Deaths in Leeson History of Macomb County

Macomb County Deaths

transcribed from "Chronology," in History of Macomb County. Chicago : M.A. Leeson, 1882, pp.496-519.

These items are transcribed exactly as the appear in the "Chronology" chapter of Leeson's 1882 History of Macomb County. The items fall in chronological order from 1792 through 1882. To search for a particular surname, use your browser's Find command.

Francois Tremble left the mouth of the Huron for the north, was stabbed by the Saginaws, and, in an effort to return to his home, was lost in Lake Huron, 1792.
Onabouse, a fierce Otchipwe, was made captive near Mt. Clemens in 1806, taken to Detroit, convicted of many murders, and hanged.
Kiskako, of Saginaw, the terror of Macomb, committed suicide at Detroit in 1825.
In 1837, an Indian of the Riley band, was killed by a falling tree. After months of searching, the body of the savage was found.
Anthony Wells, of Memphis, a pioneer, was killed by his horse in 1841.
Mrs. Hoag was killed about the year 1850 by the splinters of a boiler which exploded in the Hoag saw-mill.
Abraham Donaldson was crushed to death by a falling tree, April, 1838.
Harry Day, a son of Erastus Day, aged about three years, was drowned in a well May 27, 1844.
A son of Mr. Geno, residing four miles southeast of Brooklyn, was accidentally shot by a boy named Ellis, July 5, 1866.
George W. Powell, a youth of nineteen years, hanged himself February 13, 1867.
A man named Armstrong, employed by Ignace Morass, attempted to cut his throat February 24, 1867, which act his employer prevented. Two days later, however, he succeeded in drowning himself.
Henry Seals was driving a team, loaded with hay, past the Rice farm, February 25, 1867, when the wagon glided from the slippery highway into the ditch, overturning the load and burying his wife and infant child, who were seated on the hay, beneath it. The infant was drowned, while the mother barely escaped a similar death.
An infant child of Charles Howland received a feed of blue vitriol from its little sister, and died March 16, 1867.
F. Pole, a stranger in Macomb County, was drowned in Cusick Lake, April 29, 1867.
A German named Hartwig was accidentally killed at Clifton May 2, 1867.
A son of Thomas Oliver fell into the Clinton River at Mt. Clemens, May 23, 1867, and was drowned.
A man named Carley shot an adversary named McCall near Memphis, May 21, 1867. Death was instantaneous.
James Benjamin, an old resident of Romeo, was killed at Dryden, Lapeer County, September 12, 1867, by a fall from a church steeple to the roof of the building.
James Weightman, a soldier in the war for the Union, and a printer at Romeo, died February 13, 1868.
William McRoy committed suicide by hanging himself, April 30, 1868.
Mrs. Robert Ramsey, living near Richmond, was found drowned in Belle River, May 9, 1868.
William Manchester, of Richmond, a boy nine years old, was killed May 17, 1868, by a falling tree.
William B. Sutton committed suicide at Brooklyn August 22, 1868.
A large brick building being erected for Dr. J.S. Smith and Capt. Hiram Barrows fell in September 19, 1868. Dr. Smith was killed and Marion Grout injured.
Albert Weightman, son of William Weightman, of Romeo, was drowned in Cusick Lake, November 13, 1868.
A man named Felix Laforge, residing in the town of Chesterfield, near New Baltimore, committed suicide, January 11, 1869, by shooting himself through the heart with a shot-gun. He was poorly provided with the goods of this world, and, having a large family of little children dependent upon him for support, he became discouraged and tired of life, and, in a fit of depression, adopted this means to free himself of earthly trouble. On the morning in question, he took his gun and started for the woods, with the avowed intention of going out hunting. He was accompanied by his little son. When arrived in the woods, he ordered his son home. On refusing to go, he threatened to shoot him if he longer disobeyed his command. In fear of his life, the boy at length started. On his way home, he met a neighbor, to whom he communicated the unusual manner in which his father had treated him. The two then started toward the woods in the direction where the boy said he had left his father, and had proceeded but a short distance when the report of a gun was heard. Hastening forward, they soon arrived at the spot where the unfortunate man lay dead. He had deliberately fastened the gun to the trunk of a tree, and, placing the muzzle against his heart, fired the fatal shot.
Lewis Tanner committed suicide by cutting his throat, April 15, 1869.
A son of Aratus Pool, of Bruce, fell from a wagon and dislocated his neck. He died October 19, 1869.
Mary Jane Terry died suddenly April 22, 1869, at Romeo.
