The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1924-07-10
John Jeremy Talks of His
Strange Trade of Finding
Bodies in Waters.
is JUST A SCIENCE
Man Who Found Body in Fox
River Tells Why He
Left 1t There.

Jeremy, the Indian body recoverer, in
locating the body Of Mrs. Julia New
conner in the Fox River on Sunday
morning recalled how this same Indian
two seasons ago found the body Of
young Beck, a former soldier in the
mill stream al Wilmot, the same Fox
River On that occasion he located
the body in less than half hour after
others had searched in vain for more
than two weeks.
While in Kenosha to search for the
Newcomer body, Jeremy revealed how
he had located the body at Wilmot
several years ago, this having always
been a big mystery.
To all appearances at that time, the
Indian came quietly into Wilmot,
looked at the mill stream and then
asked to be taken to Camp Lake to
row around in the water there. Some
people claimed he went ito get his
bearings; Indian Jeremy, however,
made no such statement, not attempt
ing to explain why he had made the
trip to Camp Lake. When he returned
to Wilmot he took his boat, went In
to the millstream and after fifteen
minutes pulled up the body on a
hooked pole.
Landed under the Dam.
''There is really no mystery about
that" said Jeremy to friend here
on Sunday Il merely used my knowl-
edge of water currents and they
proved to be correct. l figured that
the water from the dam had probably
followed out hole there and that
the body had possibly lodged in it..
The force of the water was not strong
enough to force 1t out Of this hole
/ investigated and found this to be
true That body was found in that
water hole at the foot Of the dam"
This, however, does not explain how
he has found many other bodies. His
recent success here brought word from
Lake Geneva how few years ago
after several months had passed after
two girls had been drowned in the
lake there he came in the early win
ter, although the lake was not filled
with ice, and located the girls bodies
in more than fifty feet Of water The
girls had drowned in August; he re-
covered the bodies in December but he
was only on the work few hours.
John Jeremy could fool lot Of
people if he wanted to. He Is the
clever Indian who can find the bodies
of drowned persons in lake or river
when others have given up the search
for the dead. Sunday he found the
body of Mrs. Julia Newcomer in the
Fox river after an eight day quest
by others in the stream had proved
in vain.
If Jeremy would capitalize his In
~. trrEk uolf qor avsd
as vertiable "heap big medicine
man" If he wore mocassins, let his
hair grow long and braid it, Indian
wise, and carry a majestic head-dress
of feathers, and carry a chain of
toothies, he would make great hit.
Then everyone would believe that he
said few magic words over the wa
tiers, or used his intuition or some
thing.
Is Matter Of Fact.
Instead of all that John Jeremy is
a real American, shrewd, astute, has
a sense Of fun, and stout sense Of
honor. He doesn't want to fool any
body. He knows his trade as a cob
bier knows his, and he applies the
principles of it fairly and squarsly.
II study the ways Of the water
Jeremy says. 'T~ know how streams
differ one from another and how diff
ferent lake Is from an inland pond,
or river from either one. have
been at this work ever since l was
big enough TO sit in boat with my
father; / learned much from him, and
much too from my own observation.
l know that when a person has been
drowned that the body will come up
after few days, unless it Is caught
by some obstruction. study the
shore and the river to see what OBJ
struction there might be. II there
is tree fallen into the river, l notice
that, If there is some sign of there
being hole in the river bed, | nat
urally expect that the body might be
imbedded there.
''1f there are signs of a freshly
caved in bank, | know that it Is pos
sible for the body to be caught under
that earth"
"What do you do when you are
looking for a body in a lake, asked
District Attorney Morris Barnett of
Jeremy
well, my friend" responded the
Indian, when working on a case in
the lake, the problem changes with
the depth and purity Of the water. We
GO there too very much by the tides
and wind"
do you know at once when you
have found the body" he was asked.
Bubbles Big As a Tub.
AT once, SIR he said "As soon
as my line touches the body, the bub-
bles come up, blub-blub- blub. AS soon
as the clothes are touched the gases
inside are released and come to the
surface, in bubbles, sometimes as
large as a dishpan, or even as big as
tub"
Jeremy was asked why he went back
to get the coroner before he took the
body of Mrs. Newcomer. He had "a
re-trace his steps in the row boat Ave
miles to get the others, when he
could have brought the body with him
in his boat.
Il didn't want to get arrested he
said.
He then told Of an incident in his
career when he was on the point OF
being arrested for bringing up body
without the coroner being present
ut was at Pixies Lake, St. Louis