June 11, 1913  Frederick Daily News CROWE, Bessie MYSTERY IN GIRL'S DEATH Body Found In Her Home With Gunshot Wound In Head Cumberland, Md., June 11 - The authorities are baffled by the mysterious death of Bessie Crowe, sixteen years old, daughter of Silas Crowe, a well-to-do farmer residing in Garrett county, five miles from Lonaconing, this county. The girl died from the effects of a gunshot wound in her head just back of her left ear, tearing the back of her head off.  The jury failed to find any burns or powder marks and had been unable to reach a decision. The elder members of the family were away from home and found the lifeless body upon their return home Monday. June 11, 1913, Frederick Daily News CROWE, Bessie GIRL'S DEATH BAFFLES THEM Authorities Do Not Believe Bessie Crowe Shot Herself Cumberland, Md. June 10.-The authorities are baffled by the mysterious death of Bessie Crowe 16 year-old daughter of Silas Crowe, a Garrett county farmer living five miles from Lonaconing. They refuse to accept the statement of a brother, several years older, and a younger sister, who testified before the coroner's  jury impaneled by Justice of the Peace Brown that they were on the outside of the house and upon hearing a shot ran in to find their sister with a gun in her hand lying dead on the floor. The girl died yesterday from the effects of a gunshot wound in her head just back of her left ear.  The jury failed to find any burns or powder marks and was unable to reach a decision.  The elder members of the family were away from home and found the lifeless body upon their return. The Baltimore Sun, 11 Jun 1913 (Courtesy of Theresa Burba) MYSTERIOUS SHOOTING (Lonaconing, MD)  "The home of Silas Crowe, at a lonely spot on Savage Mountain, about five miles from here, was the scene of a mysterious shooting that is baffling the efforts of the coroner's jury endeavoring to place the blame for the death of Mr Crowe's daughter, Bessie, aged 16 years. Tuesday afternoon about three o'clock the elder members of the Crowe family went away from home to return when summoned by neighbors and find the lifeless body of the child who has come to her death from the effects of a gunshot wound in the back of the head. The charge had entered just back of her left ear, tearing the back of her head off. There was no eye witnesses in the shooting, and the story told by a brother and a sister of the dead girl is doubted by the jury on the case. The brother, which is several years older than the dead girl, and a sister, several years younger, state that they were on the outside of the house and upon hearing a shot ran to find their sister with the gun in her hand lying on the floor. This story was at once disqualified by the jury impaneled the Justice of the Peace, George Brown, acting coroner, where they had examined the body of the dead girl and failed to find any burns or powder marks. At a late hour Wednesday no solution of the mystery had been reached. The brother and sister are both being held as witnesses."     June 13, 1913 -  Keyser Tribune Follow-Up Bureau of the Evening Times J. J. Robinson and Isaac Love. Lonaconing, Md., June 24. Mrs. Silas Crowe and several members of her family, living on Savage Mountain, in Garrett county, were in Lonaconing yesterday. Several weeks ago a daughter of the family, Bessie, aged 16, was found with the back of her head blown off by a shotgun during the absence of the parents. An Evening Times correspondent talked with them in an effort to adduce some new facts concerning the shooting of the girl. Robert, the older of the two brothers, was shy and extremely reticent when the death of his sister was referred to. He declared he knew nothing of the shooting except what he had told again, and again, at the time of the investigation, and he would not even discuss his previous statements. Mrs. Crowe, the mother, was a trifle more communicative, although she stuck to the opinion that the girl committed suicide. She explained that Bessie had been suffering from a "gathering" in the head, and that for several months prior to the shooting she had been incorrigible, refusing to obey her mother and breaking away from all parental restraint. This is now believed to have been an indication of an impaired mind, which finally led up to her taking her own life. The mother stated yesterday that Bessie had been in the habit of handling the shotgun and would place two chairs together and then raise the gun between the chairs. Mrs, Crowe says she believes that Bessie was repeating the "performance" when the trigger caught in the chair and discharged the gun. Mrs. Crowe and her sons left on the 2:15 P. M. electric car for Shaft to call on relatives. Tuesday, 24 June 1913, Cumberland Evening Times

(Cumberland) Evening Times November 7, 1908   SUICIDE AT FROSTBURG SYLVESTER PORTER CROWE KILLED HIMSELF TODAY AT NOON PULLED TRIGGER WITH TOE - LOAD FROM SHOT GUN ENTERED HIS BREAST, KILLING HIM INSTANTLY - OUT OF WORK, BECAME DESPONDENT, THE CAUSE FOR DEED Frostburg, Md. Nov. 7 -- Sylvester Porter Crowe, a young miner residing on Mechanic street, today at noon went to a wood shed at the rear of his home and shot himself in the breast with a shot gun, dying almost instantly. The unfortunate man was about 40 years of age and besides two brothers, George and John, of this place, leaves a wife and a large family of young children. Mr. Crowe was a man of splendid reputation, prominent in Republican circles in the county and of an industrious nature.  Domestic troubles is supposed to be the cause for his rash act. His self destruction was evidently premeditated.  He has been out of employment for about a month and being very despondent, today at noon, as stated, he repaired to the wood shed on his premises, and taking off his right shoe, evidently pulled the trigger of the shot gun with his toe with the result above. Crowe, it will be remembered, in company with Afred Schofield, another citizen captured the man Campbell, a couple of months ago, who was trying to shoot up the town.     