Some Macabre Stories of the Silver Trade

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LOUIS D. INSLEY

Baltimore


Philadelphia

All efforts to locate the relatives of Louis D. Insley, who is supposed to have been in the retail jewelry business in Baltimore, Md., and who died in St. Joseph’s Hospital, this city. Sept. 2, have been in vain. Mr. Insley was overcome by gas in a room at 800 N. 19th St., this city.

Source: The Jewelers' Circular - 13th September 1911

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SAM PETERMAN

Denver


Sam Peterman, a youth of 16, employed in the store of William Kley, diamond merchant, 1608 Tremont St., killed himself by shooting last week, because he was reprimanded by his father. The body of the young suicide was found by Emil Febinger, another employe, in a rear room of the Kley establishment. Febinger, who was the only other person in the place at the time, heard a pistol report, ran to the rear room and discovered Sam on the floor. He was bleeding from a wound in the abdomen. The police ambulance was called, but when it reached the store the young man was dead. His father was prostrated by the tragedy.

Source: The Jewelers' Circular - 13th September 1911

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L.W. LEWIS

Columbus, Ohio


L. W. Lewis, Columbus O., Burned to Death in a Gas Explosion at His Home

Columbus, O., Sept. 16.— The tragic death of L. W. Lewis, who was burned almost to a crisp in the basement of his home, 99 Linwood Ave., Sunday, caused a severe shock to his many friends in Columbus, Cleveland, Circleville and other sections of the State where he was well known. Mr. Lewis, who was a jeweler and optician at 69 S. High St., had long been popular in the jewelry industry and social circles. He is survived by a widow, a daughter and a son, George Lewis.

As far as can be learned, on the morning of the tragedy. Mr. Lewis went into the basement of his home to light the water heater and an explosion followed the striking of the match. Members of the family had noticed that the gas had been leaking, but did not think that the leak was of enough consequence to need immediate attention. However, on hearing the explosion his daughter Aladelaine surmised the cause and went heroically to her father’s assistance. She found that his clothing was in flames, and seized an old mattress, lying near, and attempted to smother the flames, but the efforts seemed of little avail, as the flames were not extinguished until the body had been very badly burned. Mr. Lewis was removed to the Grant Hospital, but died shortly afterwards.

Mr. Lewis’ career in the jewelry trade goes back many years, he having started in the jewelry business in Cleveland. He was formerly a member of the firm of Lewis Bros, in that city, and continued as such until December, 1896, when the firm was dissolved and the deceased located at Circleville, O. Here he remained for about eight years and in 1904 he secured the option of the business of T. T. Tress, in this city. He then closed out his Circleville store and in January, 1905, came to Columbus, where he built up a good business and took a prominent position in the retail jewelry trade of this city. For a long time Mr. Lewis located at 99 N. High St., but early this year he moved his business to 69 S. High St.

Source: The Jewelers' Circular - 20th September 1911

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FRANK T. KOONS

Allentown, Pennsylvania


A. F. Koons, son of Frank T. Koons, a jeweler in Allentown, Pa., was severely burned recently by an explosion in the engine of his automobile while he was adjusting part of the mechanism.

Source: The Jewelers' Circular - 20th September 1911

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FRANK F. BRAILLARD

Brooklyn, New York


Frank F. Braillard Commits Suicide at His Home in Brooklyn, N. Y.

Frank F. Braillard, who was for years connected with the leather department of Tiffany & Co., New York, and was later in the leather goods business for himself, selling to the fine retail jewelry trade, and who also traveled for a number of jewelry and leather goods houses in New York, committed suicide Saturday morning at the home of E. E. Miller, a gauger at the Custom House, at 1820 Church Ave., Flatbush. He left a note for the Millers, with whom he had had a room for several years, saying that he was ill and never expected to get well and wanted to die. Before that he had sent a note to Ward I. Flancher, Jr., a retail jeweler, at 772 Flatbush Ave., Brooklyn, telling him that if he came to the Miller house he would find him dead. Mr. Flancher got the note Saturday morning and hurried to the house to find Mr. Braillard dead on the bed in his room.

Mr. Braillard had not been living with his wife for 10 years. She and a son live at 601 Cathedral Parkway. A daughter and another son also survive. It is said that Braillard had not been on good terms with his family for years.

