52 Ancestors: Cause of Death

This week’s blog post was a little troubling – Cause of Death.  I have many, many death certificates from my ancestors but most of them are nothing too exciting.  Sure, I’ve had a few – my great grandmother, Bertha Schwartz Gunzendorfer, died on a train, her brother-in-law, Adolph Gunzendorfer, died in a hotel, and Bertha’s sister-in-law, Charlotte Mervy Schwartz, died during the flu epidemic in 1918.  But this prompt warranted something more – how about a possible murder?

My husband’s 2x great grandmother, Julia O’Reilly, was born in May, 1834 in Ireland.  I don’t know too many details of her early life other than that she immigrated to America in 1864 and at some point, married Michael Gorham.  Together they had three children – Cecilia (my great-grandmother-in-law) in 1859, Josephine in 1860, and John in 1867.

But by 1880, Michael was either dead or they had divorced and Julia was married to Michael Post, a shoemaker, and living in Sharpsburg, Pennsylvania with Michael’s daughter, Maggie, and Julia’s son, John. 

Twenty years later, 1900, found Julia widowed and living on South Canal Street in Sharpsburg.  She rented her home and could read, write, and speak.  But what happened to her second husband, Michael Post? 

I know so little about Julia’s life but, sadly, I know quite a bit about her death.

The Pittsburgh Press, 18 Dec 1906, page 1

Mrs. Julia Post, aged 78 years, who resided at No. 1020 Main Street, Sharpsburg, was murdered according to the report of the investigation being made by the coroner.  Although it is supposed she has been dead since last Friday, the discovery was not made until yesterday.

As the result of a preliminary investigation, it was concluded that she had met with an accident at her home and had succumbed to the injuries she then received.  As the result of a more detailed investigation, however, it is now concluded that her death was due to a blow inflicted with a hatchet on her left temple and that the blow was inflicted by an unknown murderer in search of money.

WAS WELL-TO-DO

Mrs. Post was a widow, was the owner of the property in which she resided and occupied the second floor.  The lower portion of the house had not been occupied for some time.  She had been in the habit of having a quantity of milk left at her door every morning but on Saturday and Sunday mornings this milk had not been removed from the doorstep.  It was concluded by neighbors that Mrs. Post had probably gone to visit friends for a day or two and had not troubled about canceling her milk order.  Yesterday morning, however, the milkman had his suspicions aroused, and after leaving the usual daily supply, he hunted up the Chief of Police, John Staub, and requested him to make an investigation.

FOUND BLOODY HATCHET

Later the policeman went to the house on Main street and tried the doors.  Both front and rear were locked, and the windows were also securely fastened.  With the assistance of a neighbor, James Parris a ladder was obtained and entrance made to the second floor.  The woman was found to be lying huddled on the floor.  Near her body was a wooden block 4x4x10 feet, and also, a short distance away, was a hatchet.  On the hatchet were blood stains, and it was ascertained by Chief Staub and Parris that the woman had sustained an injury on the forehead.  It was thought, on this discovery, that the woman, while working near the block, had been overcome in a faint and had stumbled, sustaining the injury on the forehead from which she died.

A more rigid investigation, however, being made by the Deputy Coroners Carney and Pautin, showed that the woman could not have received the fatal injury in the way that had been supposed, and it was also discovered that the blow on the temple exactly corresponded with a blow that could have been made with the hatchet.  It was only in this way, too, that the blood stains on the hatchet could be explained.  The body was brought to the morgue, yesterday, and a second examination made which again served to bring out the fact that the woman could not have met her death by accident, but had been murdered by some person at present unknown.

POLICE ARE BAFFLED

The Sharpsburg police, however, are at a loss to find an adequate motive for the crime.  It was well known in the borough that the aged woman owned the property in which she resided, but it was also known that she did not keep any money or any valuables in the house.  It was stated, however, that a report had been current in the borough that the woman had been expecting to receive some money from a daughter in California, and it is probably that this report had become known to the murderer.  It is also thought that the house had been entered with a view to the getting possession of this money and that the woman had met her death on refusing to make known its whereabouts to the intruder.