MURDER & MAYHEM for article about the shooting. Upon being advised of the death of Mr. Crowe, Coroner George Martz went to the scene of the tragedy and after making a thorough investigation deemed an inquest unnecessary, as every evidence showed that Mr. Crowe's death had been a clear case of suicide." "TRAGEDY CAUSES GLOOM IN THE CITY Frostburg Laments Death of Sylester[sic] P. Crowe. A MOST PATHETIC STORY Bureau of the Evening Times, Frostburg, MD., Nov. 9. As stated in the Times of Saturday, this town received a terrible shock when it was learned that Sylvester P. Crow, aged 42, living on North Mechanic street, a very prominent citizen, had taken his own life by placing the muzzle of a shotgun against his body, pulling the trigger with his toe and causing his death, about 11:30 Saturday morning.  Mr. Crow[sic] took the gun and started down his back yard to a woodshed in the rear of his home.  He was accompanied by his little daughter.  When about halfway down the lot he placed his hand in his pocket and handed his little girl forty cents, telling her to give it to her mother, and tell her "goodbye" for him.  The little one had hardly reached the house when a discharge was heard.  Several members of the family rused to the spot and found the unfortunate man lying upon the ground, with a ghastly wound in his breast.  The charge of shot had penetrated his body near the heart.  Death was almost instantaneous.  Dr. Wm. O. McLane, who lives just a short distance away, was at once summoned, but could do nothing.  The victim of his own hand gave one long gasp and was dead. Mr. Crow[sic] was a man highly repected by the people of the town and was loked upon as one of the most industrious men in the community. A STAUNCH FRIEND OF PEARRE He was a man of irreproachable character and was always prominently identified with Republican politics of the town, having been a staunch supporter of Hon. Geo. A. Rearre in all his campaigns. The report has been circulated that Mr. Crow[sic] had for some time been drinking very heavily.  In justice to his family and his splendid reputation for sobriety, it should be said that this is not true., and is positively denied.  Those who knew him intimately testify that he was not addicted to the use of drink to any great extent and had not touched it for some time. His untimely death was due to domestic troubles, which it is thought so preyed upon his mind that in a fit of despondencey he committed the rash act. FATHER OF 15 CHILDREN Mr. Crow[sic] was married 17 years ago to Miss Blance McNulty, of Mt. Savage, and during their married life they had 15 children, sic of these having died and nine are still living, the eldest, a girl, being about 15 years of age.  Mr. Crow[sic] was born at Borden Mines on Dec. 1, 1866, and has lived in this locality all his life.  He is survived by his wife and nine little children and two brothers, Mr. J. S. Crow[sic], manager of F. C. Beall's hardware store, and Mr. Geo. W. Crow[sic], an employee of the Black, Sheridan, Wilson Co., at Union Mines No. 1. BELONGED TO SEVERAL ORDERS He was a charter member of Mountain City Council, No. 11, Junior Order United American Mechanics, and a member of the Royal Arcanum, of this place, in which he carries $1,000 of insurance. FUNERAL TODAY The funeral will take place today from his late home on Mechanic street and will be in charge of the Jr. O. U. A. M., Council No. 11.  Interment will be made in the old Porter graveyard, near Eckhart Mines.  Rev. A. H. Thompson, of the First M. E. Church will officiate at the funeral.  A continuous stream of people from town and other places in the county have been coming and going ever since yesterday morning, expressing their synpathy and testifying by their presence that deceased was a man highly esteemed all over the county, and not for years has there been suh a gloom cast over this community as that caused by the untimely death of Mr. Crow[sic]." "FUNERAL OF MR. S. CROWE Bureau of the Evening Times - Frostburg, MD., Nov. 10 One of the largest funerals ever seen here was that of Mr. Sylvester P. Crowe, the unfortunate man who took his own life on Saturday, of which a full account was given in this paper on Monday evening. During yesterday afternoon hundreds of people visited the home of the family and viewed the remains of Mr. Crowe and by 3 o'clock, the time set for the funeral, there was at least six to seven hundred people in and around the home and acattered along Mechanic street. The funeral was in charge of the Jr. O. U. A. M., Council No. 11, and 275 of its members turned out to pay their last respects to the deceased brother.  The funeral left the home at 4 p.m., with the 275 members of the order in the lead, followed by the officers, flower bearers and pallbearers in carriages.  The members of the order marched as far as Eckhart flat, when they opened ranks, and with uncovered heards allowed the funeral to pass through, only the officers going to the cemetery.  The order, after the funeral had passed, countermarched to the hall in the Fisher building, on Main street.  The funeral proceeded to the old Porter graveyard, about two miles north of Eckhart, where interment was made.  Rev. A. H. Thompson, pastor of the First M. E. Church, read the burial service, and this was followed by the ritualistic funeral ceremony of the Jr. O. U. A. M. The floral offerings were many and very beautiful, especially one sent by the Hon. Geo. A. Pearre, with a card upon which the following inscription: "With the affectionate regard of an old and warm friend, to one of his most faithfull and loyal friends and followers." The pallbearers were W. G. Stevens, Jno. Eisel and Wm. Eisel, of Council No. 11 Jr. O. U. A. M., and Henry Hartig, Wm. Cronin and L R. Evans, of the Royal Areanum.  Mr. Crowe having been a member of both of these organizations.  The flower-bearers were: H. M. Skidmore, Thos. H. Morgan, Earl Sterry, Jno. W. Timmons, Elmer H. Lewis, Jno. Bean, Albert Capel and Wm. H. Hanna."

