grave import

Obituary

Beck, Vincent - Moved 10/22/1908 from Blk 177, Lot 5, Gr 1

A mysterious drowning occurred yesterday morning. Was it suicide? Was it accident? Was it a case of mental derangement or the result of strong drink? We can only surmise as to this and draw our own conclusions from a very meager string of evidence furnished. The exact truth will probably never be known unless someone yet turns up o was an eye witness to the affair- and this hardly seems probable.
Vincent Beck, of Vin Ostertag & Beck, the well-known firm of barbers who have been keeping their shop in the Odd Fellow’s building, came to his death, according to the verdict of the coroner’s jury “by drowning in Flint Creek, near the BCR&N railroad bridge, presumably the result of an accident, there being no evidence to the contrary.” He had been missing from his home on the corner of Gunnison and Market streets since Thursday evening and had not put in an appearance at his place of business during the whole of Friday. Where was he and what was he doing from Thursday evening until Saturday morning when it was discovered that he was dead? Complete evidence has not been supplied yet to answer the question. According to the testimony of J. Sullivan, foreman of the rolling mills, before the coroner’s jury, he was seen about the rolling mill plant a good portion of Friday afternoon without any apparent good reason for being there, further than that of watching the men work in the iron, which would hardly seem a sufficient inducement to keep a man away from his business a full day. Mr. Sullivan testified to having had some conversation with Beck at the time and says he noticed that he didn’t seem to talk right – his conversation was disconnected and rambling and gave evidence of the man being either out of balance mentally, or his mind distracted with other thoughts foreign to the subject then at hand. Later in the afternoon, certain parties claim to have seen him sitting on the bank of Flint Creek, beside the trestle railroad bridge a little way south of the rolling mills, dangling his feet in the water. This was very near the point where his dead body was recovered from the water some twelve hours later, but that he did not remain here through the night is certain. A Hawk-Eye reporter found evidence, to be mentioned later, to show beyond a doubt that he returned to the city, after being seen on the bridge, and then early in the morning must have gone back, plunged into the water and lost his life, either intentionally or accidentally. At any rate at about five o’clock in the morning a workman walking along the BCR&Nrailraod track found a coat, hat, and vest lying at the north end of the bridge mentioned; he picked them up, carried them to the Rolling Mills with him, and telephoned to the police headquarters about them. Night Sergeant Balzer and officer Fennimore went out to the mills and brought the clothes back to the station; here they found Mr. Ostertag, Beck’s partner, and brother0in-law, who becoming alarmed at the latter’s prolonged absence, had set out in search of him. He immediately identified the clothes and in company with Chief Murphy and Mr. Bouvia, the boatman took a rig and went up to the spot where the clothes were found; a boat was secured and a search instituted in the water. The search was a short one, the body being found partly protruding above the surface of the water about forty feet upstream, having been carried up b the backwater from the river. The pants, shirt, and shoes had not been taken off. It was thought that the water here was about ten feet deep. An engine, that was switching about the rolling mills, and a boxcar were secured and the body brought back to the city this way.
It was taken to the coroner’s office and an inquest held there at half-past two in the afternoon. The jury consisted of SJ Martin, JT Kaster, and JJ Fillivan. The evidence furnished indicating suicide was only of a probable nature, not justifying a verdict to that effect, the deceased having left no message of any kind. So far as was learned, and there was nothing contained in the pockets of the clothes to furnish a clue further than an empty liquor bottle. But the friends and relatives of the dead man state that for the past two years he had not been drinking to excess, having made a considerable change in this regard over his former habits. Some aver that it is a case of suicide, brought on by discouraging family troubles, and domestic infelicities. His wife is said to have been the victim of a chronic trouble for the treatment of which he sent her to St. Louis some time ago and later to Europe. His only son has also not been in the most robust health, being troubled considerably by bad eyes.
Further conditions of an alleged unhappy existence are matters of private family history, outside the legitimate realm of the newsgatherer.
Policeman Frank Hirt said last night to the Hawk-Eye reporter that he saw Beck at about midnight Friday going west on Valley street near Third. Again he saw him going south on Third, between Valley and Jefferson, at 4:15 in the morning with his clothes partially unbuttoned. He was positive of the hour because he was coming, from waking a man up at Sunderland’s livery stable, and was positive the man was Beck, for he has known him for years, saluted him, called him by name and Beck answered. Would be willing to take his oath as to the certainty of this. This being so, Beck must have turned about very soon after and gone back up the railroad track to the creek and gone into the water, for it was only an hour later that his clothes were being examined by the workmen at the rolling mill. This looks very much like carrying out a premeditated plan. After leaving the bridge in the evening, had he come back to the city and wandered about the streets debating the question in his mind and finally come to a conclusion, which he determinedly and hurriedly carried out? Hirt says that at neither time he saw him was there any outward indication of his being under the influence of li our; he worked steadily, and when saluted, responded in a ready and firm voice. Beck’s son says that he complained to him a great deal Thursday of a severe headache.
Beck was about fifty-three years old, born in Germany, and had lived in America and Burlington for about thirty years. He was an industrious man, a highly respected citizen, and very widely connected in this city.
He leaves a wife, a daughter about seventeen years old, and a son near the same age. He is said to have been insured in the Bankers’ Life Insurance company for $2000 and it is thought for $3000 in the New York Mutual.
The funeral will be held from the house at half-past two o’clock this afternoon: the barbers and it is understood, the Druids will attend in a body.