Jasper County Democrat, Volume 20, Number 21, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 9 June 1917 — BODY OF DEAD MAN FOUND [ARTICLE]

BODY OF DEAD MAN FOUND

Was Thought to Have Gone West Several Months Ago. ■ L. A. Bostwick, who was doing some surveying along the Kankakee river near Wheatfield Tuesday, found the body of a dead man lying in about six Inches of water. Mr. Bostwick notified the authorities at Wheatfield and County Coroner Johnson of this city was called. The body was in a bad state of decomposition but it was easily identified as that of Steve Mulaney, a well-known character about Wheatfield for the past few years. Mulaney, who had been employed on a farm for several months, went to the ticket office in Wheatfield early in March and purchased a ticket for the West. Because of this fact no alarm was felt when he disappeared, as it was presumed that he ’had left town. - Dr. Johnson examined the body and surroundings and gave it as his opinion that the man died of exposure. In his possession was

found a quart whiskey bottle about half full, and it is generally presumed that he became intoxicated while on his way homo from Wheatfield and was either drowned in the marshes or died from exposure. Ho had no relatives about Wheatfield but was said to have a brother in Chicago and a sister in Indianapolis. Efforts were being made to reach these and the body was held at Keene’s undertaking establishment to await word from them.