Earthbound Misfit I
Justice for Kimberly Shawn Cheatham
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Identified! VA - Giles Co., skeletal remains in Mountain Lake, Sep'08 - Samuel Felder
- Thread starter luckyducky
- Start date
shadowangel
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That's one way to do yourself in, I guess 
Great job of following through.
Marion's lead about the McCreery shoes being from a store in NYC seems to be spot on, I can't find anything else that works. I wouldn't think that a department store like that would ship out to other stores nationwide, but I could be wrong.
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Maybe we finally found Judge Joseph Crater...His intials were JFC.
Great job of following through.
Marion's lead about the McCreery shoes being from a store in NYC seems to be spot on, I can't find anything else that works. I wouldn't think that a department store like that would ship out to other stores nationwide, but I could be wrong.
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Maybe we finally found Judge Joseph Crater...His intials were JFC.
Earthbound Misfit I
Justice for Kimberly Shawn Cheatham
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Mystery buffs jump on case
Amateur sleuths are eager to help figure out whose bones were found at Mountain Lake.
[FONT=Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular]By Shawna Morrison
[/FONT] 381-1665
Giles County detectives aren't the only ones on the case of the Mountain Lake mystery man.
Since news broke Sunday that a father and son had uncovered bones, a tooth, a class ring and other items, some of which date as far back as the early 1900s, from the dried-up lake bed, people from far beyond Giles County have been talking about it.
And many of them want to help solve the mystery of who the person is and why he was at the bottom of a lake.
"We welcome any help that anybody wants to give," said Sgt. Tommy Gautier of the Giles County Sheriff's Office, the lead investigator in the case. "That's how we're hopefully going to find out who this guy is."
Peter Viemeister, a Bedford County bookstore owner and author of histories of Bedford County and the Peaks of Otter, was one of the people to offer suggestions about the items found in the lake bed....
More here: http://www.roanoke.com/news/nrv/wb/178195
Amateur sleuths are eager to help figure out whose bones were found at Mountain Lake.
[FONT=Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular]By Shawna Morrison
[/FONT] 381-1665
Giles County detectives aren't the only ones on the case of the Mountain Lake mystery man.
Since news broke Sunday that a father and son had uncovered bones, a tooth, a class ring and other items, some of which date as far back as the early 1900s, from the dried-up lake bed, people from far beyond Giles County have been talking about it.
And many of them want to help solve the mystery of who the person is and why he was at the bottom of a lake.
"We welcome any help that anybody wants to give," said Sgt. Tommy Gautier of the Giles County Sheriff's Office, the lead investigator in the case. "That's how we're hopefully going to find out who this guy is."
Peter Viemeister, a Bedford County bookstore owner and author of histories of Bedford County and the Peaks of Otter, was one of the people to offer suggestions about the items found in the lake bed....
More here: http://www.roanoke.com/news/nrv/wb/178195
shadowangel
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John J. Tighe, 38, was reported missing from his apartment on West 19th St in New York City on November 27th, 1921. The previous Sunday, he was to have married his fiance. Tighe attended Sunday Mass that day, then returned to his apartment where he changed into his wedding attire. He was reported to have been carrying several hundred dollars.
Tighe never made it to the wedding. The following morning, a waitress reported that Tighe entered a diner he often frequented but departed before she could speak to him. The waitress stated that Tighe seemed "dazed". (source: NY Times, 11/27/1921).
Tighe would have been born in 1883; he would have been 21 in 1904.
Tighe never made it to the wedding. The following morning, a waitress reported that Tighe entered a diner he often frequented but departed before she could speak to him. The waitress stated that Tighe seemed "dazed". (source: NY Times, 11/27/1921).
Tighe would have been born in 1883; he would have been 21 in 1904.
Honestly, I think the ring and the initials on the belt buckle & cigarette case are what will solve the case. There are too many "ifs" surrounding everything else. Not saying that they shouldn't be looked at but if I was LE I'd be focusing on those two things. They definitely need to start looking outside of Virginia for the school since the hotel was nearby.
Everything else is just too circumstantial, imo, especially since a specific date of death hasn't been determined. Back then, anyone could've gone missing anywhere and it may not have ever been reported in the newspaper. Where else could it have been reported??? People were as easily able to keep up with family and friends either, so noone may have even known they were missing.
As a historical researcher, I run across missing persons cases all the time and wonder why some people are never found, even after 100+ years, or if maybe they were found but never identified. If they don't find out who the ring belonged to, they'll never find out who it is.