He left an incoherent letter in which he tried to describe what he considered were his troubles, principally financial. He was a member of the Atlantic Lodge of Odd Fellows.

Source: The Jewelers' Circular - 20th September 1911

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FRANK HANSEN

Gobles, Michigan


Frank Hansen, said to be well known in the jewelry trade, was drowned Sept. 4 at Gobles, Mich., while in swimming. It is believed he was taken with cramps and sank to the bottom before help could reach him. Mr. Hansen’s plight was called to the attention of passers-by by his one-year-old son, who started crying when his father did not appear. The body was recovered after the lake had been dragged.

Source: The Jewelers' Circular - 12th September 1906

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Follow-up to the above post:

Francis C. Hansen, superintendent for G. F. Wadsworth, was drowned on Labor Day while in bathing near South Haven, Mich. Deceased was 33 years old, and had been with Mr. Wadsworth for 18 years. He left a widow and four children. He was buried last Friday, Mr. Wadsworth's shop being closed on that day. Mr. Hansen was a past master Mason and a member of the Royal Arcanum.

Source: The Jewelers' Circular - 12th September 1906

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JULIUS DUHME

Cincinnati


Julius Duhme, one of the family of the well known jewelers, met with an accident Tuesday last. He was in the Smith building and tripped on the stairs leading to the second floor, falling down the whole flight. He will probably recover, as there are no bones broken. He has retired from active business, but is still in his prime.

Source: The Jewelers' Circular and Horological Review - 14th February 1894

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W.J. DOMBROWSKY

Tampa, Florida


A Jeweler’s Wife Narrowly Escapes a Horrible Death

Tampa, Fla., Feb. 15.—Mrs. W. J. Dombrowsky, wife of the Franklin St. jeweler, very narrowly escaped a horrible death on on Thursday last, at their residence on Hyde Park Ave. Early in the evening, and before Mr. Dombrowsky came home, Mrs. Dombrowsky was about the gasoline stove. She was alone with her sister and children, and none of them can tell whether the stove exploded or how it came about. The first she knew the fire flared up, setting her clothing on fire. She ran out screaming, when a man who happened to be passing, ran in and put out the flames, but not before she was seriously burned. He also put out the flames in the room before the arrival of the fire department.

Source: The Jewelers' Circular and Horological Review - 21st February 1894

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AUGUSTUS PUTSCH

Winona, Minnesota


Augustus Putsch, a jeweler doing business at Winona, Minn., attempted to end his life by shooting himself with a revolver, on the evening of the 15th ult. Mental derangement, caused by religious excitement, is said to have been the cause of his rash act.

Source: The Jewelers' Circular and Horological Review - April 1878

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S.A. STODDART

Victoria, British Columbia


Desperately struggling with the hold-up man who entered his store in the Balmoral Block the other afternoon, S. A. Stoddart, a well-known jeweler of Victoria City, was seriously injured, and was taken to St. Joseph's Hospital in a critical condition. His assailant used the butt end of a revolver as a weapon in an attempt to club Mr. Stoddart into unconsciousness. Despite his eighty years, the latter showed remarkable strength and determination in resisting the attack, finally scaring the man, who escaped without securing anything of much value from the store.

Source: The Trader - September 1920

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MATT C. KOPPIN

Telluride, Colorado


Jeweler Matt C. Koppin Becomes Violently Insane

Sedalia, Mo., Feb. 24.—Matt C. Koppin, aged 39 years, engaged in the jewelry business in Telluride, Col., accompanied by his wife, left Telluride a few days ago for Mercer county, Pennsylvania, on a visit to Mr. Koppin’s parents, who live near Pittsburgh. Koppin had been on a protracted drunk. He abruptly stopped drinking when he started east.

Last Tuesday night he became violently insane on a Missouri Pacific train, and had to be restrained to keep him from jumping through a window. On the advice of the conductor the couple stopped off at Sedalia to secure medical treatment for Koppin. Next morning Koppin made a violent assault upon his wife in their room at the Hotel Le Grande, and Mrs. Koppin was only saved from serious injury by the prompt interference of the hotel employes, who turned the man over to the police. The jeweler was too violent to be sent to the hospital, and he was locked up in the county jail.

Koppin is a Mason of high degree and an Odd Fellow. Members of these orders had him removed to the City Hospital, where he is receiving medical attention.

