Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1914-07-20
F0RMERED|T0R'S
CLOTHES FOUND
ON RIVER BANK
Police Believe That Fenton j.
SpauIding Was Drowned IN
Rio Gra0de While Swim
ming,

The finding ~ me clothes Of Fon'an
J. SpauldinF local agent fOf the NeH
York Life Insurance company for
meriy editor af mo santa r. Trail
magazine. uu fhe bank 81 the Rio
Grande. south Of Odd Albuquerque.
last night indicated that be- mad
drowned.
Alarmed because her husband Had
not returned home at 10 o'clock last
night. Mrs. spiuldins. who lives a
5ll y East Central avenue. asked OLE
ser weliman 500 South Ano street.
to 90 IN search ~ him spauiimg
had gone 90 ihe river about o'clock.
i Captain laf D'Grady ana patroiman
Martin ByrneF accompanied by Welt
man, went t0 the river in Fire Chlef
Jacob Klein 8 automobile. They found
/ me clothes disclosing what appeared
10 be- the tragedy IL the spot where
Spaulding had elmped yesterday with
his wife and ST. and Mrs Wcllman.
E The place De- almost directly west 81
the enI ~ West Gold avenue
tnderciOthe~ Missing.
As they approached the camp site.
having been forced 70 leave the car
some distance off, The light 81 one of
the officers electric flashlights fell on
Spauiding bat on top Of the pile ~
clothes Weliuan N first thought
spanlding was lying there Running 90
The place. he found spauldius shoes
trousers, coat, shirt, hat, collar ana
tie tndrtei0thea ana socks were
missing The police were mystified
why he should have gone in swimming
lat that place. comparatively obscure.
wearing his underclothes and socks
Further search. however in daylight
may disclose them nearby. they sug-
gested.
The police were handicapped IN
their search with flashlights on the
soggy bank They did not see any
footprints iu the wei sand made by
bare or stocklnecd feet. although they
looked along The bunk for fifty feet
each way from the place where he
had left his clothes in search OF where
he entered tile stream
His gold watch and stickpin were
found with the clothes. Several let
tiers were ia the coat pockets, with
memoranda relating TO the insurance
business
Feared Accident.
The current OF the river is swift at
that point The water was high, the
river having been swollen by recent
rains The current, forming hugh
"s' swishcd against the bank Just
above the camp and swept along 10 a
point fifty feet below. where II turned
out toward the center OF the channel.
II evidently had been cutting the bank
there ANA probably Is deep. although
no effort was made to sound H. The
bank is only foot above the water.
Spaulding with his wife and Mr.. and
Mrs. Wellman were at the camp yes
terday They intended to stay last
night. but on account of the rain they
went home While there Wellman /
remarked he would like to swim and |
Spauldine urged him TO go IN. saying /
he wanted 10 swim himself Wellman /
dissuaded him.
Spaulding took Mr. ana Mrs Well !
man home In his automobile He first /
left Mrs Spaulding at their home As
Mr.. and Mrs Wclman left the car
he said he had lost his fountain pen /
and that he would return To the river /
looking for It.
He asked Wellmnn again TO go back I
with him aud to take "a Dip in the (
river Wcllman declined. saying that j
happy outings frequently had ended /
in q tragedy.
Darkness IIandieaps search.
Spauiding left his automobile in the /
garage and went to old Albuquerque /
on the trolley ear. lie left home about +
= o'clock lie intended to walk south |
along the river bank from old Al
buquefuue to the camp. When he /
had not returned after several hours, /
his wife became frightened and asked 4
Welman to find what had become OF I
him
Wellman believed that spauiding,
If he had drowned, came TO his death
The police as "A matter 4
Of preeaution searched FOR IA note
along the bank and in his pockets,
but found nothing.
The search viii be renewed early
this morning The police We're com
PEELED to desist last night on account
of darkness. Had they been able TO
get boats they would have directed
the dragging Of the river in the hope
81 recovering the body, although In 1
the constantly shifting current ana
rolling sandy bottom there Is llttle
hope Of that The river may be dy-
namited today in the hope of sending
the body to the surface
Founder of Magazine.
Spauldlng came here from santa
Fc about x year ago ~ editor OF me
santa Fe Trail magazine lie had
charge OF the publication when 1t was
first issued in the capital. several
ago he gave MP management
Of the magazine and entered the IN
surnnee business lie was about 30
years ola His only relative who lives
here Is Mrs Spauding-
MIR. sounding did not believe that
her husband had drowned She, ae-
companiod by MI and Mrs Well.
man ana Captain O'Grady lef( for
the camp site AZ $50 o'clock this
norninr to search for Spauldins. The
belief vas expressed that he might
have wondered off along the shore.