Wish I was closer and could actually help with this case, I'm usually pretty good at tracking down this kind of info.
Everything else is just too circumstantial, imo, especially since a specific date of death hasn't been determined. Back then, anyone could've gone missing anywhere and it may not have ever been reported in the newspaper. Where else could it have been reported??? People were as easily able to keep up with family and friends either, so noone may have even known they were missing.
As a historical researcher, I run across missing persons cases all the time and wonder why some people are never found, even after 100+ years, or if maybe they were found but never identified. If they don't find out who the ring belonged to, they'll never find out who it is.
Wish I was closer and could actually help with this case, I'm usually pretty good at tracking down this kind of info.
MaedchenX
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Man Is Missing From His Home: Smith Last Seen on His Way to Danville on Tuesday—All Trace of Him Vanishes.
" The sudden and mysterious disappearance on Tuesday of Tom L Smith from his home about four miles from the city, has caused grave anxiety on the part of the missing man's family and relatives because of his continued absence. Mrs. Smith has appealed to the local police in their effort to locate her husband. Although every possible effort has been made by the man's family and his Relatives in this city to learn the thereabouts of the missing- man, not a trace of him has been found. Fears of foul play have been expressed owing to his prolonged absence.
Smith left his home on the Mountain Hill Rd. tuesday morning telling his wife that he was going to Danville on business but did not indicate what time she might expect him back. The last seen of him was that night about 9:30 when he stopped at a restaurant near Lucktown. He knew the proprietor of the place who states that Smith came by but stayed only a few minutes saying he must hurry home to his wife he was away from home longer than expected. Smith started out and was last seen going up the road walking in the direction of his home. Before leaving he told the proprietor that he knew his wife would be worried about his long absences from home as he had never
stayed away for such a length of time and had never stayed away at night
time. There was every indication that he intended going directly to his home.
When Smith left for Danville Tuesday morning he started walking but was soon overtaken by an automobile driven by a man named. Phillips, whom he knew. Phillips brought Mr. Smith to Danville and let him out at the corner of Main and Union streets. This was the last time he was seen in this city so far as known, for he did not visit any of his relatives during the day, which he usually does on coming to the city. Mrs. Smith, after anxiously awaiting
the return of her husband all of Tuesday night, early on Wednesday
morning sent a neighbor to Danville to make inquiries of relatives here as
to whether they had seen him. Miss Lizzie Smith, a sister of the missing man stated that her home was visited as early as 5 o'clock.
The mystery In the disappearance of Smith who is a farmer, is affected by the fact that he apparently had no reason to purposely leave his
home and remain away. The only thing out of the ordinary on the morning of his departure, was that his wife had taken notice that on several times he was apparently in deep study but after his attention was called to
it he was as cheerful as ever and it was presumed he was feeling badly from the effects of a recent illness. He was confined to his bed all of last week and had about recovered by the first of the week.
Touching on a possible robbery theory that someone might have waylaid Mr. Smith it was stated by his wife that he was not in the custom of carrying any large amount of money on his person. He only had a small amount, less than $10, in his pocket when he left hpme Tuesday morning. A highwayman, however, it is thought would be unaware of the amount a man would be carrying. Tho possibility of a robber killing Mr. Smith, either purposely or by a blow hit harder than Intended, was discussed but relatives would not discuss their views one way or the other- for they say. they had not the slightest idea. They only state that Mr. Smith was in his, usual health, considering his illness, and that he had no reason whatever to leave, and it was not customary for him to stay away such a long time.
Neighboors and relatives have been conducting searches daily in the woods of not only the section of the smith home, but have searched widely in the county. Surrounding towns and cities have been notified and a complete description given. Mr. Smith is described as being about 5 feet 6 inches in height, 32 years of age, weight about 125 pounds, with light blue eyes and light hair. On the day of his disappearance be wore a dark suit and blue shirt.
Besides his wife, who was formerly Miss Carol Moore, there are three children in the family."
From the The Bee, Danville Virginia as reported on Wednesday May 17 1922.
I snipped this from newspaperarchive.com and hilighted points I found interesting. Also I found out from my university there is a free trial til the 30th, name: guest3, pw: sept, for those interested in viewing the link for yourselves.
http://www.newspaperarchive.com/Pdf...77&firstvisit=true&src=search¤tResult=4
UPDATED: Article stating this prize was found 2 months later setting up shop else where, and the he planned on going home. Now ward of whether he followed through.
http://www.newspaperarchive.com/Pdf...7&firstvisit=true&src=search¤tResult=11
" The sudden and mysterious disappearance on Tuesday of Tom L Smith from his home about four miles from the city, has caused grave anxiety on the part of the missing man's family and relatives because of his continued absence. Mrs. Smith has appealed to the local police in their effort to locate her husband. Although every possible effort has been made by the man's family and his Relatives in this city to learn the thereabouts of the missing- man, not a trace of him has been found. Fears of foul play have been expressed owing to his prolonged absence.