Source: The Jewelers' Circular - 3rd March 1897

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N.P. PETERSON

Minneapolis, Minnesota


Minneapolis, Minn., April 1.—N. P. Peterson, a member of the Board of Park Commissioners and a jeweler, died at his residence, 814 17th Ave. S., last night. He had been confined to his bed for five weeks, during which time he had partaken of no nourishment whatever. Death resulted directly from starvation.

Source: The Jewelers' Circular - 7th April 1897

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ANTON LUCKEL

New York


Anton Luckel, an expert diamond setter, became violently insane at his boarding house, 146 E. 17th St., Sunday. He was taken to Bellevue Hospital. When searched, 7 scarfpins, 12 rings, and 29 uncut precious stones were found in his pockets. Luckel is about 40 years of age, and was said to have been in the employ of Tiffany & Co, Superintendent Ralph M. Hyde, of that firm, however, stated Monday that Tiffany & Co. had never heard of Luckel.

Source: The Jewelers' Circular and Horological Review - 6th March 1895

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Employes Injured in Bad Fire Which Destroys Manufacturing Jewelry Plants of Providence, R. I

Providence, R..I, June 17.—During a fire in the five story brick block corner of Page and Friendship Sts., occupied by manufacturing jewelers and allied trades, on Tuesday afternoon, Thomas McKenna, employed by the Harvey J. Flint Co., jumped from the second story window and broke his leg. Miss Ethel MacKenzie, bookkeeper tor the same firm, after throwing the books of the firm out of the doorway; attempted to jump, but her dress caught causing her to pitch head foremost into a horse blanket that was being held for her to land in. She struck on her shoulders and fractured her arm and sustained internal injuries. Both were removed to the Rhode Island Hospital.

The fire broke out just before the close of the noon hour and about 50 girls and men were eating their lunches in various parts of the building, but all but the two who were injured succeeded in getting down fire escapes and stairways. Mr. Flint had to make his way through the thick smoke to the stairway.

The fire started in some lacquer in the New Acme Coloring Co.’s part of the building, on the first floor, and swept through all floors within a few minutes. A second alarm was rung in on the arrival of the firemen, in response to which all the downtown apparatus was quickly on the scene. The total loss is between $25,000 and $30,000, although the individual loss of each concern has not been announced.

Seeing that some of those within the building were preparing to jump before the firemen arrived, four men who had been attracted by the smoke pouring out of the windows, grabbed a blanket from a horse and stood with it beneath the second floor door. Thomas McKenna was the first to jump. He came down feet first and landed in the blanket, but the men were unable to hold the blanket, and despite the fact that it broke his fall his leg was fractured.

Miss MacKenzie was at work upon the books of the Harvey J. Flint Co. when the office became filled with smoke and she could hear the crackling of flames beneath her. She caught up the books and papers and rushing to a window threw them out. She then turned to leave the building, but when she reached the entry she found her exit cut off by the smoke and flames at the stairway and she turned and ran to the doorway at the end of the hall. Instead of opening the gate, in her excitement she pushed through it and her dress caught in such a manner that she fell head foremost into the blanket, but slid off and struck on her shoulder. Mr. Flint stopped to close the safe in the office and when he started to leave he was confronted by dense smoke in the entryway. He turned to make his way to the hall door, but remembering his injured ankle which was broken by a fall on his yacht a few months ago, he decided to attempt to make his way out by the stairway instead of jumping. This he finally accomplished.

The first floor of the building, which was erected in 1850 by the old time manufacturing jewelry firm of Richardson & Hicks and occupied ever since for jewelry purposes, is occupied by the New Acme Electroplating Co. and a manufacturer of display fixtures for stores, while the basement was occupied by E. A. Barton & Co., manufacturers. The second floor was occupied by the Harvey J. Flint Co., the third by Taber & Hobace, manufacturers and the fourth floor by the Hallam-Rice Co. In all about 70 men and girls were employed in the building.

Within a few seconds after the discovery of the flames in the shop of the New Acme Co. on the first floor, they were sweeping up through the oil-soaked floors to the roof, following the stairways and the elevator shaft. Many of the employes succeeded in getting out on the fire escapes in the rear of the building.

Much criticism was expressed of the conduct of the first firemen to arrive at the fire. Although importuned to assist the men and girls in the shops, they refused to place ladders to the windows even though there was said to have been ample time to have done so before Miss MacKenzie and Mr. McKenna jumped.

