The weekly tribune and the Cape County herald. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1914-1918, 1916-04-28
SONS OPEN GRAVE,
IDENTIFY FLOATER
Body of St. Louis Contractor
Shipped Back Home
For Burial.

After their fathers body, which had
floated two months in the river, had
been buried four days, John and
Charles F. Hoffman, of St. Louis, yes
terday morning aided in opening the
shallow grave at the waters edge near
Neely's Landing and made a positive
Identification Of the body as that of
F. William Hoffman,, who disappear
ed from his home in St. Louison Feb
ruary 20 last.
The body was lifted from the grave
into casket and brought to the Cape
where it was prepared for burial and
shipped to st. Louis on the afternoon
train yesterday. The funeral will be
held in St. Louis tomorrow.
The recovery of their fathers body
was made by the two sons and a
daughter through a newspaper story
telling of his disappearance in st.
Louis. The sons yesterday declared
that their father for 80 years had been
one of the leading building contractors
in North St. Louis.
He retired from active work few
days ago. He was Il years old and
had made and saved sufficient money
to live comfortably for the remainder
of his life. The family lived at 4016
Lexington avenue, St. Louis. His wife
wife is still living, and there are three
sons and two daughters.
Members of the family were unable
to find any trace of the old man on
the morning of February 20 last, the
sons declared. and a search of the
neighbOrhoOd was made. They believ-
ed he had gone off to look after some
personal business and did not push the
search. At the close of the first day
of his disappearance, his wife was
Frustrated at their home and the chill
dren were frantically using every
possible means to trace their father.
Chief of Police Young and Chief of
Detectives Allender of st. Louis were
appealed to, and 4 secret search of the
entire city was instituted. At the end
of almost two months this method
proved unavailing and the sons went
to the newspaper offices, seeking aid
by publicity.
The st. Louis newspapers printed
stories of the disappearance last Sun
day. Two days later William Patter-
son, negro living near Egypt Mills,
found the body floating in the water
near the shore. The body was heavily
clad and had the appearance of once
having been we'll dressed.
Justice of the Peace Julius +. Ste
ger held an inquest. Ben Exler, one
Of the jurymen, upon his return home
told his mother about the body being
found and the various articles found
on it. His mother had Just finished
reading the newspaper story Of the
disappearance of Mr.. Hoffman, from
his st. Louis home.
The story connected the two cases.
Judge Steger was notified and the two
sons of Hoffman, came to the Cape
Friday afternoon to endeavor to OBJ
tain the body if it proved to be that
of their father.
When the body was taken from the
water, a note scrubbed on a piece of
paper which had been wrapped around
some money, was found. The note
said: Only family forced me to do
so, February 10, 1916"
When asked concerning the meaning
Of the note yesterday, the two broth
ers said that their father was out of
his mind when he wrote the note.
They said he had everything that he
wanted, was in easy circumstances and
declared there was no reason for his
making such a statement.
Boy DISIOCATES ARM.