The Pleasantville press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1912-1929, 1922-04-05
BODY OF SUICIDE FOUND
ON BANK OF JIM'S ISLAND
Remains Identified by Relatives
of Harry c. Shafer, of
Atlantic City
DEAD FOR W MONTHS

! All doubt as to the identity of the
man found drowned at Somers Point
on Sunday was cleared up on Monday
when the body was identified as that
of Harry c.. Shafer, who mysteriously
disappeared from his residence in At
lantic City on February 18th. Since
that time search has been made all
over the country for the missing man.
but no clue had been obtained until
the body was found by Somers Point
fishermen.
After its removal to the parlors Of
Coroner parsels in this city the body
was viewed OF Monday by a nephew
of the deceased and also by a mem
Der of the Atlantic City Police De
partment, who had known Shafer very
well. They both stated that it was
Shafer. Coroner Parsels and County
Physician Lewis Souder took. the
watch, cigarette case and other prop
erty found in the pockets of the dead
man to Atlantic City and Mrs. Shafef
easily identified the watch, especially
as it contained a picture of her young
son.
The body was discovered on the
meadows of Jim's Island, at the mouth
of Great Egg Harbor River on Sunday
morning, by John M. Steelman and
Charles Layton, of Somers Point. One
of the men remained with the body
while the other fastened to SomeIs
Point, where he called Coroner VII
liam Parsels, of P~leasantville, on the
telephone and notified him of the find
The Coroner Immediately fastened 10
Somers Point, where the fishermen
took him to the island. The body was
brought back to P~leasantville.
The man was well dressed and sap
peared to have been in the water fen
some time. The body, when found,
was face down OF the beach with the
arms spread out. 1t appeared to have
been but recently washed ashore.
An examination of the body failed
to disclose any evidence of foul play
The man was clothed in a dark suit,
black shoes and slip-on rubbers. IL
his pockets were found a silver cigar
cite case, a gold hunting case Elgin
watch, with a double chain, on the
other end of which was a gold cigal
cutter. Suspended from the center OF
the chain was a small gold locket.
studded with a small diamond on one
side. All of these articles were en-
graved with the initials H.. c.. s., and
ii was this fact that led to the Delief
that the body was that of the missing
man. In the back of the watch case
was a small photograph of a little
boy, which bore a close resemblance
to that of a child with whom Shafel
was recently photographed. There
was also three dollars in bills and a
small amount of change in his poek-
cts. The watch had stopped at ten
minutes past six.
County Physician Souder viewed the
body at the Parsel's parlors on Mon
day, and after inquiries was fully sal
isfied hat it was a clear case of sui
eide by drowning. No inquest was
held.
The body will be shipped TO Phila-
delphia to-day, where interment VII
be made in Mount Moriah Cemetery.
No public service will be held. as the
body was in such a state that it could
not be exposed TO view.
The deceased was well-known to
many in his city, and it was stated
that he had often boarded here when
making business calls in the city. He
was a salesman. Last summer he had
a slight stroke, and it was thought
that this had affected his mind.