PA PA - Bedford, 'Mr. Bones' WhtMale 30-35, 585UMPA, 30-06 rifle, gold dental wk, camping equip, Oct'58

[Marilynilpa]

I would certainly assume so. Some schools seem to pride themselves on their student record keeping. Possibly our mystery man was on spring break and decided to see some country-side? There still seems to be a strong tie to IL due to the contact lenses...Could he have been on his way home? School wasn't working out like he hoped?

Everyone has done a lot of great sleuthing. It sounds more and more likely that our Mr. Bones may have been a student.

Now that brings me to my question - if he was a student either traveling around to see the country, or on his way to/from school, why was he carrying a shotgun? Or if he wasn't carrying it, but purchased it along the way, why would he have done that? Did he suddenly decide to go hunting? If he purchased the gun simply for protection, it seems he would have chosen something easier to carry around, such as a handgun.

Any ideas about that?

 

[Richard]

Everyone has done a lot of great sleuthing. It sounds more and more likely that our Mr. Bones may have been a student.

Now that brings me to my question - if he was a student either traveling around to see the country, or on his way to/from school, why was he carrying a shotgun? Or if he wasn't carrying it, but purchased it along the way, why would he have done that? Did he suddenly decide to go hunting? If he purchased the gun simply for protection, it seems he would have chosen something easier to carry around, such as a handgun.

Any ideas about that?

Since he died in the spring, it is doubtful that he had decided to do some hunting. Hunting is mainly a fall sport. He may have been a deer hunter and may have hunted the previous fall with the rifle. It definitely is a deer hunting rifle of high power, not suitable for squirrels, pheasants, or small game.

If he owned the gun and was moving, he certainly would have taken something so expensive with him, rather than leaving it behind. Perhaps he had it with him while campint in the woods near Bedford for protection against bears.

He may also have gotten it from another student as collateral/ payment on a loan or in trade as payment on a car or bike just before he left New York.

 

[Yaya]

If this man came from a rural family and was going to be away from home in a new area it would not be unusual for him to have taken a weapon with him. The Remington 721A may well have been the only weapon he owned. He may have used it to hunt when he was still in a rural area before leaving on his travels.

It’s just a thought but …If I was relocating to a new city the first thing my dad would ask would be, "Do you have anything for protection?" For a family who is not use to the bigger cities safety is of major concern.

New York may have sounded like a dangerous place to this man.

 

[Auggie21]

If this man came from a rural family and was going to be away from home in a new area it would not be unusual for him to have taken a weapon with him. The Remington 721A may well have been the only weapon he owned. He may have used it to hunt when he was still in a rural area before leaving on his travels.

It’s just a thought but …If I was relocating to a new city the first thing my dad would ask would be, "Do you have anything for protection?" For a family who is not use to the bigger cities safety is of major concern.

New York may have sounded like a dangerous place to this man.

With the contact lenses, books, etc. I think it was more likely he was comming from New York to the country, rather than the other way around.

 

[Yaya]

I am coming into this discussion really late... sorry I just got here to WS. But we all gotta start somewhere. Hope you won't mind.

I personally think Shadowangel is on the right track with the above statement... but with a different twist. I think the young man may have traveled to the north seeking his fame and fortune as the next James Dean. I don't think he had the contact lenses or the dental work when he left home. I feel he may have worked to earn money to improve his appearance after he reached his destination to become an actor. This may be one reason his family never made the connection based on news reports of the remains being found. Also it could be the reason he was never associated with a missing persons report by LE if one was made.

I think this would also explain the books found with him... studying to improve his speach for auditions he would be going on and to help him with talking to the more intellectual people he would come in contact with in the business.

I feel he may have become discouraged and depressed when his dreams of fame did not pan out... for this reason I think suicide is plausible. If I were investigating this case my first thoughts would be to go back and recheck all missing persons cases and not rule out any that would fit his basic height and age.

PS. Richard & Shadowangel you really impress me with your attention to detail. :clap: I have enjoyed reading your post here.

It is also my theory that he was leaving NY.