Shortly after noon Dr. Speer completed his post-mortem and stated that it was his opinion that the death of the woman was directly due to a hemorrhage of the brain, induced by the blow on the temple.  He stated that he had also ascertained that while the blow on the skull had not fractured the skull, yet the skull had been fractured in two places.  One of these was at the base and the second was in a position behind the left eye.  The skull fractures could be explained on the theory that the woman might have been sitting on a chair and had accidentally fallen from it, striking her head on the nearby block.

This, however, could not account for the temple blow as well, nor for the blood stains on the hatchet.  The coroner will hold an inquest on the woman's death next Friday morning at 11 o'clock.

HIDDEN MONEY FOUND

Shortly before noon today money to the amount of $210.85 was found that is supposed to have been hidden by Mrs. Post.  The discovery was made by Chief of Police, John Staub, and Deputy Coroner A. J. Carney.  A pocketbook containing $88 was found in the bed tick while a roll of paper money was found wrapped in a rag, lying in a pile of old rags.

Another sum of $2.85 was found in an old satchel lying under the bed, while various other amounts were found to make up the total.  It is thought that the belief that this money was in the house was responsible for the murder of Mrs. Post.

From present indications, more money will likely be found.  So far no arrests have been made but a searching investigation will be carried on in order to hold the inquest on Friday morning of this week.  Mrs. Post was supposed to be almost penniless and the finding of the money shows what might be a motive for the commission of the crime.

FLED FROM ASSAILANT

Perhaps one of the most significant features of the case was the position of the body when Chief Staub entered the upstairs room.  The head was toward the window and the feet close to the wooden block near which lay the bloody hatchet, suggesting the idea that she was trying to flee from her murderous assailant and endeavor to reach the window to cry for help.  The blow on the left temple appeared sufficiently fierce to have crushed the skull and caused instant death.

Mrs. Post was in the habit of going to the nearby hotel of John W. Reddinger, at Thirteenth and Main streets for her daily supply of soup.  Friday was the last day she did this.  It is now said that Mrs. Post is supposed to have a received a sum of money from Pittsburg last week, which may have been a remittance from her son or step-son, the former named Dorman living in New York, and the latter named Post and living in California.

PLACE FILLED WITH RUBBISH

It has not been discovered whether the murderer looted the house.  The place is filled with useless stuff which littered nearly all the rooms, much as is the case with an aged recluse who is prone to gather and preserve the most trifling and needless of artifacts.


A bit of conflicting information as this says she owned the building and lived on the second floor while the 1900 census said she rented her home.  The details of her death were disturbing – murdered with an ax?

Each day brought more information about the case.

Harrisburg Daily Independent, 19 Dec 1906, page 5

The son referenced in the article above would have been John.  He was still living so I don’t think the money she was expecting would have been inheritance.  Maybe something from his father? [where are you, Michael Gorham?]  But the earlier article said that her son (Gorham, not Dorman as reported) lived in New York and her daughter and step-son lived in California.

Interesting to see a photo of the building, even pointing out the room in which she was found. 

The Pittsburgh Press, 19 Dec 1906, pg 1

But just two days later, it had been determined that her death was, in fact, accidental.  So if she hit her head on a block of wood, why was there blood on a hatchet?

The Pittsburgh Press, 21 Dec 1906, pg 25

But wait – now we’re back to a murder????  And she died over $210?

The Press Herald, 28 Dec 1906, pg 7

And that’s all I’ve found on the mysterious death of Julia O’Reilly Gorham Post.  Was she murdered?



The date of death just breaks my heart – “FOUND” December 17, 1906.  How long had she lain there?

And her will dated 29 May, 1906.  Lots of different spellings but I guess that happened when someone else wrote the document. 

Julia is buried in St. Joseph Cemetery in Sharpsburg, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania.  I’ve had a photo request on Findagrave waiting to be fulfilled for over 4 years – time to make the request again.  RIP, Julia O'Reilly Gorham Post, 2x great grandmother of my husband.