As soon as the firemen had left, the several firms began preparation for the continuance of their business. The proprietor of the New Acme Electroplating Co. made arrangements with his brother, who manages the New England Plating Co. on Calendar St., to take care of its orders. Harvey J. Flint secured shop room with Dutee Wilcox & Co. temporarily so as to finish some orders that were rushing, Taber & Hobace also made arrangements for temporary quarters in another shop.

Source: The Jewelers' Circular - 21st June 1911

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FRANK BARCALOW - CHARLES RALSTON

Butler, Pennsylvania


TWO BURNED IN EXPLOSION

Watchmaker Using Gasoline When Trouble Occurs in Ralston & Smith Establishment

Butler, Pa., March 1.—Two men were painfully burned and a considerable property loss occurred shortly before 1 o'clock Tuesday afternoon in the Ralston & Smith iewelry store, on S. Main St., the fire resulting from an explosion of gasoline which was being used in cleaning watches.

Frank Barcalow, a watchmaker, who was the worst injured, sustained a number of burns on both hands and about his face and neck. With rare presence of mind he rushed from the blazing workroom of the jewelry store, where the fire started, and rolled in the snow at the side of the building until his burning clothing was extinguished.

Charles Ralston, one of the proprietors if the store, who was the only other occupant of the workroom at the time of the explosion, was painfully burned about the face and head. Both men were taken by Dr. C. B. Morrow and others into the offices of near-by physicians and were given medical attention, after which they were able to go to their homes.

Both the Central and Southside fire companies responded promptly to the alarm and the blaze was soon put out with a chemical extinguisher, being almost extinguished before the arrival of the Southside company.

Mr. Barcalow was cleaning watches in a cup of gasoline when the explosion occurred. It is supposed that the vaporized gasoline ignited from a gas light on the opposite side of the room. Instantly there was a burst of flame and the two occupants of the room were caught before they could escape.

Two dozen or more valuable watches which were hung on the wall at one side of the workshop were badly damaged by the flames, being burnt and tarnished. The store was filled with smoke for some time after the fire and had to be closed until the place could be renovated and some repairs made.

The damage to the building was very slight, the greatest loss being sustained by the loss of goods.

Source: The Jewelers' Circular - 8th March 1916

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EDWIN W. FREITAG

St. Louis


SWALLOWS POISON BY MISTAKE

St. Louis Diamond Setter Dies After Taking Cyanide of Potassium Instead of Aspirin

St. Louis, Mo., March 3.—Edwin W. Freitag, 25 years old, a diamond setter employed by the Hess & Culbertson Jewelry Co. swallowed a quantity of cyanide of potassium at 7 o’clock Wednesday evening at his home, 2919 S. Compton Ave., and died 20 minutes later after telling his father, William C. Freitag that he had taken the poison by mistake.

Freitag went to the basement to shine his shoes. A few minutes later he staggered into the kitchen exclaiming that he had swallowed cyanide by mistake.

He had used cyanide at his work and sometimes carried it loosely in his pocket. He had been taking aspirin for a cold. An aspirin tablet was found in his pocket, so that his father thinks he swallowed the acid in the belief he was taking aspirin.

Source: The Jewelers' Circular - 8th March 1916

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RALPH H. DAVISON

Saratoga, New York


Roger, the 11-year-old son of Ralph H. Davison, Saratoga, N. Y., was recently accidentally shot by a playmate and died almost instantly. He went for a tramp in the woods with his older brother and two other boys. One of them carried a gun and was trying to hand it down to Roger from the top of a wood-pile when the trigger became caught and the gun discharged. The bullet entered the boy’s neck and lodged at the base of the brain.

Source: The Jewelers' Circular - 26th October 1910

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JOSEPH BERGENS

Brooklyn, New York


Joseph Bergens, a watchmaker, of 829 Wythe Ave., Brooklyn, was injured, last week, by having two of his fingers cut off by a buzz saw.

Source: The Jewelers' Circular - 3rd February 1904

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ARTHUR A. VALCOURT

Attleboro, Massachusetts


Arthur A. Valcourt, employed by the D. F. Briggs Co., was accidentally killed by a train, last week, while on his way to work at the factory.

Source: The Jewelers' Circular - 3rd February 1904

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