Norfolk Virginian, May 29, 1889

Untitled

Infrastructure -- Public - Government : Postal service

Onancock.

R. W. Somers, the newly appointed railway mail clerk on the route from Delmar to Cape Charles City, is causing much dissatisfaction throughout Accomac and Northampton counties, owing to his general inefficiency. It is the general impression that he will not pass the Civil Service examination.

THE EASTERN SHORE SENSATION.

Watermen -- Personal injuryWeather -- Northeast stormsMoral -- Property crime

The Drowned Man Identified -- The Inquest -- Great Excitement -- Other Matters.

[Correspondence of the Virginian.]

Onancock, Va., May 28. -- The inquest over the corpse found in Gargatha Inlet, which has been fully identified as that of Captain Henry P. Smith, of the schooner Mary A. Stubbs, which sailed from Hampton Roads, April 4th, loaded with oysters for an Eastern port, and has not since been heard from, returned a verdict, of which the following is the substance: That the body found in Gargatha Inlet, Thursday, May 15th, was that of Henry P. Smith, master of the schooner Mary A. Stubbs, of Wellfleet, Mass.; that the said Henry P. Smith, came to his death by drowning during the gale of April 6th and 7th.

Capt. Smith's father was present at the inquest, and will carry the remains of his son to his home, at Wellfleet, where he has a wife and child. The body was found floating in Gargatha Inlet, by N. Beloate, John W. Turlington, W. H. Bundick and Wood West, all of whom except the latter are white. They brought the corpse ashore and proceeded to search it, the result of which, they claim, was the finding of $140 in money and two photographs of young ladies, taken in Provincetown, Mass.; upon one of which was written, "Compliments of your cousin, Nettie S. Paine." It is generally thought, however, that a large sum of money was found upon his person.

Many wild rumors are afloat concerning the finding of the body, among which is that after searching the corpse the photograph and clothing were burned and the body taken to Turlington's burying ground and interred; that the negro Ward West went to a neighboring store on the evening the body was found and tendered a $10 note in payment therefor. The note was mouldy and smelled badly, which excited the suspicions of the storekeeper, who questioning West closely, elicited a complete confession of the robbery from him, stating that a large sum of money was found. Turlington and Beloate hearing of this removed the body to a wild, marshy place and put it in a clump of seaweeds. Search was instituted for the corpse, which resulted in the finding of it in the weeds. Turlington and Beloate upon being questioned, admitted having found it, and also of having found $140 upon the person, but denied having burned the photograph and clothing. The corpse was greatly decomposed.

Immediately upon the finding of the body telegrams were sent to various cities giving a description of the dead man, who was about 30 years of age, and dressed in a blue suit of clothes, tall and thin, which resulted in a telegram being sent from Wellfleet, Mass., asserting that the body was that of Capt. Smith.

Great excitement prevails in the vicinity where the corpse was found, and the finders will probably be arrested, upon the charge of robbery and inhuman treatment of the dead, at an early date.

It is believed by some that there are startling developments yet to be made public, and there is a general impression that a mystery, yet unsolved, remains.