Smith left his home on the Mountain Hill Rd. tuesday morning telling his wife that he was going to Danville on business but did not indicate what time she might expect him back. The last seen of him was that night about 9:30 when he stopped at a restaurant near Lucktown. He knew the proprietor of the place who states that Smith came by but stayed only a few minutes saying he must hurry home to his wife he was away from home longer than expected. Smith started out and was last seen going up the road walking in the direction of his home. Before leaving he told the proprietor that he knew his wife would be worried about his long absences from home as he had never
stayed away for such a length of time and had never stayed away at night
time. There was every indication that he intended going directly to his home.
When Smith left for Danville Tuesday morning he started walking but was soon overtaken by an automobile driven by a man named. Phillips, whom he knew. Phillips brought Mr. Smith to Danville and let him out at the corner of Main and Union streets. This was the last time he was seen in this city so far as known, for he did not visit any of his relatives during the day, which he usually does on coming to the city. Mrs. Smith, after anxiously awaiting
the return of her husband all of Tuesday night, early on Wednesday
morning sent a neighbor to Danville to make inquiries of relatives here as
to whether they had seen him. Miss Lizzie Smith, a sister of the missing man stated that her home was visited as early as 5 o'clock.
The mystery In the disappearance of Smith who is a farmer, is affected by the fact that he apparently had no reason to purposely leave his
home and remain away. The only thing out of the ordinary on the morning of his departure, was that his wife had taken notice that on several times he was apparently in deep study but after his attention was called to
it he was as cheerful as ever and it was presumed he was feeling badly from the effects of a recent illness. He was confined to his bed all of last week and had about recovered by the first of the week.
Touching on a possible robbery theory that someone might have waylaid Mr. Smith it was stated by his wife that he was not in the custom of carrying any large amount of money on his person. He only had a small amount, less than $10, in his pocket when he left hpme Tuesday morning. A highwayman, however, it is thought would be unaware of the amount a man would be carrying. Tho possibility of a robber killing Mr. Smith, either purposely or by a blow hit harder than Intended, was discussed but relatives would not discuss their views one way or the other- for they say. they had not the slightest idea. They only state that Mr. Smith was in his, usual health, considering his illness, and that he had no reason whatever to leave, and it was not customary for him to stay away such a long time.
Neighboors and relatives have been conducting searches daily in the woods of not only the section of the smith home, but have searched widely in the county. Surrounding towns and cities have been notified and a complete description given. Mr. Smith is described as being about 5 feet 6 inches in height, 32 years of age, weight about 125 pounds, with light blue eyes and light hair. On the day of his disappearance be wore a dark suit and blue shirt.
Besides his wife, who was formerly Miss Carol Moore, there are three children in the family."
From the The Bee, Danville Virginia as reported on Wednesday May 17 1922.
I snipped this from newspaperarchive.com and hilighted points I found interesting. Also I found out from my university there is a free trial til the 30th, name: guest3, pw: sept, for those interested in viewing the link for yourselves.
http://www.newspaperarchive.com/Pdf...77&firstvisit=true&src=search¤tResult=4
UPDATED: Article stating this prize was found 2 months later setting up shop else where, and the he planned on going home. Now ward of whether he followed through.
http://www.newspaperarchive.com/Pdf...7&firstvisit=true&src=search¤tResult=11
shadowangel
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From reading so many of the old reports, it's clear how little was really known of indentifying remains. In the late 50s, authorities "solved" the famous case of Connie Smith through the matching of dental records to a UID found in Arizona. Turns out they were wrong, of course. But the reports indicated they had "no doubt" she had been found.
If nothing is forthcoming within a reasonable amount of time, this would be a perfect case for strontium isotope analysis, as teeth (or at least a tooth) have been located.
shadowangel
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A couple of points from the latest video---The watch is stated to be a "stop" watch, not a typical pocket watch. It's difficult to tell, but it appears that it may in fact be a stopwatch. Also, remnants of clothing were found, which the video states are from a pinstripe suit.
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Marion-Have you given thought to contacting LE with the "North Carolina College of Agriculture" lead? It seems more plausible to me than "Marshall College (University) College of the Arts".
