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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883
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100 years ago in Spokane: Authorities solve mystery of dead man beneath Monroe Street bridge

Authorities had determined a man from Garfield who had recently escaped a facility in Medical Lake was the dead man beneath the Monroe Street bridge, but his manner of death hadn’t been completely cleared up as of March 16, 1920. (S-R archives)
Jim Kershner
Authorities had determined a man from Garfield who had recently escaped a facility in Medical Lake was the dead man beneath the Monroe Street bridge, but his manner of death hadn’t been completely cleared up as of March 16, 1920. (S-R archives)

The mystery of the body found beneath the Monroe Street bridge was solved – at least partially.

Authorities determined the dead man was Bryan Syron, of Garfield, Washington, who had “escaped from the State Custodial School at Medical Lake” a few days earlier.

Syron had been at the state school for many years because he “suffered from periodic mental disturbances which made him violent when angry.” School authorities had searched for him but could find no trace.

His stepmother viewed the body at a funeral parlor and stated she was “practically sure” it was her stepson. His father was on the way from Garfield to confirm the identification.

Also, an inquest seemed to rule out murder, finding the death was caused by a fall.

However, the nature of that fall was still uncertain. He might have fallen from the top of the riverbank and rolled down to the rocks, or he might have “fallen or jumped” from the bridge railing. His lack of broken bones might be accounted for by the possibility he struck some wires on the way down, breaking his fall.

From the court beat: Judge R.M. Webster dismissed an entire jury panel of 75 persons because of jury tampering.

Several potential jurors said they had been approached by representatives of the Forum, a radical labor publication in Spokane, who “endeavored to talk socialistic problems to them.”

The jury had been empaneled for a trial of two Wobblies, on charges of criminal syndicalism. Judge Webster said he did not feel the “visits to these jurors were innocent” and he called the effort “reprehensible.”