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- The Charleston Gazette, 22 June 1931
Shawver's Body Found In Kanawha; Probe Underway
Drowned Friday Night When Boat Capsizes; Coroner Says One Man Missing
No Explanation As To Failure to Make Report
The body of Walter F. "Mike" Shawver, 33, Charleston business man, was found floating on tha Kanawha river near Clendenln street yesterday morning while Paul Reynolds, about 32, supposed to have been one of Shawver's Companions on a fatal boat ride inst. Friday night was still missing, according to Dr. W. F. Work, coroner, who is conducting an investigation.
City police arrested a man whom Coroner Work described as "Cote" Cochran, local stagehand. "Cote" Cochran's name is Howard Cochran but the man docketed in police headquarters for investigation gave his name as "D. P. Cochran." Coroner Work said that John Cavin, also supposed to have been on the boat ride, is under arrest but police could not account for him last night. A fifth member of the boat party, Joseph Coburn, the coroner said is believed to have left Charleston and to be in Middleport, O.
According to Coroner Work's information, the party of five men rented a boat at Porter's ferry, Friday night, and proceeded out on the river. The boat capsized near the middle of the stream, according to the information, and the men were thrown into the water.
Started to Swim
Police are understood to have been told by one of the men under arrest that they saw Shawver start to swim to the shore and thought he succeeded. No other explanation has been given as to why they did not report the drowning before the discovery of the body was made by a ferryman at Ferry branch yesterday.
The ferryman immediately reported the body to the city police and Lieut. Dave Silverman with Sergeants Bias, Ramsey, and Wooster went to the scene. Silverman searched the clothing of the body before it was taken ashore and found keys, a handkerchief, and cigarettes.
The body was taken to Barlow's undertaking parlors where it was identified by relatives.
Coroner Work was called into the case and yesterday made an examination of the lungs of the man. He pronounced death due to drowning and stated that there were no marks on the head of the victim to indicate any violence.
Inquest Today
An inquest will be opened by Coroner Work at 12:30 o'clock today in the morgue, when be expects to question the available witnesses to the tragedy. The coroner said last night that the facts are very indefinite at the present time and that different stories bave been told by the supposed companions of Shawver.
Shawver who is well known locally was associated for several years in the tinning business of this father, W. F. Shawver. He was employed as bookkeeper. He lived at this father's home at 228 Bradford street and was not married. He was a graduate of Charleston high school and the Augusta Military academy.
Seventeen years ago, Guy Shawver, a brother of the victim was drowned in Elk river when he was seized by cramps while swimming.
Besides his father and mother, Shawver is survived by two sisters, Mrs. R. G. Monahan of Beaumont, Tex., and Mrs. Francis Rectenwald of Charleston; and three brothers, W. P., G. L. and John W. Shawver all of Charleston.
Stories Conflict
There were various stories in circulation last night as to the occupants of the boat. Brothers of the dead man, making an investigation of their own, claimed that Paul Reynolds, the missing man, was not in the same boat. They say that persons who saw the boat leave shore said there were only three occupants in the boat. Others said the five were in the party and that the boat was apparently too small for its load.
Cochran, the man held in Jail, is a well known local man-about-town. He was active in local baseball circles for several years and at one time, friends had hopes that he would reach the major leagues.
The Charleston Gazette, 23 June 1931 (partial article)
Body Found In River
No one had reported the drowning of Shawver until his body was found floating in the river Sunday morning. Shawver was associated with his father, W. F. Shawver, in the tinning business. Besides his parents, brothers, and sisters, he is survived by his widow, Mrs. Lenore R. Shawver, and a daughter, June Ann.
The funeral will be at three o'clock this afternoon with burial in Spring Hill cemetery. It will not be private, as previously announced.
The pallbearers will be J. A. Haid, C. E. Repass, J. L. Harris, V. K. Sevy, J. P. Spaniol and R. H. Jones.
The Charleston Daily Mail, 26 June 1931
SHAWYER'S DEATH HELD ACCIDENTAL
Companion, Returned to City to Testify, Says That He Remembered Nothing
Tho inquiry into the death of Walter F. "Mike" Shawver has closed with a verdict of accidental drowning. The verdict was returned late Wednesday by a coroner's jury which began its investigation Monday.
Shawver died as the result of a drunken boat party, it was testified at the inquest, but the exact manner in which he fell Into the Kanawha river near Court street was not determined. One of his three companions remembered none of the details of the tragedy.
George Coburn, the missing companion, was returned from Gallipolis, O., by Deputy Sheriff Mont Melton to testify before the jurors.
"I don't remember getting with him," Coburn said, referring to Shawver. "I remember seeing him when I was out in Fry's alley, drinking. I don't even remember leaving the alley. The next thing I remember was when I was on the river bank and my clothes were all wet."
Howard "Cote" Cochran, who was held under bond as a witness, and John Gavin, who is serving a short sentence in the county jail for liquor possession, were the other two members of the boating party. Each testified in substance as he had before. Cochran said that the boat had upset when he, Shawver and Coburn wore in it, and that Shawver began swimming toward the shore. He said that he held Coburn to the capsided boat until help arrived. Cavin testified that ho had gotten out of the boat at Goshorn street just before the upset.
The night of the tragedy was set by Gavin as Thursday, although it had been believed that it was last Friday.
"I was arrested just after I left the fellows and on the nineteenth I was sentenced to the county jail. That was on Friday, so the accident had to be Thursday night," Cavin said.
Shawver's body was found in the river near Clendenin street Sunday morning. Gavin also varied some minor details of his testimony. He had been thinking them over since he had been in jail, he said, and they agreed entirely with those related by Cochran.
Present at the inquest were Shawver's father and his brother, John, and Dale G. Casto, prosecutor's investigator.
Coburn had been staying at the home of a sister In Ohio, he told the jury, and did not know of Shawver's death until the deputy told him.
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1896 - 1931 (34 years)
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