Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1918-08-27
VERDICT FAILS
TO Give CAUSE
SOLDIER DEATH
Jurors at COroner's Inquest over
Body OF River Victim 10 Not
Clear Up Mystery.
WITNESSES SAW THE TRAGEDY
Unable to Tell How Corporal BrOd-
beck Came to Be In Water at
Ferry Landing.

4 coroner's jury at the inquest
held last night at the Wheelan IN
dertaking establishment over the
body of William G. Brodbeyh
brought in a verdict Of death due
10 drowning in the Mississippi
river The verdict did not take
up the question OF how the soldier
came 10 be in the water. This fact.
as well as just what was respon-
sible for the soldiers death prob
ably will remain a mystery.
One witness stated at the inquest
that when the body was recovered
2 bundle Of steel wire was hanging
10 the clothing of the dead mar.
and that he believed that the sol
der became entangIed in the wire
and was dragged beneath the sur
face of the water
Sergeant Brown and Private An
dreski. both OF the Davenport re
cruifinE station and comrades Of
Corporal Brod beck. said that they
had never thought Of Brodbeck as
man who would for moment
consider self-destrucuon Robert
Haaks worth william Clooney and
W r Maddox are the other VT
nesses who testified. The three men
stated that they we're at the ferry
landing when the tragedy occur
red bur that thev did not see the
soldier when he entered the water
They said that they had seen him on
the landing previously. but had no
Hced nothing strange in his actions
Started 70 Swim.
Maddox stated that he saw Brod
beck standing about five feet from
the east end Of the landing when he
first came to the dock. but had not
seen him again until after he was
in the water He stated that there
were approximately 20 persons on
the landing al the time. and that all
seemed to have believed that the
soldier was merely perpetratiEe
some prank. as he Immediately
started TO swim on entering the
water Brodbeck is said to have
started to swim in the direction Of
Davenport. then down stream, then
up stream, and at last back toward
the landing He sank about 40
feet from shore Maddox said that
~ " a. TO III : tlLC &iO' n N hSI liz
heard a woman say. He is drown
ing" Maddox then returned TO the
dock in time to see the sold er dis
appear beneath the surface He
remained until the body was recov-
cred two hours later Maddox re
NAMED on the shore, but said he
saw the steel wire attached to
RTodbecks clothing when the man
was brought to the surface He
said he believed that the wire was
attached to the clothing and hal
not been caught by the drag Mad
doT testified that when he first So Y
RrOd beck on the landing he was
far enough from the edge OF the
dock that in case he had fallen he
would not have dropped into the
river
Elmer Mccoy. credited with hav-
ing recovered the BODY. was not
present al the inquest.
Rrodb eck'S comrades Of the re-
Cruiring station said that they had
never thought Of their friend as
man who would deliberately iunfn
into the water before crowd
merely IN create a sensation
Word was received from Rrod-
hacks mother YESTERDAY. and the
body will be sent - Ohio ror bur
fal- The mother is Mrs. Mary Brod-
heck Portsmouth. Ohio
The body was sent to Portsmouth
today