Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 36, Number 79, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 27 May 1904 — Dead Man Identified. [ARTICLE]

Dead Man Identified.

Was Anthony Earls, of Sheldon, Illinois, and Born in Jasper County. I ' The man found dead in Milroy tp., Monday morning May 23rd, has been fully identified by several persona. He wee Anthony Earle, whose family home is near Sheldon, Illinois, and who had been missing since Nov. 13th, 1903. He worked last year for Edward Tebo, on the Isaac Sayler farm, a few miles west of Rensselaer, and was a cousin of Mrs. Tebo. He also intended to work for him this year. He had been in an insane

asylum in Kansas for seme months a number of years ago, and when ’he left his home at Sheldon, 111, whioh was on Friday Nov. 13tb, he showed signs then of insanity, talking and acting strangely and showing that he feared his brother wouldyend him again to an asylum. And made remarks to the effect that he would die before he would go to an asylum again; and is said to have told his friends they would never see him alive again. So marked were his evidences of insanity that the next day after he left his brothers started out to look for him there. They found that he j spent Saturday night Nov. 14tb, at a hotel in Remington, and he acted so strangely and talked so muob, that several persons remember him- He had the hotel call him early the next morning, Sunday Nov. 15th saying he bad six horses to feed, though he bad none. He left Remington early that morning, and about noon appeared at the house es James Jarbis, in Jordan .tp., and drank a glass of milk; refusing other food. And it appeared that for some time before he had eaten very little, After he left Jarbis’s place he was never seen again alive. Where the body was found was about four miles east from Mr. Jarbis’s place. There had been enow on the night of Nov. 13th, and the brothers tracked him to the Jarbis place, but the snow was so nearly gone that they could follow him no further. He had traveled through the fields and avoided the roads. ' Where found was in a dense un-der-growth of jack oek shrubs and a very secluded place, though not more than a few hundred fee from a road, nor more than 1,000 feet from Wm. Gaffield’s residence The body, whioh had undoubtedly lain there since the 15th or 16th

of last December, was in a horrible state of decomposition. Dr. I, M. 'Washburn made a thorough examination, externally and internally and is confident that the holes found were the result of decomposition and insects, and not by bullets or knife. He believes also that he probably committed suicide by poison, the doubled up position !n which he was found indicating death in a cramp or convulsion. The very secluded place he was found in, is further evidence of deliberate suicide. That he wandered in there and laid down and froze to death is not likely, for the coldest temperature Nov. 15th, was 30 degrees, and the next day was considerably warmer. After the body was fully identi\fied by Jar bis, Tebo and others, Word was sent to his two brothers, it Sheldon and they came in haste to Remington. The body was put an the best ihape possible and taken to Remington, and then taken charge of by the brothers, who hired a team and drove with it to Sheldon. . Earls was about 31 yean old, And his father’s name also was Anthony Earls. The father formerly owned a farm a few miles

west of Remington, living there many years, and this son was born there. Afterwards they lived just over the line in Newton county, for some time, near Julian, later moving to near Sheldon, 111. His father is dead, but his mother, two brothers and one sister, are still living. Ellis Jones, a well known resident of Carpenter Tp., was indirectly related to Earls by marriage, and helped identify him. He was a member of the Odd Fellows’ lodge at Sheldou, and through the agency of the lodge, a persistent effort was made to locate him, after his disappearance every lodge in Indiana and Illinois, having it is stated, been notified of his disappearance.