The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1912-01-04
BODY OF MAN
FOUND NEAR
FORT MRAE
SOL DiERs MAKE cRuEsoME Dis
covERY WHILE WALKING
ALONG OUTSIDE BEAcH-lDEN-
TILTED AS cHAs. MAXWELL
AND IT Is SUPPOSED THAT He
WAS DROWNED CHRISTMAS
NIGHT.


While walking along the outside
beach about half a mile above Fort
1IcRae yesterday afternoon about 1870
o'clock. Prfvates Brice, Of the nth
Co., and Sweeney. Of the 22nd Co.
were startled when they discovered
fEie body Of q white man, where It
had washed up on the beach, and a
glance at the body showed that it had,
evidently. been in the water for sew
eraI days and was IN a bad state Of
decomposition. The soldiers at once
notified the commanding ofacer at the
fort, who. in turn. notified Coroner
Nicholson. Coroner Nicholson i'm
mediately went TO the navy yard.
where he was met by boat from
the fort ana conveyed to the place
where the body was found. After
viewing the remains, the coroner gave
an order for the removal Of the body
to the undertaking establishment OF
F. r. Pou. and an inquest viii be held
this morning at 9 o'clock
Body Identified.
Although, as stated, the body was
in & bad state Of decomposition,
the face being especially black and
5loated, q number Of people who look
ed at the remains last night positively
identified the body as that of Charles
Maxwell, who was wel1-knoWn around
the city. Tattoo marks on one arm Of
the man we're also said to have been
recognized By some Of those who look
ed at the body. and there seemed to
be little doubt last night as to the
identity Of the dead man.
Among those who viewed the re-
mains last night was John Maxwell, OF
Mobile. q prominent railroad man and
a brother Of Charles Maxwell. and he
was Of the opinion that the body now
At the undertaking establishment IS
that of his brother.
Capt. Charles Simpson. who work
ed with Maxwell. who was generally
known as shorty" after looking at
the body, said that there was no doubt
in his mind that the body is that OF
Maxwell
Probably Drowned Christmas Nigkt.
Taking all of the circumstances into
consideration. the probabilities are
that the body found yesterday AFTER
noon is that OF the man who was re-
ported to have fallen overheard from
Baylen street wharf on Christmas
night It viii be recalled that a re-
port was circulated that a man fell
overheard at this time and that the
bay was dragged in the vicinity Of the
reported drowning the next day and
that a mans cap was found, but the
body could not be located, and it was
afterward thought that the person
who was seen to fall overheard had
escaped drowning and had boarded q
schooner near where he fell over
obard. but the finding Of this body.
under the circumstances. has a
tendency to verify the first report
for several reasons.
In the first place, the undertaken
said last night that the condition Of
the body indicated that it had been
IN the water since about the time the
man was reported as Drowning
In the next place, a number of per-
sons were seen last night who said
they had seen Maxwell on Saturday
and Sunday before Christmas. but no
body had seen him later. It was also
said that he had Just gotten in from
a fishing trip Saturday before Christ
mas.
Again, the cap that was found the
day after the reported drowning is
said to have answered the description
Of the cap worn by Maxwell the last
seen OF him. When the body was
found no hat or cap was with it.
Was Marine Engineer.
Maxwell was a marine engineer by
profession and is said to have been
an expert in his line, but for some
time he had worked as a fisherman
and had not followed his profession.
He was about thirty-five years OF
age and was a member of a number Of
organizations. He was WE'LL known
in this city and had Travelled ex-
tensively. it being said that he had
visited almost every country in the
world.