Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1918-08-03
MYSTERIES OF
I. UNKNOWN DEAD
TsooY UNIDENTIFIED" MEANS
WORK FOR POLICE
How New York's Special Bureau Hen
Found Name ard Relatives
o. Skeleton,

New fork.-S0me interesting IdCls
concerning the methods employed by
the New York police department IN
identifying bodies found in the streets
or waters around the city are told by
Lieut.. Grant Williams, OF The bureau
OF unidentified dead.
Not until October. 1918, Just after
The body Of one-time Representative
Timothy d. Sullivan was identlhed,
Just prior TO the burial in Potters
Field. was the organization of the bu-
reau decided upon. Had this innoya-
ton taken place earlier in the history
of the department many bodies now
lying il the public burial grounds
probably have been identified. The
bureau also handles the cases Of per
sons reported missing in other cities
and towns and who are believed 10
have come to New York.
The police have four principal sys-
tens OF identification, namely, the
missing person cards. on which are
written detailed descriptions of per
sons who have absented themselves
from their homes the laundry indi-
Gator, a record of notatiOns used by
laundries; finger prints and photo
graphs. Greater difficulty is naturally
experienced in identifying female
bodies, as their apparel is less likely
TO bear laundry marks. Digital I'M
pressions and photographs are. OF
course, infallible but these cases are
in the minority, as the records main
tanned in police headquarters are
chiefly those of persons convicted of
crimes.
"Many identficaions are made thru
keys" Lieutenant Williams said. In
the latter part of 1914 we were hit
hard, three skeletons in aboat =
month but we identified all three. No.
/ was found in the bilge of lighter
at Pier Is, North River. 1t was male
skeleton, fully clothed. Not particle
of flesh remained on the bones, but
there were no marks of violence.
When the clothing was searched a
cent piece pennies. a cigarette box
and a pocket handkerchief with the
initial s. were found.
1.-THE skeleton had a gold bridge in
the upper jaw. We located the dentist
who made the bridge and secured
chart of the mouth which tailed with
the teeth Of the skeleton. At the ad-
dress given the dentist we learned
that the man had not lived there for
the last two years. We searched the
river front and located Waterman
who was acquainted with the man but
did not know his name.
1.-THE Waterman stated that Sam,
as he was known, had lost his job on
tugboat early in May because OF
drunkenness. He left grip on one OF
the docks. however, in which | found
letters from his mother addressed to a
house in Pioneer street. Brooklyn. Tive
persons living there said they had
lost track of him over year ago. In
the grip there was also a Christmas
box containing new handkerchief
with the initial s. exactly like the
one found in his pocket. This proved
the connection between the skeleton
and the grip.
Il located another Waterman who
said he knew Sam and who described
his teeth exactly. He informed me
that the man had an enlarged big toe
Joint on his left foot and that if he
was flush when he bought pair OF
shoes he would have hole cut over
the big joint and a patch sewed over
II. He accompanied me to the morgue
and we found the shoe as he describ
ed it. A sister of the deceased wa!
located and she identified the hand
kerchief as present she gave he
brother on the previous Christmas
The coroner accepted the identifl
cation.
1T was established that the de
ceased was in the habit Of drlnkr.
and when ont al work would sleep il
the lighters along the waterfront. o.
the night he met his death he founD
the cabin locked and went down tn
forward hatch in an effort to reac
the cabin thru the bnlkhead Bein
intoxicated. he slipped into the bilgt
probably stunning himself, and la
there with his nose in he water an
drowned
"The boat was infested with rat
and the skeleton had every appea
ance ct being in the water for tw
and a half years. but was able {
set TIE date of bis death as after Ma
8, 1914, BY one very small faCtor--th
date of the cancellation Of the Unite
States revenue stamp which was O
the box Of cigarettes. ! ln,ervewe
the man in charge Of the tobacc
factory and he told me that the cil
erettes were in stock on the date
the cancellation and that they ha
to 20 thru the hands Of the who'll
saler md retailer. SO chat ut least
week or Ten DAYS elapsed before The
were purchased
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