Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1918-05-02
DROWNED MAN WAS
LAWRENCE 4. BARRY
Mother Certain of II After But.
ton Is Cut from Coat and
Shown Her, Following Elk.
humation of Body in Lake
View Cemetery

That's him, that's my boy" said Mrs.
William Noonan Of Bristol as she stood
within a few feet of the remains of the
young man who was found in the water
at the south side Of the drawbridge Mon
day morning shortly after seven O'Clock
and inferred in Lake View cemetery Tues
day, April %. Identification Of the re-
mains by the mother was made by the me-
dium Of a button.
Because she we'll knew the badly decom-
posed condition of her sons body, Mrs.
Noonan would not look upon It. What she
did do was to ask questions concerning the
apparel in which the young man was bur-
led. asking especially about the last but
ton OF the half dozen on the overcoat,
whether or not It was much smaller than
the others. Answered in the affirmaive
by those present at the elimination, she
was sure that the casket before her con-
tanned the body Of Lawrence H. Barry, 1s
years Of age who left his home in Bristol
on the ninth day of February and had not
been heard Of since.
To make assurances doubly sure, the
button was cut from the coat and placed
In the mothers hand. She remembered II
very we'll as the one she had sewed on
previous to his leaving his home Besides
the button, the head covering he had on
was very familiar to William Noonan,
stepfather to the drowned boy. as the
elder man had bought similar cap at the
time.
Mr.. and Mrs. Noonan were made cog.
| INFANT Of the possibility that the body OF
the unidentified youth might be that OF
their son through tho Free Press. so they
told Free Press man Thursday. Neigh
bors who take the paper in that town
frtA a.
article in Tuesdays paper and remarked
how closely 1t Tailed with the description
Of their son with one exception, and that
was the age. which was anybody's guess
because Of the condition Of the body.
Mrs. Noonan said Thursday that 1t was
the pin as we'll as the ring which youns
Barry wore which led her to believe that
the body found here was that Of her sor
and which compelled both her and her hus.
| band to motor to this city to consult with
Chief of Police p J. Russell as to other
possible marks of identity besides those
printed.
After their talk at the station they
| asked to have the body exhumed, and this
perm ssion was granted by Health Officer
F. j. Ennis, who was himself present al
the disinterment Of the body and who de-
scribed infinitely marks on the boys body
all Of which mother and father recognized
After Identification was made complete
the body was taken to the funeral parlors
| Of Frank ]. Dryer on North Champlair
street. from which place the funeral took
place Tuesday. 1t was sent to the boys
home town Friday for burial in the
home plot. Besides his mother and step.
father, young Barry is survived
by a brother in France, mem.
Der Of the expeditionary force, a
brother who resides in Providence, r. l..
employed by the New York. New Haven
G. Hartford railroad. and two other broth.
ers at home. one in school.
Previous to leaving his home. the drown
| ed youth had been employed at the Yer
| mont box factory in New Haven MILL
for a year and a half. Both mother and
father were Of the opinion that the sor
had money on his person when he left his
home, but how much they were unable &c
say. None was found on his person wher
the body was taken from the lake Mon
day afternoon. however. How he cam,
to his death probably will never be known
Mr.. and Mrs. Noonan were accom-
panied to this city Thursday by Mr. ant
Mrs Elmer Hier of Bristol. both the latter
being present at the ceremony Thursda!
when tho body was exhumed.