John Hodel HODEL, John Saturday afternoon Jacob Shultz, a young laborer, who was climbing a path on the east side of the Narrows, a mountain gorge, a mile north of Cumberland, came upon the bleached bones of a man covered with a few remnants of clothing and concealed in a crevice among the immense boulders that are piled up at the base of the cliff.  The coroner investigated the case very thoroughly, and no doubt exists that the reamins were those of John Hodel, who disappeard from Cumberland on March 21 1882, and who in moods of despondency, brought on by chronic nervous dyspepsia, was in the habit of wandering off to the mountains. Two empty bottles without labels lying near give color to the supposition that suicide was committed, as Hodel had several times tried to kill himself with overdoses of chloral. Hagerstown Herald & Torch Light Mar 28 1889 John Hodel Left His Bones on the Hillside Cumberland, Md., March 25. - Jacob Schultz, who was climbing Bear Mountain, a mile north of here, Saturday, came upon the bleached bones of a man covered with a few remnants of clothing, concealed in a crevice among the boulders.  The coroner investigated the case yesterday and no doubt exists that the remains are thos of John Hodel, who disappeared from this city on March 21 1882.  Mrs. Hodel, who still resides here, has no doubt that the skeleton is that of her husband.  She identifies the clothing as his.  Two empty unlabeled bottles lying near the skeleton give color to the supposition that Hodel committed suicide. Hodel was the inventor of a wonderul clock something siilar to the Strasboug clock and traveled around the country exhibiting it.  Cumberland Evening Times March 25 1889

Charles Humbertso LONACONING Bureau, Evening Times Lonaconing, August 25 [1905] Mr. Chas. Humbertson was killed by engine No. 19 about 1:30 am yesteday on the C & P Railroad, near Pink  Row.  Acting Coroner C. S. Murphy summoned a jury of inquest, composed of the following gentlemen: Wm. B. Bradley, foreman; Lloyd Durst, Jas. B. McAlpine, Andrew Spier, Peter McFArland, Daniel J. Murphy, Patrick Mansfield,, John Heron, Wm. Relber, Wm. Travis, Jno. Smith, D. R. Sloan.  The jury viewed the remains and adjourned to meet in C. S. Murphy's office at 7 o'clock to hear the testimony of witnesses. Mr. Wm. Whitefield and J. N. Howard testified that they passed the point where the man was killed a short time after 1 o'clock a.m. and did not know that anything had happened until they reached the Georges Creek mine where they were informed that their engine had killed a man at Pink Row. Dr. J. O. Bullock examined the remains and found [the] body cut in two just above the hip bones.  Found no bruises, except a slight wound on the right arm and one on the scalp, neither of which would have caused death.  The doctor's testimony clears away any suspicion that Mr. Humbertson was dealt with in a foul way, and the body placed on the track to hide the crime. Mr. David Creighton testified that he was with Mr. Humbertson from 7 p.m. until 12:30 a. m. and separated from him at Love's corner, and that while Mr. Humbertson had several drinks of beer while in his company, he was in a condition to take care of himself; that he had no quarrel with any one; that he had no enemies, so far as he knew, who would molest or waylay him. Lawson Creighton testified in a similar way, and corroborated the testimony of the former witness. John Rankin testified that he was with Mr. Humbertson from 8 p.m. to about 12:30 a.m. and separated from him at Central School, when Mr. Humbertson crossed the bridge at that point, on his way home; that Mr. Humbertson was able to take care of himself; that they parted in friendship and that no enemity[sic] existed against Mr. Humbertson, so far as he knew.   Jno. Rankin corroborated the testimony of his brother. Bailiff Thos. Allerdice was talking to the deceased on Main street about 2:30 a.m. and advised him to go home; but he was not drunk, but was able to take care of himself. D. A. Edward, agent for the C. & P. testified that the night operator reported the train that killed Mr. Humbertson as extra east No. 19, at Lonaconing at 1:24 a.m. The verdict of the jury was that Mr. Humbertson came to his death by engine No. 19, of the C. & P. R. R., at Pink Row crossing, and that it was an unavoidable accident, and exonerated the company from all blame.

