Anstus Prescott, Obituary/Death NoticePorter County obituaries and death notices . . . .
Anstus Prescott
INQUESTS, TWO A DAY.
A Dead Body Either Way From Town Along the Fort Wayne Railroad Saturday.
From the Daily Vidette.
Considerable excitement has been caused in this city over the discovery of two dead bodies, one found east and the other west of town, both on the P., F. W. & C. railroad -- one supposed to have died by accident and the other by suicide. On Friday evening, after passenger train No. 6, on the Fort Wayne raod had passed this station about 6 miles, an old lady stepped out of a car and attempted to pass into an adjoining one. A passenger who had noticed her go out asked the conductor is she was in the next car. Being answered in the negative, he told the conductor that she had just passed out and he feared had fallen off. The train was immediately searched but no trace of the missing woman could be found. Section men were then sent out and orders given to conductors of freight trains to search between Wanatah and Valparaiso. Still nothing was seen of the missing woman. The search was diligently kept up until about 8 o'clock Saturday morning when the section men from Wahatah discovered her body, with the neck and skull broken, floating in Crooked Creek about 5 miles east of this place. Just after recovering the remains freight train No. 79 came along and brought them to this station. With the body was found a cloth bag containing the lady's things. Among them was found a few lines written on the back of a torn envelope stating the woman's identity" "Anstus Prescott, from Davis City, Iowa, on her way to her nephew, Richard Cole, Salem, Columbiana Co., Ohio." Among her valuables were $27.68 in gold and silver; four notes of $100 each, signed by William and Hattie McCord, and an express receipt for a box of goods valued at $100, shipped to Richard Cole, Salem, Ohio. A coupon ticket, part of which had been torn off, but the remainder good from Chicago to Alliance, was also found. A family record showed the lady's age to be 81 years. He identity being completely established, the agent at salem was telegraphed to with instruction to find Richard Cole. He being found, instructions were given to the railroad officials here to have the body properly coffined and shipped to Salem. The coroner who had held an inquest over the remains gave a verdict in accordance with the above facts. The remains were turned over to Undertaker LePell who coffined and sent them off on No. 4 passenger Saturday night.
THE OTHER CASE
was discovered by William McRoberts, track-walker on P., F. W. & C. railroad on Saturday morning. Going over the track as usual, on coming to the crossing of the Grand Trunk and Fort Wayne railraod, he saw the body of man hanging to a tree a short distance from the track. He immediately notified Mr. Frank Eglin, to whom the field belonged, who came to town and notified the coroner. As soon as the report reached here a Vidette reporter went to the place, arrive before the coroner, and found the body of a man., a stranger, suspended to a limb of a tree hanging by the neck. A hickory shirt tied to a common hankerchief beng used as a rope, the hankerchief being used as a noose, which was tied in a regular hangman's style. The expression of the face indicated no violent death struggle. In front of the body just opposite the chest, were some twigs upon which the left hand was resting. Upon the hankershief, just back of the neck, was a blood stain, but no marks to show where it came from. Upon the arrival of the coroner the body was cut down and examined. Nothing was found on the body that would show its identity, not even the scratch of a pen. Twenty-three dollars in gold and bills were found. The man was apparently 28 years of age, 5 feet 8 inches high, weight 150 pounds, of fair complexion, and wore a light mustache. He dress was of the common sort, but such would not indicate it as belonging to a tramp. The only thing that may lead to the discovery of his identity is the fact that a person answering to his description stopped at the house of Mrs. McAuliffe about a mile and a half west of town, and in a conversation stated that he was from Bloom Station, Ills. At the coroner's inquest no other facts were discovered, and a verdict of suicide was rendered. The body was placed in charge of Undertaker Noel, and after remaining in his shop until 1 o'clock Sunday, was buried in the potter's field in the new cemetery.
Newspaper: Porter County Vidette
Date of Publication: December 13, 1883
Volume Number: 27
Issue Number: 50
Page: 2
Column(s): 3 and 4
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
The obituaries and death notices appearing on this website have been transcribed exactly as they were originally published in the newspaper.
Please note that we do not provide photocopies or digital scans of obituaries and death notices
appearing on this website.
Obituary/death notice transcribed by Steven R. Shook