Report on Death of Oscar McClenithan (d. 1908), Lee County, Florida

File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by Janine Rickner, srickner@peganet.com

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THE FORT MYERS PRESS, Thursday, Feb. 27, 1908


Body of dead man floating in river -- Came in with the tide
Man identified as Oscar McClenithan -- Had been out for oysters

Quite a good deal of excitement was occasioned on our streets Wednesday afternoon when it
was reported the body of a dead man had been found floating in the river at the Edison
dock. The reporter in company with Judge A. B. Beall hastened to the Edison home and
thence to the dock, where he met F. Ott, an electrician at the Edison Laboratory who
stated that about three o'clock in the afternoon he saw the body some few feet from the
dock. He waited and the tide soon drifted the body to the dock. He secured it with a rope
and then went and told his fellow workman of the horrible find.

A message was sent to the store of H. A. Hendry. Sheriff Tippins was then notified and
he, under instructions from Judge Beall impanelled a jury. The jury went and viewed the
body and brought in a verdict that deceased came to his death by drowning.

Some few days ago Oscar McClenithan and young Jenkins went down the river for oysters.
They have not been heard of since. A few days later Capt. Cates' boat, Free Lance, was
coming up the river and found a sail. It is thought the sail was from the boat of the men
mentioned above. Later Wednesday afternoon the dead man was identified as Oscar
McClenithan. The whereabouts of Jenkins is not known, but it is feared that he also
drowned.

No trace of violence was found on the body of the unfortunate man, and drowning is
believed to have been the cause of death. The body was in a bad state of decomposition.
The face was badly eaten away, but this was thought to have been done by crabs and fishes.

Deceased leaves a wife and three children to mourn his loss. The sympathy of the
community is extended to the bereaved family.


LATER -- Just as we go to press news reaches us that the body of Martin Jenkins, who was
with McClenithan, was found near Four Mile Island. No particulars.