Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-07-07
IDENTIFY BODY AS THAT
OF JOSEPH KRAN|TzKY
Police Hold to Suicide Theory in
Case OF Man Found Dead
at Lakeside.
NO MOTIVE GIVEN FOR MURDER
Waterman Tells Of Drifting Boat.
Coroner Bright To Perform Autopsy
to Establish Manner OF Death.
Respondent Since Out Of Work.

The body OF the man found al the bot
tom OF the pond at Lakeside Monday
night has been Identified as that Of
Joseph Kranitzky, of 1913 Monteiro
Avenue. Barton Heights Identification
was established by his brother. Alex
kranitzky, who, conducts a grocery
store at the north end or Second Street.
kranitzky read the description OF the
dead man as given In The Times-Dis-
patch. and visited Bliley's morgue, at
Third and Marshall Streets, early yes-
terday morning.
Though the body was weighted down
with an iron pot filled with bricks and
stones, and was found twenty feet from
the shore in ten feet OF water. the
theory generally believed In now is
that he committed suicide. Tyree Wat
kins. n Waterman on the Ginter estate,
, has said that he found a boat drift
ing on the lake last Thursday. which
lends color to the suicide theory. 1t
Is believed that kranitzky. wishing to
hide the fact that he had himself
ended his life, rowed out short dis
lance from shore, tied the iron pot by
, wire to his belt. and. then standing
up in the boat in such Il position that
he would topple over. shot himself
through the heart. There was only
one wound. The bullet passed through
the body, and kranitzky was dead
when he fell into the water
NOTHING on WHICH TO
BASE MURDER THEORY
There is nothing on which TO base
murder theory. The man had no enc
niles He was Of quiet and retiring
disposition. Having been out OF work
lor a month. he had little money, and
1t is believed that he had no money
with him when he went to Lakeside
None was found In his clothes. man
answering his description had been
. seen Il day or 30 before sitting In
melancholy attitude near the lake
krantizky was a large man, weigh
! Ing about l75 pounds. II would have
been difficult for any one TO have
dragged him into boat and then.
weighted down as he was to have
lifted him over the boats side without
oVerturninE the craft. There being
established no motive for murder and
there being evidences that Kranitzky
had been respondent for some time,
color is lent to the theory OF suicide
AS he had been retiring, quiet and
, modest In life, II is regarded as quite
tenable belief that in death he wished
his passing should be unmarked, save
that he would always be numbered
among the missing.
kranitzky was last seen alive by his
family on Wednesday night at 2 o'clock
~hen ne LETT home without saying
where he was going. The young woman
on whom he was accustomed to cali
missed him when ne did not visit her
on Thursday night. When he failed to
return home and when his family be-
came alarmed at his continued absence.
the police were notified and were asked
| to institute search for him.
HIS DISAPPEARANCE SECRET
No information as to tho disappear
ance was given to the press; otherwise
Identification might have been estab-
l!shed AS soon as the body was found
II has been the custom Of the Police
Department to give information as to
missing persons to the press. In the
hope that the newspapers would be
able TO help in finding the missing per-
son. The papers have frequently sue
ceeded in locating missing people. In
this case they were not called upon,
and 1t was BY accident that Kranitzky's
body was found in the bottom of the
lake.
Coroner ]. Fulmer Bright viewed the
body at the Bliley morgue yesterday
morning, and decided to perform an au-
topsy further to assure himself As to
the manner Of Kranitzky's death. The
jury adjourned to Tomorrow
morning. when II will begin it's inquest
| at the Henrico County Courthouse
kranitzky was twenty-seven years
old He lived with his mother, Mrs
NJ. s. kranitzky, and his sister, Mrs.
NJ. G.. Heye. For some years he was
in the grocery business with his brother
on Second Street. They dissolved part
nership about seven months ago. Four
months ago he was employed as bar
tender by T F. Callahan. 3o2 West
Broad Street Business was dull. and
he had to give up his position. There
after he was without employment.