The examination of Dr. Thomas Stitt, charged with the murder of Mary Jane Terry, on April 22, 1869, took place before C.F. Mallary, May 7, 1869.
The explosion of a Grand Trunk Railroad locomotive, May 29, 1869, at Ridgeway, resulted in the death of Joseph Grinnell, Robert Davis, and a daughter of Mr. Warren.
George Ironmonger, Barbara Stow and Eliza White were drowned in Aldrich's mill pond, near Utica, July 6, 1869.
Arthur Bottomley, aged eight years, was killed by a kick from a horse, August 4, 1869.
A son of Robert Rood was drowned in the race near Proctor's Mill, August 25, 1869.
Luther W. Farrar died March 12, 1870.
A child of Mr. Rice, of Memphis, fell into a pail of boiling water, April 6, 1870, and was scalded to death.
Manley Thurston hanged himself March 3, 1870.
Mary E. Garry committed suicide at Jackson, Mich., October 27, 1870. She was formerly a resident of Romeo.
Patrick Redmond was killed at Utica Station January 30, 1871, by being run over by the cars.
Fleshout, a farmer of Erin Township, was killed April 12, 1871, by his runaway team.
Randolph Reynolds died from the effects of injuries caused by the running away of his horses, May 17, 1871.
John R. Webster, convicted of murder, was sent from this county to the State Prison in 1854, under a life sentence, and died in prison June 22, 1871.
Joseph French, Cashier in the office of the Detroit Advertiser and Tribune, was drowned in the Sydenham River July 30, 1871. He was engaged in the milling business at Clifton, this county, and was a resident since 1833.
James Shingleton, formerly a resident of Romeo, was killed at Clinton, Iowa, August 21, 1871, owing to the caving-in of a stone quarry. He came the United States in 1861, and located with his uncle in Ray Township.
Charles Mignault, of Mt. Clemens, was lost in the wreck of the steamer Coburn, on Lake Huron, October, 1871.
David Moore, of Warren Township, shot himself September 28, 1871.
Frederickia Meitz, a young girl in the employ of the Ulrichs, of Mt. Clemens, committed suicide, March 21, 1872, by taking strychnine.
John W. Cowles, a resident of Romeo, lost his life, April 3, 1872, while braking on the Marquette & Iron Mountain Railroad.
A verdict from $10,000 in favor of James Starkweather, in his suit against the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Company, was recorded April 13, 1872. The cause rested on the fact that Mrs. Starkweather died from the result of injuries received November 18, 1868, through the negligence of the company's servants.
An accident on the Grand Trunk Railroad, April 21, 1872, between Ridgeway and Smith's Creek, resulted in the death of two men.
The son of Rev. J.S. Smart, of Romeo, was drowned in Proctor's mill pond June 15, 1872.
Harry Warrington, of Sterling, died while under the influence of strong drink, at Mt. Clemens, November 21, 1872.
The body of Robert A. Barton, of Erin, was found in Lake St. Clair July 13, 1873.
The body of a man supposed to be John Miller, or Royal Oak, was found in the woods of Warren Township August 21, 1873.
A son of Charles Eilbert, of Mt. Clemens, was poisoned, October 24, 1873, by eating henbane seeds. He died on the 25th of that month.
Mrs. Ann Lavine's trial for the murder of Anson Henderson, at Armada, on the night of November 5, 1873, came before Judge Harris at the November session of the Circuit Court. The jury returned a verdict of not guilty.
Frederick Hebblewhite, of Armada, was drowned in Norway Lake, near Lapeer, June 12, 1874.
Drs. Greenshields and Tillson amputated the entire breast of Mrs. Gibson, June 9, 1874. The lady survived the operation until November 29, 1874, when she died.
Miss Rush, of Mt. Vernon, committed suicide October 6, 1874.
John Wilkinson, son of Col. Wilkinson, of Romeo, died at Fort Griffin, Texas, November 5, 1874. He received a pistol bullet in the knee; amputation was necessary; but even this extreme course failed to postpone death more than one day.
James White, proprietor of the old Hoag Mill, of Lenox, was caught in the machinery and killed, 1875.
Stephen S. Merrill hanged himself at Utica January 26, 1875.
A B. Sheldon, of Ray, met a tragic death at his own hands April 21, 1875.
On June 22, 1875, the Grand Trunk Railroad freight train was thrown from the track, the engine and a number of cars wrecked; Matthew Bartle, the engineer, and Morrison, the fireman, fatally scalded.
