The Ouachita Telegraph - J. H. McGinnis Dies by Means Unknown

Date: Oct. 2000
Submitted by: Lora Peppers <lpeppers@ouachita.lib.la.us>



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The Ouachita Telegraph
Friday, October 24, 1879
Page 2, Column 3

DISAPPEARANCE OF MR. McGINNIS.
        Saturday, 14th of last month, Mr. J.H. McGinnis left Monroe, and
has not been seen since.  Mr. McGinnis had been drinking rather hard for several
days, and on that account and his strange conduct, his absence was noticed
the day following.  A colored man named Scott, living some eight or ten
miles west of this, came to town and reported that he had seen McGinnis at
his place.  Mr. Dan Doyle and a friend went out to Scott’s.  The missing
man was correctly described by two or three persons who saw him - a small man,
with a heavy mustache, and dressed in black.  He appeared bewildered, they
said, and acted very strangely, and when last seen he was off the public
road, inquiring the way back to Monroe.  When told which way to go, he
turned in the opposite direction.  There are but few people living in the
locality, the forests are dense, and there are but few roads or paths
even.
McGinnis had never been there before, and had no apparent purpose in vie
in going there.  It is generally believed that he wandered about in the woods
and swamps until exhausted, and is dead.  Mr. McGinnis lived in Monroe
before the war, returned after its close, and was actively engaged in
building as a contractor for several years.  He was at one time a member
of the council of this city, before the Democrats regained power.  His wife
and two children live in this city, but they have lived apart some three
years, or more.
        What was a surmise on the 11th July - as appears from the above in
the TELEGRAPH of that date has been proven to be correct, except that the
remains of Mr. McGinnis were not found in the Cheniere swamp, but a mile
or two beyond.  Nothing was left of the body but the scattered bones.  One
shoe, some remnants of clothing and part of a carpenter’s pencil were
found.
  His vest lay folded up at the root of a tree, but the main trunk of the
body lay near a branch close by, as if deceased had gone there to get
water, and there died.  The skull was some yards away, carried there 
doubtless by animals.
        The remains were gathered up, brought to Monroe and decently
interred, and it is but proper to say that Mr. H.G. Dobson was active in 
performing these sad rites.  We append the proces verbal of the
CORONER’S INQUEST.
        I, Joseph W. Locke, Coroner of the Parish of Ouachita, State of
Louisiana having been notified of the death of J.H. McGinnis, and having 
viewed the body of said J.H. McGinnis and made inquiry respecting the death, 
did on this the 10th day of October, 1879, summon the following jury of 
inquest, to each of whom I administered the following oath, to wit:
        You do solemnly swear that you will well and truly inquire and a
true verdict render, as to what means the deceased J.H. McGinnis came to his
death, to the best of your ability and understanding ? so help you God!
                                                HAL NABORS,
                                                ALEX JOHNSON,
                                                R.W. McCLENDON, JR.,
                                                N. BURNUM,
                                                G.F. McCLELLND.
        And the said jurors, after being thus sworn to inquire on behalf
of the State when and by what means the said J.H. McGinnis came to his death,
upon their oaths do say:  From the evidence elicited, we are satisfied that the
skeleton before us is the remains of J.H. McGinnis, and that he came to
his death by some cause unknown to this jury.
        H.G. Dobson being duly sworn, deposeth and says:  I recognize the
shoes, clothing and pencils exhibited to me, found lying with a human skeleton,
to be the same as worn by J.G. McGinnis on or about the time said McGinnis
was missing from Monroe, La., to the best of my belief and knowledge.
H.G. DOBSON.
        I hereby certify that the above is a true transcript of all the
proceedings had in the above case.
                J.W. LOCKE, Coroner.
        This is to certify that I was this day summoned by J.W. Locke,
Coroner for the Parish of Ouachita, State of Louisiana, to make an examination of a
skeleton found about six miles west of Monroe, La., supposed to be that of
J.H. McGinnis.  After a thorough examination of said skeleton, I could not
find any signs of violence whatever.
                                        T.P. RICHARDSON, M.D.
NOTE:  Further articles about Mr. McGinnis’ disappearance can be found in
the Ouachita Telegraph, Friday, July 11, 1879, Page 3, Column 2 and
Friday, July 25, 1879, Page 3, Column 1.

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