 

[Auggie21]

It is also my theory that he was leaving NY.

Interesting theory. Don't know how I missed that post.

 

[shadowangel]

I hate when a great lead goes south...This one had me going, and I'm still not convinced that I'm not onto something. The same paper I got the original report from printed an article several days later, stating in normal '50s newpaper fashion something like, "due to our excellent reporting, father and son are reported to have been reunited..." I really can't confirm that this young man ever was found.

The major discrepancy is age, but I don't know how bone structure can be affected by diet, work habits, exposure to elements...

In February of '58, 19 year-old William Howard Taft V (not direct descendants of the president, but cousins to the family [drafting off the famous name, I guess]) disappeared after flunking several courses at Georgetown University.

He was taking several engineering courses and philosophy courses.

He had graduated 3rd in his class at Fork Union (VA) Military Academy.

Tall and slender, he was considered athletic.

He wore glasses.

He had been sent money by his father to return home to Pleasantville, PA.
Pleasantville is 15 miles from Bedford.

I am trying to confirm what finally happened here, but all the info I can find have to deal with the Taft V who is a direct descendant of the president.

 

[Richard]

....In February of '58, 19 year-old William Howard Taft V (not direct descendants of the president, but cousins to the family [drafting off the famous name, I guess]) disappeared after flunking several courses at Georgetown University.
He was taking several engineering courses and philosophy courses.
He had graduated 3rd in his class at Fork Union (VA) Military Academy.
Tall and slender, he was considered athletic.
He wore glasses.
He had been sent money by his father to return home to Pleasantville, PA.
Pleasantville is 15 miles from Bedford.
I am trying to confirm what finally happened here, but all the info I can find have to deal with the Taft V who is a direct descendant of the president.

Keep working at it. So much sounds like a possible match. It could be simply a coincidence, or it could be that this boy is NOT the John Doe, but may have traveled with him.

Wasn't there a recent movie set in the 1950's about Pleasantville?

 

[shadowangel]

"Pleasantville" was a '98 movie starring Toby Mcguire and Reese Witherspoon. Here is a plot summary-

A brother and sister from the 1990s are sucked into their television set and suddenly find themselves trapped in a "Leave it to Beaver" style 1950's television show, complete with loving parents, old fashioned values, and an overwhelming amount of innocence and naivete. Not sure how to get home, they integrate themselves into this "backwards" society and slowly bring some color to this black and white world. But as innocence fades, the two teens begin to wonder if their 90s outlook is really to be preferred.

I have found a few other students who disappeared within an acceptable time frame, but there is just so little info available. I am convinced at this point that some important clues are to be found in the books--they had to be extremely important for this man to lug them into the wilderness with him. Reminders of a better life?

 

[Richard]

I agree with you, in that those books might provide some clues. First, a comparison of the dates in the front of all three books might indicate what school year they were bought for. Secondly, there might be some writing in them, which could provide information about the man. A lot of writing in the beginning of the books and then nothing might indicate that he left before finishing the class.

I was looking at one of my own books just today, and when skimming through the pages, I saw that on page 301 was a Library Stamp with the address of the library. Also, I recently found a photograph of my brother in another book, and a receipt or two used as book marks. Any of that stuff might be found in this guy's books too.

 

[shadowangel]

It would take a page-by-page examination of the books to determine if there is any pertinent information available. I have doubts as to whether this ever took place.Any idea how expensive (relative to the time) these books would be?

 

[Richard]

It would take a page-by-page examination of the books to determine if there is any pertinent information available. I have doubts as to whether this ever took place.Any idea how expensive (relative to the time) these books would be?

Yes a page by page search of the books might turn up something. These books obviously meant something to the man, and maybe he wrote or underlined something in them.

Regarding cost: I am not sure if they were hard or soft cover books. My gut feeling is that the book "Reading Poems..." was a small hardback text book and was probably the most expensive of the three. Textbooks tend to be generally more expensive than other books of equal size, but I cannot guess as to what the costs were back in the mid 1950's. My copy of "Reading Poems..." does not have a dust cover and there is no price anywhere inside the book.

