NOTE: The death certificate gives December 24, 1908, as Mr. Payne's date of death because it was the last known time he was seen alive. His body was pulled from the Sacramento River on April 14, 1910. Because of the uncertainty, the tombstone bears as the death date the date his body was recovered instead of the day he disappeared, the date on the death certificate. Since Findagrave guidelines suggest making the memorial consistent with the tombstone in cases where the death date is in dispute, I am changing the death date on this memorial from December 24, 1908 to April 14, 1910 - the date of his body's recovery, consistent with his tombstone. ~ Kim S. # 47282214

You can follow the saga via the news reports:

PAYNE STILL MISSING

So far as The Reporter has been able to ascertain there is no news of the whereabouts of W. H. Payne, who has been missing from his home since the day before Christmas. He was last seen at Elmira on that day, where he was accompanied by two rough-looking men. The whole party bought tickets to Sacramento. It is feared by his friends that some accident has befallen him or he has been made away with.


The San Francisco Call
Friday, April 15th, 1910

TWO BODIES CAST UP BY THE RIVER
(Special Dispatch To The Call)

Sacramento, April 14th

The badly decomposed remains of a man believed to be W. H. Payne of Vacaville were found in the Sacramento river tonight. A slip of paper with Payne's same name written on it was found in the clothing.

Payne was a prominent Vacaville resident and has been missing for about a year.

The body of another unknown man was found in the river at the same point where Payne's body was recovered a few hours later.
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The Reporter
April 15, 1910

THOUGHT BODY OF W. H. PAYNE HAS BEEN RECOVERED FROM SACRAMENTO RIVER

A telephone message was received yesterday afternoon by J.M. Arnold from W. H. Gormely, coroner of Sacramento county, giving the information that a body had been taken from the river in the vicinity that was in all probability, that of the missing W. H. Payne of Vacaville.

The Sacramento official stated that in one of the pockets of the clothing was found a deposit slip of the Bank of Vacaville in the name of W. H. Payne and on the lapel of the coat was an Elk's pin. The description of the body given by the Sacramento coroner answers very closely to that of Mr. Payne and very little doubt exists but that it is the missing man.

Mr. Arnold and a member of the Payne household left for Sacramento this morning.

Mr. Payne who was a prominent fruit grower of this valley disappeared the day before Christmas 1908, and nothing has since been heard of him
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The Reporter
April 22, 1910

RIVER GIVES UP ITS DEAD

It was stated in The Reporter of last week that word had just been received from the coroner of Sacramento that a body had been taken from the river near the foot of T street which was believed to be that of W. H. Payne, who had disappeared from his home near Vacaville the day before Christmas, 1908. J. M. Arnold and a member of the Payne household went up to Sacramento on the following morning and completed the identification beyond doubt.

The inquest was held Friday evening, and a verdict rendered that death was caused "presumably by drowning in the Sacramento river, whether accidental or otherwise is unknown to the jury."

The body was brought to Dixon Sunday morning, where the funeral was held at 10 a. m. under the auspices off Vallejo lodge, B.P.O. E., of which he was a member. He was also an Odd Fellow, and a large delegation of members from that order was likewise in attendance. The interment was in Dixon cemetery.

Deceased was a native of Missouri, aged 58 years, and had resided in this vicinity for about twenty-five years. In 1902 he was elected supervisor and represented this district for four years, He leaves a widow.