Foster Galbraith, formerly of Romeo, was drowned in the Saginaw at Bay City in June, 1875. His remains were found and shipped to Romeo for interment.
Abner Miller, of Mt. Clemens, shot himself accidentally in September, 1875. It appears he was hunting and boating, when, through some carelessness, the charge in his fowling piece exploded and entered his body beneath the ribs.
The Conger dwelling house, on the line between Sterling and Clinton, was destroyed by fire November 15, 1875, and a child four years old so badly burned that she died the same day.
The burning of William Crittenden's house, April 4, 1876, resulted in the death of Mrs. Crittenden. The lady made a superhuman effort to extinguish the flames, but was enwrapped by them, and would doubtless have been burned to a cinder had not her husband rescued her. She died, however, the same morning.
Cyril Hicks, located on the line between Richmond and Lenox, hanged himself June 17, 1876.
Frank Buzzell died at Romeo July 16, from the effects of sunstroke.
Matilda C. Shaw poisoned herself February 24, 1877.
Z. H. Daniels, formerly of Romeo, was reported to have been killed by Indians at Stillwater, Montana, in February, 1877.
On the 12th of November, 1877, one of those fatal accidents which thrill a whole community occurred near Memphis. Two young lads about eighteen years of age went to the woods for a hunt. In crossing a small stream, James Dawson, one of the lads, slipped from a log into the water. In order the more conveniently to climb again upon the log, he passed his gun to his companion, Henry Castle. He, taking the gun with the muzzle toward him, drew it through some bushes. In doing this, the loaded gun was discharged, and the whole contents entered his left side, making a fearful wound, severing the large blood-vessels in the vicinity of the heart and causing almost instant death.
The nephew of E.F. Sibley, of Armada, who shot himself in the head while temporarily insane, died July 6, 1878. The ball passed nearly through the brain, when it retraced its course, and was found in the top of the head.
An aged citizen of Disco committed suicide in September, 1878.
Cornelius Miller, well known in Macomb County, was supposed to have committed suicide by drowning, at Detroit, in October, 1878.
James Whalen, of Warren, was run over and instantly killed on the night of the 24th of October, 1878, by a Grand Trunk train. He was literally torn to pieces. Deceased was twenty-six years old.
The death of Mrs. C.N. Chamberlin and her two daughters, at Chattanooga, Tenn., in October, 1878, drew forth much sympathy from their friends in Macomb.
The jury in the case of Sarah Finkle, charged with the murder of Alice Jackson, September, 1878, by aiding her to commit suicide, rendered a verdict of not guilty, during the present term of court. The jury required but one and one-half hours to come to their decision. The case was one of the most peculiar on record in this circuit.
Mrs. August Bliss took a dose of paris green in April, 1878, and died from its effects before medical aid could be summoned.
Clara Heater, a girl of eighteen, living in the family of Albert Hovey, took fifteen grains of morphine, and died April 26, 1878.
Riley J. Spencer was crushed to death by the falling of the plates of a barn, near Romeo, May 29, 1878.
Beecher Gates, who met his death in the Air-Line disaster, was buried, December, 1878.
A son of Charles Evans, of Richmond, was crushed to death beneath a land-roller, September, 1880.
Mrs. Rose, of Armada, while out driving, October 17, 1880, was thrown from the carriage and received such injuries as resulted in her death on the 18th of the same month.
George Connor, of Richmond, was killed in the lumber woods in January, 1881, and his body brought to Armada for interment.
The sudden, if not tragic, death of Miss Ann Reid, formerly a student of medicine at Ann Arbor, took place in February, 1881. Prior to ridding herself of mortality, she wrote a letter to her mother, giving her resolve to try another world.
Peter McEachron, in 1845 a carpenter in Washington Township, died at Saginaw February 24, 1881.
In December, 1881, Winsor Dixon, a former resident of Macomb County, and well known residents of Richmond Township, murdered a cattle-buyer of the name of Phillips, in Sanilac County, and robbed him of $5000 in money. Dixon was soon arrested, and, the night succeeding his arrest, committed suicide by taking poison. He died the next day.
Charles B. Gillem, aged seventeen years, living four miles east of Armada, killed his mother February 28, 1882.
John Teats, son of Edward Teats, of Harrison, living a mile down the river, was killed April 4, 1882, in a strange manner. He was leading a fractious horse from the barn to the water-trough. Members of the family, who chanced to be watching him, saw the horse make a violent jump to one side. Then Teats dropped the halter and fell to the ground. He was picked up dead with a broken neck.