E. J.Taylor newspaper article

   My grandfather Elmer Jim Taylor appeared to spend a lot time fishing on the Missouri river. It appears this newspaper article was around the late 1920‘s because my mother was born in 1926 in Dakota City, Nebraska.  

The Sioux City Journal

Farmer Finds Third Body in River in Three Months;

Name of Victim Remains a Mystery

Authorities Are Trying to Identify the Man’s Corpse

When E. J. Taylor, Dakota county, Neb., farmer found the body of a drowned man floating in the Missouri river Monday. It was the third such gruesome discovery he had made in three months.

The corpse, which was fished from the stream under the direction of county officials, at first was thought to be that of Frank Clark, Sioux City express man, who was drowned in the Missouri about a week ago.

This belief, however, soon was disproved and now Dakota county officers and Sioux City authorities are attempting to solve the mystery of the dead man’s identity.

Another possible identity of the body was suggested by H. W. Davis, 2420 East Fourth Street, who viewed the corpse at the Westcott undertaking parlors to ascertain if it was the body of his son, who disappeared while hunting on July 20.

Mr. Davis suggested that the body might be that of “Indian Tom,” a Winnebago Indian which he met in Nebraska some time ago while searching for his missing son. He based his belief that it was “Indian Tom” on the fact that fingers were missing from both hands, as they were on “Indian Tom’s.”

The fact that the corpse was badly decomposed indicated that it had been in the water for considerable time. The man was about 5 feet 6 inches in height and apparently weighed about 150 pounds.

Fingers Are Missing

The thumb and forefinger of the dead man’s right hand and the thumb of his left hand had been amputated. Besides overalls and a coat the body was garbed in a blue shirt and leather shoes with rubber soles and heels. In the pockets were found a towel, a razor, shaving brush and soap, a comb, a pipe and a can of tobacco.

Although a part of the corpse was visible above the surface of the shallow water considerable difficulty was experienced in getting the body into a boat from midstream because of sandbars and current.

Taylor went out Monday to search about the river about one and one-half miles downstream from Dakota City for the body of Clark. He was in a boat and rowed about in the vicinity of where in the past few months he has helped to recover two other bodies.

On discovering the body, Taylor said he used a long piece of wire in an effort to tow the body away from the sandbar, which partially covered it. He was unable to get the body loose from the mooring, however he said, and then failed in an effort to lift it directly into the boat.

Taylor said that the man partly had removed the coat and that it was wound about one arm, indicating that he struggled to get free of the cumbersome blouse in the water and possibly had drowned when his arm became tangled in the coat.

Failing to loosen the body, Taylor fastened it to a stake in the river bed to keep it from drifting until others could aid in taking the body to shore.

River a Mile Wide

The river in that vicinity is nearly a mile wide and is filled with sand bars, which added to the inconvenience of rescue workers.

Nelson Smith, Dakota county coroner, who was notified of the discovery late Monday, summoned Dr. J. H. Robbins, Woodbury county coroner to assist in the investigation, believing then that the body was Clark’s.

Coroner Robbins began an investigation Tuesday after the body was brought to shore in an effort to establish, if possible, circumstances surrounding the cause of drowning.

Taylor several months ago assisted in rescue of the body in that same vicinity of Emil Alverado, Sioux City youth, who was drowned August 7 at the foot of Howard street and whose body was discovered a week later.

A few weeks before that part of the body of another person was discovered by Taylor on a sandbar in the river. It was taken to Homer, Neb., and buried, as it was so badly decomposed that it was beyond identification.

About three years ago Taylor also aided in the recovery of the body of another drowning victim in the Missouri river near Dakota City.