- A forgotten 1909 lakeside murder—and the hat that cracked the case.   A Grim Discovery at Congamond Lak e On the still morning of August 30, 1909, the peaceful surface of Congamond Lake in Southwick, Massachusetts, gave way to a dark secret—one that would unravel over the weeks to come. While going about his morning routine, a man named White, employed by the Berkshire Ice Company, spotted something disturbing—a man’s head and shoulders floating in the lake. Alarmed, he called over Maloney, an employee of the nearby Lake House , an old hotel on Congamond Lake known more for its bootleg liquor than its lodging, along with another bystander. Together, the men towed the body to shore. The deceased man appeared to be about 5 feet 10 inches tall and roughly 190 pounds. Though dressed in a dark brown suit, a mixed-fabric shirt, and size 7 shoes, his weathered appearance and empty pockets suggested he may have been a tramp. His body was still limp—he hadn’t been in the lake lon...