GEORGE GREEN

Redwood City Democrat

Thursday, March 15, 1894

Was it Suicide? Body of George Green Found Floating In The Bay.

Sunday afternoon, Charles A. Olsen, a boatman who plies between San Francisco and Moragham’s oystcr beds at Millbrae, was sailing back to Millbrae when the bow of the boat struck an object about two miles off San Bruno point which Olsen at first thought to be a log. When the boat shinned off, the body of a man was seen floating in the water. The water had denuded the head of flesh and when Olsen saw the ghostly skull, he became tremulous from fear, and horrified, proceeded on his journey. Later, gathering courage, he changed his mind, and returned to the spot, slipped the rope around the body and towed it two or three miles to the landing on Millbrae mud flats. Coroner James Crowe was notified and took charge of the body. The tide had gone out when he arrived, so the corpse was lifted by ropes to the pier that juts, and after being placed in the temporary coffin was dragged and carried considerably over a mile by seven men whom he had pressed into service to the Margue wagon. An inquest was held at Millbrae, the jury composed of W. E. Wagner, T. M. Edwards. R. H. Jury, L. Sears, Thomas Kerr, and R.L. Mattingly. It was the opinion of the jury that the deceased had met death by submersion whether accidental or otherwise, it was impossible to say. On the body was found a gold watch and chain, $80 in gold and letters by which the identity of the dead man was learned.

Green had been in the employ of the Southern Pacific Co. about twenty years. He was about fifty years of age, inclined to be taciturn and reserved in his habits. Besides the earnings he had saved, he had $35,000 left to him by a deceased relative a short time ago, which brought his fortune to the figure of $50,000. He was a member of the Masonic order. He was last seen by his acquaintances three weeks ago in Oakland at which time he spoke of departing for England where his parents and other relatives reside. A bottle of strychnine was found in one of the pockets, but the wax around the cork was intact and the bottle had not been opened. The ‘Examiner’ says that friends of the deceased scout the idea that he committed suicide and believe he accidentally met his death by falling from the Oakland pier, from where the tides swept the body towards Millbrae. Green was an Englishman by birth and his fortune will doubtless go to his relatives in England as he was not known to have any in the United States. Owing to the decomposed condition of the body, Coroner Crowe deemed it advisable to inter them temporarily until the friends of deceased could be communicated with. James Stanley, Public Administrator of Alameda County, came down yesterday. He was accompanied by Captain Hunt, an old friend of the deceased, who very readily identified the remains He says he has no doubt that it was a case of suicide and says that the report of his wealth is greatly exaggerated.

The remains will be exhumed and re-interred in the Masonic Plot here.

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