J. M. Howard, Obituary/Death NoticePorter County obituaries and death notices . . . .
J. M. Howard
MYSTERIOUS DEATH.
J. M. Howard, an Attorney of Valparaiso, found Dead by the Police in a Chicago Lumber yard.
Supposed to Have Been Murdered.
Early Sunday morning, the police of Chicago found J. M. Howard, of Valparaiso in a Doyle's lumber year at the foot of Mary-st., near Jack-knife Slip, in a dying condition. His skull was crushed in from back of the ear to the middle of the skull. He was removed to hospital and died in the afternoon, without speaking a word or regaining consciousness. Monday a coroner's jury, was picked up at the Hospital, and after a very little evidence was heard or offered, they unanimously decided that the deceased was "an unknown man who came to his death from unknown causes." There the matter rested until Tuesday. The detectives began work on the case, and searching the clothes of the dead man, found two railroad passes, one on the Chicago & Atlantic, and one on the New York, Chicago & St. Louis, made out in the name of J. M. Howard. The pass from the Chicago & Atlantic read: "Pass J. M. Howard, Esq., local attorney, Porter County, Indiana, until Dec. 31, 1887, unless otherwise ordered. Dispatches were then sent to Valparaiso to learn when Mr. Howard left there, and in the meantime detectives scoured the neighborhood of Halsted street and Archer Ave. to learn, if possible, whether the man had been seen in any of the saloons on Saturday evening. In one his pockets was found a transfer ticket from the west side street car company.
It is thought from this that Mr. Howard got off at Halsted street, and instead of taking a car, walked down Archer Ave. When near Mary street, the police argue, that he was probably met by a gang of hoodlums who, seeing he was under the influence of liquor, as it was plainly seen he was before his death, assaulted him for the purpose of robbery. On the other hand it is possible that he fell and struck his head on the rails or a sharp rock.
John Howard, a brother of the dead man, arrived in Chicago Tuesday evening, and identified the remains, and the next morning took them to Logansport for burial. Howard left Valparaiso Saturday morning, bound for Chicago, his business being to settle a pension claim and draw the money. In an interview with a Chicago reporter, W. W. Garner, of Knox, Ind., who knows Mr. Howard intimately, said, "His skull was crushed in from back of his ear to the middle of the skull. Physicians at the hospital say they rarely see such a bad fracture of the skull. It could not possibly have resulted from a fall, but must have been caused by a heavy blow. There was plenty of inducement for the murder, too. Not that Howard had much money with him, for I don't think he had but a few dollars, but he had come to Chicago to settle a pension claim and draw the money. If he had been drinking in any of the low saloons in that vicinity it is highly probable he hinted at the object of his visit to Chicago and some tough concluded he had considerable money and murdered him for it."
Mr. Howard's wife died two years ago. Since that time he has drank heavily at times. He leaves two boys, on an invalid 19 years of age. Howard was originally from Judson, Ind., and until he took to drink, had a large practice. The people of Valparaiso do not know what to think of the matter.
Newspaper: The Tribune
Date of Publication: May 19, 1887
Volume Number: 4
Issue Number: 7
Page: 1
Column(s): 6
Key to Newspaper Publication Locations:
Newspapers Published in Chesterton, Porter County, Indiana
Chesterton Tribune
The Tribune
Westchester Tribune
Newspapers Published in Valparaiso, Porter County, Indiana
Porter County Vidette
Practical Observer
Valparaiso Practical Observer
Vidette and Republic
Western Ranger
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Obituary/death notice transcribed by Steven R. Shook