The other two (Science and the Modern World, and 100 Poems) were published in Paperback almost every year since 1949, and were probably rather inexpensive - probably under two or three dollars each at the time. Paperback books today may run around $12 to $15 or more. Depending on the item, prices today are 5 to 10 times higher than they were in 1956.

 

[shadowangel]

The reason I ask is that I'm curious as to whether it is more likely that he bought these books for himself, or borrowed them (legally or otherwise) from a school. Somewhere in the pages may be a small stamp with the school's name...

A four-quart canteen is rather large (most being, to my knowledge, 1 or 2 quart). I cannot find any reference to the military ever issuing a canteen this large up to an including the time frame we are discussing here, so I assume it is a civilian item. Were camping/hiking stores as prevalent in the mid-'50s as they are today?

 

[Richard]

The reason I ask is that I'm curious as to whether it is more likely that he bought these books for himself, or borrowed them (legally or otherwise) from a school. Somewhere in the pages may be a small stamp with the school's name...

A four-quart canteen is rather large (most being, to my knowledge, 1 or 2 quart). I cannot find any reference to the military ever issuing a canteen this large up to an including the time frame we are discussing here, so I assume it is a civilian item. Were camping/hiking stores as prevalent in the mid-'50s as they are today?

It is possible that the Doenetwork story was incorrect about the size of the Canteen, since there have been several other notable mistakes and omissions noted already. But IF the information about the canteen being of the 4 Quart size, then it might be a significant clue.

One or two quart canteens are the norm for most campers and hikers and were standard with Boy Scouts in the 1950's. Although unusual, four-quart canteens were made by several companies - the Palco company, being one. They came in the "blanket covered" version with a small strap, like you would cary on a saddle, and also in the type which was slung across the shoulder in an olive drab canvas cover - similar the the more common 2-quart canteens carried by boy scouts. These canteens were of round shape, with sides which were somewhat convex.

A 4 quart (one gallon) canteen would be pretty bulky, heavy and uncomfortable to carry around, but it might indicate that he intended to spend a long time in the woods, and wanted plenty of clean water for drinking and cooking. Perhaps his intention was to be camping with someone else, but more likely he simply wanted plenty of water so that he would not have to make frequent stops for it.

On the other hand, it might indicate that he was a real green-horn who had never done much camping and just bought a bunch of unsuitable camping equipment. The mess kit pictured on one of the sites is of the small aluminum "boy scout" variety, only suitable for one person cooking small meals.

Such a large canteen might also indicate that he was in fact traveling by motorcycle rather than by car or foot. It is too large to carry comfortably if walking. It is bulky and would swing and bang against your side. If only half full, you would lose some weight, but still have the same bulk and the the water would be sloshing around in it, making noise, and adding to the discomfort of it hanging around your shoulder.

If traveling by car, he could have had a water jug or cooler on the floor, back seat, or trunk, from which to fill a cup or smaller canteen. The large round canteen would be constantly rolling around, tipping over and getting things wet.

However, a large canteen could be easily attatched to a motorcycle, and would be preferable to a water jug or a small canteen for long trips.

It would be interesting to know if his engineer boots showed signs of motorcycle starting, shifting, exhaust pipe burning, scuffing, and related wear.

Regarding sporting goods stores in the 1950's: Usually you would go to large department stores like Sears, Wards, etc to get camping equipment, but there were a lot of "Army Navy Surplus" stores around throughout the 1950's and into the early 1970's that had plenty of surplus stuff and newly made camping equipment for very low prices. You still see them today, but not in as large numbers as in the 50's thru 70's, and the prices are now quite a bit higher.

 

[Yaya]

I just poked a hole in my own theory ... If Mr. Bones was leaving NY for good why would he have brought the key with him... more than likely he would have turned it in. So he must have been planning on returning to NY.

Memo: Check into Missing from NY more thoroughly :waitasec:

 

[shadowangel]

On the other hand, it might indicate that he was a real green-horn who had never done much camping and just bought a bunch of unsuitable camping equipment. The mess kit pictured on one of the sites is of the small aluminum "boy scout" variety, only suitable for one person cooking small meals.

