Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1924-12-05
HOLD BODY OF
MAN PENDING
IDENTIFICATION
Laundry Marks Those of
Fort Brown Soldier
Who Dis appeare d
Two Prisoners

A body believed to be that Of Private
Charles Archer troop, Fort Brown.
who disappeared on November 2G along
with Anthony Wedrow and James
Benk, two prisoners he was guarding.
was found in the Rio Cra de three
miles down the river from Brownsville
at 1870 yesterday afternoon.
The body was found by Justine Lopez,
night clerk at the Miller hotel, and an
other youth, Joe Garza, who was hunt
ing with Lopez on III Pueate Sabadiego
ranch. The boys went to a nearby
ranch house, secured a rope, and man
ageu 70 get a loop over one foot. They
dragged it up to the steep bank, and
tied the rope to tree.
CARA then secured 4 horse at a
ranch house and came to Brownsville.
He was accompanied back to the scene
where the BODY was found by Justice
of the Peace H. J. nirk. Marcelo Garza
g.ldert-er, and Lieutenant Louis B.
Rapp Of tort Brown.
Archer disappeared from Fort Brown
in the afternoon Of November 2G He
had been keeping guard over the two
prisoners on the dump" back Of the
oIcDlcS III TCll DTOWH near Jne river.
According to the story Of the affair
as told by Wedrow, who returned the
day following the disappearance, Benk
is alleged to have secured possession Of
Archer's rifle. and to have forced the
other two men to accompany h m on q
raft on which they crossed the Rio
Grande. On the other side Of the river
Wedrow declares he was struck ac-oss
the head, and robbed Of 5000 which he
had on his person. He remained uncon-
scious during the night, he said. He
said he did not know who hit him.
The following morning Wedrow made
his way back TO Matamoros, and came
over on the ferry that night He was
again placed in the guard house, and an
examination made of his head by a
physician, who confirmed the mans
statement by report that Wedrow had
a swelling on his scalp caused by blow
from some dull object.
Officers at Fort Brown communic icated
with peace officers in Kingsville, who
reported that they had captured two
men there, one Of whom they said an
swered the description Of Archer, and
the other of Benk. However, they re-
leased the man described as Benk, and
he IS believed to have gone on in the
direction of San Antonio. They are
probably mistaken in the identity Of the
other man, officers said.
The body found in the, river was
brought to Brownsville last night, and
AN examination of it made this morning.
Due to the advanced stage of decom-
posito on it was difficult to determine
accurately whether the body bore any
marks of violence. An examination of
the skull showed no fractures, and no
bullet or knife POUNDS were found
The only positive Identification mark
on the body was the underclothing
worn by the man, on which was mark
'A-3," which is the laundry mark that
Archer had on all of his clothes at Fort
Brown. This mark appeared on the
underelothes three times, once in
Archer's own handwriting. and twice in
the writing of the laundry clerk.
Decomposition prevented positive iden-
tification through facial features, or
other marks, although the general out
line Of the body fits the description Of
Archer. Fingerprnts were taken. al
though the condition Of the flesh may
make Identification by this method diff
ficult.
Il am sure it is the body Of Archer"
said Captain Brock Putnam, troop COM
mander of troop. The general out
line Of the body is about the same"
Private Archer is native of the
state Of West Virginia, and is 21 years
Of age. His service record at Fort
Brown is given as satisfactory, and
CAPTAIN Putnam expressed the opinion
that he would not have gone voluntarily.
Anthony Wedrow had served part of
years sentence following a convlc-
ton on charge of theft, and James
Benk was under sentence for one year
on conviction of desertion.
An examining board consisting Of
Lieutenant Colonel Edmund A. Bu-
chanan, Captain Charles b. Lanahan
and Lieutenant Louis B. Rapp was ap-
pointed this morning by order of Col
onel John NJ. Morgan, post commander,
and will investigate the case. Funeral
arrangements had not been completed
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