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Marion-Have you given thought to contacting LE with the "North Carolina College of Agriculture" lead? It seems more plausible to me than "Marshall College (University) College of the Arts".
Someone else actually mentioned that before me, but I'll be glad to send in the tip if need be. I agree that it sounds more likely. LE doesn't seem to be considering the possibility that it could be an "N" instead of an "M". Of course, maybe they can see it better in person than we can in a photograph and it's definitely an "M"....
Earthbound Misfit I
Justice for Kimberly Shawn Cheatham
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So far the clues that we have are:
1876
Antique pocketwatch (stop watch??) made in 1876
1904
Graduate ring dated 04' with MC or NC on one side and CA on the other. It is stamped with B or R G.D.CO on the inside of the band. The B or R has a star inside it.
1907-1920
Coins with the oldest dating back to 1907 and the most recent one dated 1920
Unknown
Silver belt buckle & silver cigarette case with the initials SCF or SGF engraved on them
Unknown
McCreery wingtip shoes with O'Sullivan safety cushion heels held on with 6 nails
Unknown
Most recent news we learn is that there was also remnants of clothing that appear to be from a pinstripe suit
1876
Antique pocketwatch (stop watch??) made in 1876
1904
Graduate ring dated 04' with MC or NC on one side and CA on the other. It is stamped with B or R G.D.CO on the inside of the band. The B or R has a star inside it.
1907-1920
Coins with the oldest dating back to 1907 and the most recent one dated 1920
Unknown
Silver belt buckle & silver cigarette case with the initials SCF or SGF engraved on them
Unknown
McCreery wingtip shoes with O'Sullivan safety cushion heels held on with 6 nails
Unknown
Most recent news we learn is that there was also remnants of clothing that appear to be from a pinstripe suit
I wonder if the watch had anything engraved on or inside it. Anyone seen a good photo of it? I doubt it originally belonged to the victim given the dates but there still might be info inside it to narrow down where it came from, could've belonged to a dad or granddad. Sometimes watches are marked inside by the owner or someone to worked on it. Hope they took it apart, surely they did.
shadowangel
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In the video, the lead investigator is shown handling the watch. Can't see much inside, but I did note that the inside of the lid/cover is in remarkably good condition...Not tarnished or corroded that I could tell.
I was able to find an "Rcd Jewelers" on Canal St in New York City. They don't have a website that I can find...I plan to give them a call tomorrow and see how long they've been around.
Great lead! Let us know what you find out.
raeann
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I was the one who mentioned the North Carolina College of Agriculture, I have had no time to follow up, and don't really even know where to start, so PLEASE feel free to do that, anyone who would like to is more than welcome.
shadowangel
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I was the one who mentioned the North Carolina College of Agriculture, I have had no time to follow up, and don't really even know where to start, so PLEASE feel free to do that, anyone who would like to is more than welcome.
Sorry I mixed that up :blowkiss:
It appears the McCreery's may have been a chain, of sorts. This article mentions that they began business in 1850; a branch store opened in Pittsburgh in 1904 (how's that for a coincidence). This store closed in 1938, with the NYC store closing in 1953.
http://www.departmentstorehistory.net/disc.htm
anthrobones
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Wow. This case sounds really interesting. I am assuming that high schools did not having class rings back in 1904, so it is likely a college/university ring.
I will send an email to LE about the North Carolina College of Agriculture. The school as it exists today has an archives which more than likely has a list of 1904 graduates. I don't mind contacting them either but want to let LE know about it first because I don't want the school archives to receive tons of emails with the same question. Shouldn't take them long to look for an SGF though.
Before I do that though, I thought it might be a good idea for us to search for schools that the ring could possibly match with. There are four sets of initials it could match:
NCCA
MCCA
CAMC
CANC (this is the least likely one imo)
NC = North Carolina, others???
MC = Mechanical College, others???
CA = College of the Arts, College of Agricluter, Christian Academy, others???
I will list possiblities here and try to update every time someone lists a new one so that we will have one exact list.
Possibilities for NCCA:
-North Carolina College of Agriculture (now North Carolina State University)
-North Carolina College of the Arts (I found info on it being in Winston-Salem but can't find much and don't know how long it has been there, probably not long though.)
Possiblities for MCCA:
-Marshall College of the Arts
Possibilities for CAMC:
Possibilities for CANC:
Notes:
-It is possible this is a high school ring, although I think it's unlikely.
-I still think those are Comedy & Tragedy masks on one side because you can still kind of see an ear on the left one, so this could be some kind of art/liberal art school.