Such a large canteen might also indicate that he was in fact traveling by motorcycle rather than by car or foot. It is too large to carry comfortably if walking. It is bulky and would swing and bang against your side. If only half full, you would lose some weight, but still have the same bulk and the the water would be sloshing around in it, making noise, and adding to the discomfort of it hanging around your shoulder.

I am now leaning more toward the "greenhorn" theory myself. A gallon canteen would be extremely uncomfortable to carry for any distance, as it would be an additional eight pounds hanging off a shoulder...It sounds like someone who does not know what to expect and is trying to carry everything needed, instead of just carrying iodine tablets or boiling water from natural sources (If that were even necessary, I'm not sure crypto or giardiasis were even an issue in the '50s). Then again, I wonder if the contents of the canteen were actually checked? A depressed young man with a loaded rifle and a gallon of liquor could be deadly...
The same "equipment overkill" thought could apply to the report of three boxes of ammo (if this report is accurate). The leather jacket, the engineer boots, the unnecessary weight of the books...
Your thought that he may have simply raided the local surplus store certainly seems to hold some credence.

 

[Marilynilpa]

I am now leaning more toward the "greenhorn" theory myself. A gallon canteen would be extremely uncomfortable to carry for any distance, as it would be an additional eight pounds hanging off a shoulder...It sounds like someone who does not know what to expect and is trying to carry everything needed, instead of just carrying iodine tablets or boiling water from natural sources (If that were even necessary, I'm not sure crypto or giardiasis were even an issue in the '50s). Then again, I wonder if the contents of the canteen were actually checked? A depressed young man with a loaded rifle and a gallon of liquor could be deadly...
The same "equipment overkill" thought could apply to the report of three boxes of ammo (if this report is accurate). The leather jacket, the engineer boots, the unnecessary weight of the books...
Your thought that he may have simply raided the local surplus store certainly seems to hold some credence.

The large canteen would only make sense if he planned to hike deep into the woods and was unsure of the water supply (either its availability or its potability).

The leather jacket makes sense to me, with or without the motorcycle, as it would keep him warm and dry.

The engineer boots don't seem an ideal choice for hiking, but do make sense if he were riding a motorcycle.

The books - well, who knows about them. Did they remind him of better times, or of a specific person or place? They seem an odd thing to take on a camping or hunting trip. They must have been important to him in some way, as we've been discussing on this thread. It may have been mentioned in previous posts, but do we know if there was any blood on the books? If he decided to commit suicide, I thought he might have been reading one of them before taking his life.

I still wonder about the gun. Why buy a shotgun when a handgun is much easier to carrier when you're on the road? A handgun would be easier to conceal in a backpack, and would be more convenient if you were hitchhiking or if you were on a motorcycle. And, as mentioned in the previous post, why buy so much ammo?

I'd say this guy was not a seasoned camper/hunter/woodsman.

 

[shadowangel]

The large canteen would only make sense if he planned to hike deep into the woods and was unsure of the water supply (either its availability or its potability).

The leather jacket makes sense to me, with or without the motorcycle, as it would keep him warm and dry.


I still wonder about the gun. Why buy a shotgun when a handgun is much easier to carrier when you're on the road? A handgun would be easier to conceal in a backpack, and would be more convenient if you were hitchhiking or if you were on a motorcycle. And, as mentioned in the previous post, why buy so much ammo?

I'd say this guy was not a seasoned camper/hunter/woodsman.

As for the canteen, I think it is a good indicator of a novice outdorrsman, as water filtering and decontamination chemicals were readily available in the '50s. Iodine tablets have been the preferred of water purification in the US military for many, many years.

Its been my experience that leather jackets are not suitable for any length of time outdoors in a cold climate..They don't provide the warmth of wool or other materials, and the leather tends to stiffen in colder weather. Not a wise color choice, typically, when hunting, either.

As to the weapon...His choice of a high-caliber rifle indicates that he was planning to hunt,or at least engage targets at a distance (this rifle is accurate and lethal at over 500 yards). A handgun would be preferred for personal protection, but are ill-suited for hunting due to relatively short range and lack of accuracy.

