Exposure: Death in the Longyard

On the afternoon of November 14, 1911, a grim discovery was made in the Longyard section of Southwick, Massachusetts. A farmer found a man’s body lying on sloping ground near an old cart road, about a quarter mile from Fletcher’s Mill.

The man was positioned with his head pointed downhill, his face and one hand covered in blood. Scratches marked his arms, ankles, and shins. At his feet lay a coat bearing the label of Haynes & Co. of Springfield. He wore an outing shirt, Shirley President suspenders, and size six shoes.

Fletcher's Gristmill in Southwick was renowned nationwide for its high-quality “Old Mill Brand."

An Envelope, Bottles, and Other Finds

Scattered belongings surrounded the scene, and the grass was trampled. About thirty feet away, searchers found a pouch of tobacco and a pipe. Forty feet away lay a couple of matches and an empty bottle. Several hundred feet farther, in a plowed field, investigators discovered a black derby hat—made by Chamberlin & Shaughnessy of Hartford, Connecticut—and a broken whisky bottle. Tracks in the field showed that the man had walked from there toward the cart road.

In the man’s pockets were 96 cents, a bloodied handkerchief, and the piece of an envelope addressed to Andrew Jamellier, a local constable.

The body was removed to the undertaking rooms of the Lambson Furniture Company in neighboring Westfield, Massachusetts. The following day, November 15, it was identified as James J. Waters of West Suffield, Connecticut. The identification was made by Constable Andrew M. Jamellier, who had arrested Waters about a month earlier.

Authorities described Waters as about 35 years old, five feet five inches tall, 140 pounds, with sandy hair and a dark brown mustache. They believed he had wandered into the area in an intoxicated state and collapsed, likely on the night of November 12. Cold and rainy weather that evening likely contributed to his death from exposure.

Haynes & Co. of Springfield was well-known for its high-quality men’s tailored suits.

Before the Longyard

James Waters’ life in the weeks leading up to his death was marked by trouble. He had been employed as a farm laborer in West Suffield. On October 4, 1911, he appeared in Westfield District Court, where he was found guilty of drunkenness and fined $6. Unable to pay, he explained to the judge that his employer owed him $65 in wages. His companion, Joseph Mullen, arrested alongside him, managed to pay his own fine. Mullen was supposed to collect Waters’ wages to cover the penalty, but he never returned. As a result, Waters was sent to the House of Corrections to serve his sentence.

Records suggest Waters was released on October 25, but where he went afterward remains uncertain.

E.A. Root of East Granby, Connecticut, confirmed that Waters had worked for him and was owed $65 in wages. He told investigators he last saw Waters on Sunday morning before his disappearance. Prior to that, Waters had worked for Peter Burns in West Suffield for about a year, leaving that position about a month before his death. Root traveled to Westfield to view the body.

A Sister’s Letter 

Initially, authorities were unable to locate any of Waters’ relatives, and his burial in an unmarked grave was scheduled for November 20. Plans changed, however, when Westfield Police Chief William A. Flouton received a letter from Waters’ younger sister, Bertha, in Boston. Having learned of her brother’s death, she set out across the Baystate to claim his body.

On November 21, Bertha made arrangements through a Springfield undertaker to handle her brother’s funeral. James Waters was laid to rest in Saint Michael’s Cemetery in Springfield the following day, November 22, 1911.

Reunited Too Soon

Tragically, Bertha fell ill and died less than a year later, on March 20, 1912. She was laid to rest beside her brother, reuniting them in death.

In Death, Remembered

James Waters was born in Ireland. His death certificate listed his cause of death as “alcoholism (exposure).” Even though there was suspicion surrounding the trampled grass, authorities found no evidence of foul play.

His sad story is one of alcoholism and loneliness—yet, in the end, he was not forgotten. His sister ensured he did not lie in an unmarked grave, and in death, she was reunited with him.

 

 

 

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Edited Out/Author’s Additional Research Notes

Some sources incorrectly say his body was found on November 13, 1911. 

Fletcher's Old Mill in Southwick was extremely well-known throughout the country for its quality "Old Mill Brand" products. 

The envelope appears to have had the constable’s name spelled incorrectly as “Jamallier.”

Some reports say the pipe and tobacco were found in his pocket along with a cheap pocket knife. 

One of James’s former employers spoke highly of his work ethic - when he worked, usually only because he needed money for liquor.

James may have been in trouble with the law. A handful of arrests appear to be connected to him - most are vagrancy and drunkenness.

Folks in Southwick and Suffield said that Waters was a tramp. (His clothes suggested otherwise.)

Some sources incorrectly state that Bertha had put James’ body on a train to Boston. The confusion may be due that it is believed that Bertha arrived and left Springfield by train. 

Bertha was only 22 or 23 when she died.

Haynes & Co. was a large clothing store primarily known for its men’s fine tailored suits and overcoats.

 
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