B.W. Curtis
Arizona Silver Belt
July 9, 1892

Mrs. E.A. Hocker, received a letter on Tuesday last, from her 
daughter, Mrs. B.W. Curtis at San Diego, conveying the sad 
intelligence that the body found in the water at Ocean Beach 
near San Diego, June 28th was that of her husband who left 
home May 31st.

The San Diego and other coast papers have recently contained 
many allusions to the "Ocean Beach Mystery."  Mr. F.W. Westmeyer 
has received several clippings in reference to the matter.  It 
seems that on the 28th a party discovered a headless human body 
floating in the water in a little cove near Ocean Beach.  It 
was nude with the exception of the feet which were covered 
with woolen socks.  The body was somewhat swollen, and 
decomposed and as a consequence the examination made was but 
slight and the remains were interred as those of a woman.

No cothing was found except the socks which were preserved 
and hearing of Curtis' disappearance, officers went to Mrs. 
Curtis and asked if she could describe the socks worn by her 
husband.  She did so and her description tallied exactly 
with the socks taken from the dead body.  She had darned 
them with two kinds of yarn, differing in color from the 
socks and upon seeing and examining them Mrs. Curtis 
declared them to be those worn by her husband.  She being 
fully satisfied of the identity of the body, it was 
disinterred and given burial in Mt. Hope Cemetery.

As before stated, Mr. Curtis left his home on the 31st of May 
to look for employment.  At about 1 o'clock that day he applied 
for work at a place five miles from San Diego, where they were 
laying water pipe, but he was unsuccessful.  This was the last 
seen of him alive.

The theory is that he then went to Ocean Beach to bathe and 
the shore where he entered, the water being rocky, he kept 
his socks on to protect his feet.  Upon entering the water he 
doubtless succumbed to the undertow which is very strong there 
and was drowned.  The body sank and the head is supposed to 
have caught between rocks.  The neck bore evidence that the 
severance of the head had been but recently effected and the 
body was in much better state of preservation than could 
possible have been had it been floating for any great length 
of time.

B.W. Curtis was for sevral years a resident of Salt River 
Valley, Gila County and was well and favorably known.

During the War of the Rebellion Mr. Curtis was on the U.S. 
gunboat Indianola, commanded by Captain Brown now Admiral.  
The vessel ran the blockade of batteries at Vicksburg successful 
but was subsequently sunk by two confederate gunboats below 
Vicksburg and the crew taken prisoners.  Admiral Brown, a few 
months since, was in San Diego and one object which Mr. Curtis
had in going there was to ask Admiral Brown and get his 
assistance in securing a pension.

The deceased has two sisters living in San Diego with whom Mrs. 
Curtis and her two children were visiting.

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