
supposed that he stopped at the spring
for drink of water and fell in the
spring, which is couple feet deep
and was drowned.
Besides his aged father the deceased
is survived by one brother and four
sisters: John Casey, at home; Mrs
John Harrington, this city; Misses
Maggie, Annie and Ella, who are EN-
ployed in Washington. Mr.. Casey was
born in Martinsburg ana was liked by
everybody that knew him, and much
sympathy is felt for his bereayed fam
a4iH nVNn IL
most exactly seven years ago Mr. Cas-
ey's older brother, Michael Casey was
killed on the Baltimore aad Ohio Rail
road within less than a hundred feet
from where Bernard Casey met his
death Saturday night
Inquiry Into Death of Casey.
In order to allay any suspicion that
Bernard Casey, the young man who
was found dead in the spring across
the road from the gas works, Sunday
morning, had been the victim of foul
play on the part of sons of his COM
panions or other person or persons
on the Saturday night previous, and
to satisfy his family as 10 the circum-
stances of his death, Coroner w. X.
Kline held an inquest at his business
place Tuesday night.
The jury consisted of F. D. Staley,
T. 7. Lemen, G. l.. Stu2key, Thomas
STROBE, w. A. Burkhart and P. S. Gun
ningham About dozen witnesses
were summoned to the inquest but on
ly six examined.
The first witness was DR., G. T. Clay,
health officer of the city, He testified
that he was called to the gas house
between and 10 o'clock Sunday morn
ing to see a man found dead In
spring there: that there were no signs
of violence on the body, but the lungs
were full of water, indicating drown
ing.
Mrs. John Crowl. whose husband is
the gas maker and whose home Is di-
rectly across the road from the spring
where Casey's body was found, was
the next witness called. She testified
that about l o'clock Saturday night
she heard some fellows pass the house
and who seemed to be in an argument
about something or other. She said
Sut hnfN DtIltIu tdbtg hiAN NiN' 49,
voice, but she didn't recognize his
voice on the night in question
Willis Sheets testified that he saw
Bernie Casey about IL o'clock satur-
day night at the bottlins house, south
of the B. & o. station; that there were
some eight young men in this party
and Casey joined them. He said his
crowd had some whiskey and after all
Mad taken a few drinks they went
down the Frog Hollow railroad track
TO John street, and thence down to
short distance east of the gas works
where they all drank sore more cas-
ey by this time, being pretty well IN
toxicated. He. Casey. danced. a little
in the road and about oEe o'clock start
ed for home; that he, Sheets and the
balance of the crowd then went on
down to the Bulleye bridge over the
B. & o, railroad, where they spent the
rpfnaindpr of fha night