grave import

Obituary

Body of Newton Blank Discovered in O’Connell Slough
Was Cook at Frank Ober’s Saloon on North Eight Street and had been missing since Monday.
Newton Blank, the son of the late George Blank, who died six years ago and cousin to Fire Chief LF Blanks, was found dead in O’Connell slough, yesterday afternoon. The remains were brought to Coroner Prugh’s morgue in this city.
The remains were discovered by Andy Brem, who was rowing in the slough yesterday afternoon about 3 o’clock, beyond the old rolling mill almost up at Tama slough. The body had lodged in some bushes, was lying in shallow water, and evidently had not been in the river long. Brem did not stay long to investigate, but tied it to the bushes firmly, so that it would not be washed away, and hurried back to this city. He notified Coroner Prugh and then went back to his home in the country. One of the men from Prugh’s office went to the slough in a skiff and kept watch over the body until the coroner arrived.
Coroner Prugh started soon afterward to go upriver in a gasoline launch belonging to Captain Baner. But the machinery did not work well for some reason, and the coroner’s party had some difficulty in starting.
Brem said all he noticed about the body particularly, was that it had on a white-collar among other wearing apparel. But he did not know whether it had any money on it or not. There was a rumor yesterday afternoon that the body was that of Robert Berry, the old man who disappeared the latter part of last week and said to have had $90,000 on him.
But when coroner Prugh returned last evening George Blank, of the Central fire station, was the first man called upon to examine the body at the morgue. He said immediately that it was the remains of his brother, Newton Blank. He left to break the sad news to his mother, Mrs. Katherine Blank, who is a widow, living at No. 1100 North Eighth Street.
Newton Blank worked as cook at Frank Ober’s “The Doctor” saloon at the corner of North and Eighth Streets. He went to work there as usual last Monday morning but complained of not feeling well. Accordingly, Ober told him he might as well go home, and Blank left in the forenoon. He had not been back to work since then. He was home at his mother’s at No. 1100 North Eighth street Tuesday night and left yesterday morning at 10 o’clock. He was complaining then of not feeling well. He was twenty-seven years old, having been born in this city on September 16, 1878, and had many friends in this city. He was one of eight brothers. His father George Blank, died six years ago. Newton is survived by his mother and by the following brothers and sisters: Elizabeth, George, Martin, Lillie, Otto, Katherine, and Andrew. Leo and Otto Blank live on a farm on Madison road, while the others reside in this city. Three half-brothers, Joseph, Fred, and Charles Hook, also survive him.
The funeral will be held Sunday afternoon, April 2, from the family residence on North Eighth Street at 2 o’clock.