Body of Chris Digel Found in Creek

Gruesome Discovery Made Sunday Afternoon---Was a Well Known Horseman

Was Last Seen Alive on Friday Night---Funeral Held Tuesday Afternoon
August 28, 1913

 

About five o'clock last Sunday afternoon as F. H. Bieyer, the Shawmut agent in this borough, was canoeing on the pond, and when nearly opposite the Kushequa depot, at a point a short distance below where the foot bridge that used to connect the main land with Herzog's island stood, he saw an object in the shallow water on the island side of the creek which he took to be a corpse. Mr. Bieyer hastened to a nearby house and telephoned to County Detective Jones of his discovery, and that officer and sheriff Bain hastened to the point indicated. The officers went to the object in the water in a boat, and Mr. Jones, on turning the body over (it lay face down in about two feet of water) was startled on discovering it to be that of Chris Digel, who had been for a long time in the employ of Mr. Jones in the livery barn in this borough.

The body was at once taken to shore and Coroner Sherman, of Bradford, was communicated with, but could not be reached, and after a long wait Mr. Jones concluded to remove the body of Specht & Sasse's undertaking establishment on his own responsibility. Later in the evening Coroner Sherman telephoned over ordering undertaker Sasse to go ahead and prepare the body for burial, which was done. The coroner came to Smethport Monday afternoon and after inquiring into the matter decided that an inquest would be necessary.

Up to the forepart of July Mr. Digel had managed the livery business of Jones & Sasse in this borough. At the time Barnum's visited Olean, on July 11, he went to that place, and that was the last seen of him in Smethport until after the late firemen's convention, in Mt. Jewett. He attended the convention and from Mt. Jewett he came back to Smethport, but during the interval since he returned and the finding of his body last Sunday afternoon he had been idle. Last Thursday night he had spent at Palmer's livery barn, and had left there early in the morning and, apparently, had dropped out of sight, as no one seems to have seen the man after that. But we understand that there are people who claim to have seen him Friday evening, and as late as Saturday.

How the unfortunate man came to be in the vicinity of where his body was found will perhaps always remain a mystery. But the greatest mystery is how he could have been drowned in the shallow water where he was discovered. It is possible that the body may have entered the creek further upstream, and as the mill dam was let out during the day Saturday, lowering the pond, it may have been carried with the rush of water to the point where found. Those who know Chris Digel best are loathe to believe that he took his own life. It would be more reasonable to believe that he was either seized with a sudden illness that rendered him temporarily helpless, or else he had been sleeping somewhere in the neighborhood of the creek, and having awakened in the night had become confused in an effort to find his way out, and had grumbled and fell into the water.

Nothing in the condition of the body in any way pointed to foul play. His hat and watch were both missing, but in his pockets were found nearly $180 in cash and a check drawn in favor of Jones & Sasse for $45, which precludes the theory of foul play. It does not seem possible that the body had been in the water many house when discovered, as it was in excellent state of preservation.

During the time Mr. Digel was employed by Jones & Sasse, he had collected a considerable sum of money for the firm, and after he returned to town he was asked by these gentlemen for a settlement, but it appears that Chris, who was the possessor of a wonderful memory, was in the habit of making mental note of all business transactions, and had put them off from time to time on the plea that he would settle in full just as soon as his head became clear so that he could make the settlement intelligently. He had told his more intimate friend that he had every dollar he owed Jones & Sasse, and that they would get every cent that was due them, but that he was in no condition then to comply with their request for a settlement, and after his death the contents of his pocket showed that he had the money on his person to meet his obligation, just as he had assured his friends he had. Nothing could be more illustrative of the rugged honesty of the man than this fact, as it is known that for several days previous to his death he had borrowed money from his friends to meet his own personal expenses.

Chris Digel was born in Germany, about 47 years ago, and when about 15 years ago, and when about 15 years of age he got the notion into his head that he was coming to America. His parents opposed the move, but he was so set on coming to this country that his parents rather than to have him run away finally gave him the money to pay his passage to America. On arriving in New York he made his way at once to Smethport, where he became a member of the family of his uncle, the late John Digel, where he remained until he was 21 years of age. At that time he located in Emporium, where he found employment in a livery stable. After a time spent in Emporium he returned to this county, where he was connected with livery stables in Port Allegany and Smethport for many years. He was an expert horseman and an invaluable man about a livery barn. He was both efficient and honest in all his dealings, and thoroughly trustworthy. During his residency in Port Allegany he married, but the union proved an unhappy one, and the couple had not lived together for several years. The last that was heard of Mrs. DIgel she was then in Buffalo. Up to four or five years ago his parent and several brothers and sisters were living in Germany, but whether any of the family are living today we have been unable to learn from any of his cousins, his nearest relatives in this country, who reside in this vicinity.

Chris Digel had a wide circle of acquaintances throughout this section of country, and everyone who knew the man liked him. The writer of this had known him during nearly thirty years of our residence in Smethport and had always found him to be an honorable, upright and likable man in every sense of the word. It was foreign to Chris Digel's nature to do a mean underhanded act. He may have had his faults. Who does not? But his good qualities outweighed any shortcomings that he may have had. The tidings that genial Chris Digel was no more was a shock to this entire community, and his coming and going will be greatly missed by all.

The funeral services, which were well attended, were held at the Baptist church Tuesday afternoon at 2 o'clock, Rev. O. Grey Hutchison officiating. Interment was made in Rose Hill cemetery.