FOUND AT LAST The Entombed Body of John Kier, Jr., Recovered After Two Weeks' Search. It was stated in yesterday's Times that the body of John Kier, Jr., who was entombed in the Bowery mine on April the 7th by a cave-in, was found on yesterday morning at 4:30 o'clock.  The search has been kept up continuouisly since the accident, not less than twelve thousand tons of earth and rock being removed to uncover the body. The body was first discovered by Wm. Crowe, who, with the other force, were working under the supervision of Mr. Robert Scott, mine boss.  As soon as the remains were brought to light the proper authorities were notified, and in a short time a jury was summoned by Constable E. E. Drew, composed of the following gentlemen: Charles Walker, foreman,; B. T. Schofield, Jos. Bear, Theo. Bath, Wm. Hill, W. S. Darr and Hugh Dunken.  The jury soon assembled at the mine, and after viewing the remains adjourned to meet at the office of Justice Parker, in Frostburg, at 5 o'clock in the evening. After examining all the witnesses and taking the testimony the following verdict was returned: "We, the jury, find that the said John Kier, Jr., came to his death from a fall of roof coal in the Bowery mine, on Saturday, April 7th, and from the evidence taken, the accident was unavoidable." The funeral (as stated yesterday) took place a 2 o'clock, Rev. Britt officiating.  Interment was in Allegany cemetery, Frostburg.  The corpse was followed to the grave by the largest number of sorrowing friends that has ever attended a funeral in that place.  The Knights of Pythias and Independent Order of Odd Fellows, of which Mr. Kier was a member, attended. A peculiar feature of the accident by which Kier lost his life is the fact that he had a dream the night before telling his death, even to the smallest details, and which he related to his wife.  As a consequence, he at first decided not to go to work that day, but changed his mind to accommodate his younger brother, who worked with him and needed his assistance. The deceased leaves a wife and three children and was 33 years of age.  He was born in Newmiles, Ayershire, Scotland, March 20, 1861, and came to America in 1870. April 20, 1894 (Cumberland) Evening Times

Connellsville Daily Courier May 14, 1912   KOELKER, William SCOUT THEORY OF SUICIDE. Brothers of Man Found Here With Throat Cut Start Investigation. Cumberland. Md , May 16. — Henry J.Koelker, money order clerk in the Cumberland postoffice, and Edward Koelker, of Connellsvllle, Pa., have started an investigation into the death of their brother,William Koelker, of Westernport this county. In Washington, D. C., late last month the theory that he met his death at his own hands is scouted by the brothers. Koelker was found with his throat cut in a Washington hotel. The gash was on the right side of the neck. William Koelker was right-handed, and the natural thing in a case of suicide, his brothers claim, would have been to start the gash on the left side. Koelker had $700 when he went to Washington. When he was, found there was $1.05 on his person. A signet ring also was missing. T. L. Jeffords, an attorney of Washington, has been engaged by the Koelker family to investigate the ease. Edward Koelker has also asked Representative Crago, of Pennsylvania, to assist him in this investigation. May 16, 1912 The Washington Post BROTHERS INVESTIGATE DEATH William Koelker's Throat cut in Washington; $700 Gone. Cumberland.—Henry J. Koelker, money order clerk in the Cumberland postoffice and Edward Koelker, of Connellsville, Pa., have started an investigation into the death of their brother, William Koelker, of Westernport, this county, in Washington. The death occurred last month. The theory that he met his death at his own hands is scouted by the brothers They found a gash, which caused the death, on the right side of the neck. William Koelker was a right-handed man and it is argued that a suicide would have started the gash on the left side. Koelker took $700 to Washington to buy new fixtures for his bar. The body had but $1.05 on it. A signet ring which he wore from home was missing. It was stated by employes of the hotel that the door leading to the room occupied by Koelker had been forced, but the brothers found no evidence of this. Koelker was a member of the Fraternal Order of Eagles, of the Moose and the Red Men. He had been for some years agent of the Cumberland Brewing Company at Piedmont and Westernport. He leaves a family. The Evening Post (Frederick) May 16 1912