Given these thoughts, I now tend to believe he may not have been a soldier..

 

[Marilynilpa]

Its been my experience that leather jackets are not suitable for any length of time outdoors in a cold climate..They don't provide the warmth of wool or other materials, and the leather tends to stiffen in colder weather. Not a wise color choice, typically, when hunting, either.

But a leather jacket is extremely suitable if you are riding a motorcycle. It protects you from gravel and other things that fly up from the road, and also cuts down on the wind resistance. So if this guy did ride a motorcycle, a leather coat would make sense.

I agree that if he was going hunting, a leather coat would definitely not be a good choice, unless he wanted to wind up being mistaken for a deer.

 

[Richard]

The large canteen would only make sense if he planned to hike deep into the woods and was unsure of the water supply (either its availability or its potability).

The leather jacket makes sense to me, with or without the motorcycle, as it would keep him warm and dry.

The engineer boots don't seem an ideal choice for hiking, but do make sense if he were riding a motorcycle.

The books - well, who knows about them. Did they remind him of better times, or of a specific person or place? They seem an odd thing to take on a camping or hunting trip. They must have been important to him in some way, as we've been discussing on this thread. It may have been mentioned in previous posts, but do we know if there was any blood on the books? If he decided to commit suicide, I thought he might have been reading one of them before taking his life.

I still wonder about the gun. Why buy a shotgun when a handgun is much easier to carrier when you're on the road? A handgun would be easier to conceal in a backpack, and would be more convenient if you were hitchhiking or if you were on a motorcycle. And, as mentioned in the previous post, why buy so much ammo?

I'd say this guy was not a seasoned camper/hunter/woodsman.

Regarding his possession of a rifle... A rifle is highly preferable for deer hunting, but according to the investigator, this man probably died in the Spring of 1958. So it is much less likely that he was deer hunting, because that is a November/December sport.

Had he been deer hunting, he certainly would have been dressed more suitably for the cold. The camping gear, and especially a 4 quart canteen are NOT things that a hunter would bring into the woods. And what if he had been hunting? What would he have done with the deer? Did he have a knife to field dress it? Did he have a car or truck to transport it? Did he have a hunting license?

I have a feeling that this man was traveling across the state of Pennsylvania by motorcycle, and that he had probably parked it somewhere near the turnpike exit and his camp in the spring of 1958. Perhaps he was on a short trip home from college (spring break?), or possibly he was just "on the road" traveling from one place to another.

The fact that he was found so close to a major turnpike oasis leads me to believe that he was traveling by vehicle of some sort. The fact that he was humping around a rifle and giant canteen - while wearing engineer boots and a motorcycle jacket - leads me to believe that he had his own transportation, rather than that he was a hitch hiker.

There may be a couple of reasons for him to have a rifle instead of a pistol. One is that IF he was coming from New York, he would have been subject to the Sullivan Law, which was very restrictive regarding the purchase of Pistols or revolvers. At the time (1958) it was the most restrictive gun law in the US, but it did not affect sales of rifles or shotguns. He did not have a shotgun, a close range weapon which fires multiple small lead pellets. Generally, a shotgun is much longer than a rifle, but many shotguns can be broken down into two pieces for transportation.The rifle that he had was a commercially made hunting rifle chambered in .30-06. It would be interesting to know if a case or scabbard for that rifle was among the items found with his body.

Another reason for his choice of a rifle might be that he had been in the military and he knew that a rifle was more inherently accurate and effective than a pistol. There are many people who can hit the target with a rifle, but who have never mastered the skill of shooting a pistol.

Of course, he might simply have been transporting his rifle and ammunition across country, but I wonder if he might have been carrying them because he felt he was being pursued and needed the type of protection that a long range capable rifle could afford him.

I emphasize that he may have FELT that he was being pursued, not necessarily, that anyone was truly after him. But like someone once said, "Just because you're paranoid, doesn't mean the bastards AREN'T out to get you."