-While we need to look for school all over the country (or even world for that matter), I think I would concentrate mainly on New England and the Eastern Seaboard, pretty much the states that would be surrounding Viriginia if you move it up and down the east coast, if that makes sense.
-It's also possible the initial aren't for a school, I have my initials in that same spot on my high school class ring, although I find this scenario highly unlikely, especially since they aren't anywhere near SGF. But, it's still a possibility.....
Hope that covers it and I hope all that makes sense.
Before I do that though, I thought it might be a good idea for us to search for schools that the ring could possibly match with. There are four sets of initials it could match:
NCCA
MCCA
CAMC
CANC (this is the least likely one imo)
NC = North Carolina, others???
MC = Mechanical College, others???
CA = College of the Arts, College of Agricluter, Christian Academy, others???
I will list possiblities here and try to update every time someone lists a new one so that we will have one exact list.
Possibilities for NCCA:
-North Carolina College of Agriculture (now North Carolina State University)
-North Carolina College of the Arts (I found info on it being in Winston-Salem but can't find much and don't know how long it has been there, probably not long though.)
Possiblities for MCCA:
-Marshall College of the Arts
Possibilities for CAMC:
Possibilities for CANC:
Notes:
-It is possible this is a high school ring, although I think it's unlikely.
-I still think those are Comedy & Tragedy masks on one side because you can still kind of see an ear on the left one, so this could be some kind of art/liberal art school.
-While we need to look for school all over the country (or even world for that matter), I think I would concentrate mainly on New England and the Eastern Seaboard, pretty much the states that would be surrounding Viriginia if you move it up and down the east coast, if that makes sense.
-It's also possible the initial aren't for a school, I have my initials in that same spot on my high school class ring, although I find this scenario highly unlikely, especially since they aren't anywhere near SGF. But, it's still a possibility.....
Hope that covers it and I hope all that makes sense.
shadowangel
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Great job laying that all out.
Just surfing around, I've found various uses for rings like this. Sporting events, fraternities, men's clubs, societies such as the Masons...
I personally think a college/university ring makes the most sense, though.
One of the news articles referenced here mentions ads in New York papers for the Mountain Lake Hotel from the early '30s; I've found ads in Texas papers from even earlier than that.
The guy was in a suit and wearing dress shoes. If this wasn't a case of murder, maybe he was on a boat tour? The lake has a unique feature which puts a twist into any theories. There are fissures in the bedrock under the lake where water and sediment escape. This partially accounts for the unstable water level. That being said, does it make sense that anything floating in the water might slowly drift to the location of the fissures? I'm just thinking that he may have entered the water at some other location, even the shore.
Here's another really rich guy that vanished around 1920 (December 1919): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ambrose_Small
Ambrose J Small made millions in Canada at the turn of the last century in the theater business. After making a major sale of theaters, he poofed.
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No answer at Rcd today. I'll try again Monday.
Just surfing around, I've found various uses for rings like this. Sporting events, fraternities, men's clubs, societies such as the Masons...
I personally think a college/university ring makes the most sense, though.
One of the news articles referenced here mentions ads in New York papers for the Mountain Lake Hotel from the early '30s; I've found ads in Texas papers from even earlier than that.
The guy was in a suit and wearing dress shoes. If this wasn't a case of murder, maybe he was on a boat tour? The lake has a unique feature which puts a twist into any theories. There are fissures in the bedrock under the lake where water and sediment escape. This partially accounts for the unstable water level. That being said, does it make sense that anything floating in the water might slowly drift to the location of the fissures? I'm just thinking that he may have entered the water at some other location, even the shore.
Here's another really rich guy that vanished around 1920 (December 1919): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ambrose_Small
Ambrose J Small made millions in Canada at the turn of the last century in the theater business. After making a major sale of theaters, he poofed.
** *** ** *** ** *** ** *** ** *** **
No answer at Rcd today. I'll try again Monday.
bluestarzz
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yes, blue is lurking on this one.
the guy was well off, and dressed well.
makes you think he was at the lodge but don't know.
but whatever his age, he was well off...i tend to think you too with the ring..family money and could have been from anywhere. you would think the reservations at the hotel would hold a clue.
bluestarzz
the guy was well off, and dressed well.
makes you think he was at the lodge but don't know.
but whatever his age, he was well off...i tend to think you too with the ring..family money and could have been from anywhere. you would think the reservations at the hotel would hold a clue.
bluestarzz
shadowangel
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Hopefully the older records didn't get ditched when the hotel changed hands in 1930.