April 2, 1917 - Oh yes I attended the autopsy.

This is one of Joe's strangest letters. It ranges from train travel to and autopsy to pending war. He also included a ticket he got when he weighed himself at the hardware store. The ticket is below but his weight has faded in time.

Ticket for Joe's weight from the hardware store

 Menu from his lunch at the Stratfield Hotel marking what he ate.

 

Monday about 1:30
Dearie,

Do you ken warum (know why) I am writing in pencil? Or do you know just where I am right now? Gewiss, (certainly) not! I am at the Stratfield, having lunch.

My what I have been through simply since last night. It was just twelve when I left your door. The train leaves 125th St. just at 12 waiting for the bunch to shake hands all around took up just five minutes for when I got downstairs it was 12:05 whew! When I leave downstairs at 12 sharp I just make it; so imagine then the boys downstairs tried to get funny, but I jumped in a taxi with Driess and rushed. We saw the 12:00 pull out as we were rushing down 125th St.

Can you imagine how I felt just then? He kept trying to jolly me about rushing home, telling me to  stay over etc. etc. etc.etc. I just leaped out on the fly, threw a dollar at the driver, and flew upstairs, "Trains gone boss”. Next train foh Bridgeport 5:20”. How encouragement and pleasant. As I stood simply perspiring myself into a pail of switz. (sweat), I thought I heard a noise, sure enough, the last section of the midnight with sleepers to Boston only; no coaches. But why have brains and not use them. As soon as the train stopped, I ran to the Pullman conductor and told him my story. Nope, not a seat so I said “Well, how about a sleeper to Providence”. “Only one upper left”, he said. All right I took it, and paid for it, and naturally got out at Bridgeport. Next time I want to go to Hoboken, I’ll take a sleeper for Butte, Montana. That was not all. Oh no, far from it.

I got to bed at 2:45 actually and then mother heard me. She was waiting as all good mothers do. We talked a short time and I went to sleep. Sharp at six, bloody, I was awakened by the phone. A very dastardly thing happened in Shelton. Two buildings were burned down apparently incendiary, and one man burned to a crisp. Another, who was suspected because of circumstances had gotten away, and would I please hurry and take charge. Sure thing. I told them what I thought, we got busy and at 8 had our suspect safely locked up. Quick work? Sure; remember what I said about brains? Well, we scoured the county and have material to work on. It was noon before I was through so I rushed to Bridgeport to close a deal that was waiting, and now I eat with one hand and write with the other. I am starting back for Shelton at 2:40 on a matter.

Oh yes I attended the autopsy. Only the skull and trunk all burned to a crisp and are left. Hands, feet, legs, flesh gone. Dear me, how terrible.
This afternoon when I finish I’ll go after the house. With all this I thought I’d write you in case I can’t get near a phone.

I’m enclosing a slip that is valuable. This morning I got weighed on 3 different scales. The maximum I enclose. The two were just 162 and have no cards. The three scales are good enough for me. One is absolutely accurate because it was in a hardware store, the other two in the depot. How about it. I enclose what I had for lunch – my first meal today.

I enclose an extract from a Justice of the United States Supreme Court. I guess my remarks of yesterday, if “bum” arguments, as they were called, are in good company. At least I wasn’t entirely nutty was I?

However, darling, I learned last night and I guess you did too, going home and arriving “three is a crowd”. “He jests at scars that never felt a wound”. (Romeo and Juliet Act 2 Scene 2 when Mercutio is teasing Romeo about his love scars) I am very happy, and the prospects of the house just exhiliarate me (spelled incorrectly).

With love and kisses from
Joe

Here is the article that he mentions in the letter.

 MONDAY, APRIL 2, 1917

Cleveland, O., April 2. —In an ad­dress to the Cleveland Bar Association, Justice John H. Clarke, of the United States Supreme Court, said: "Either America must give up her rights upon the sea and hold her ships and citizens at home or take up the gauge of battle and throw into the contest every man and dollar which a great and powerful nation can command.

"The world in which we thought we were living prior to the first day of August, 1914, has passed away, never to return." "We are living in a world of savage nations and of savage men which, re­fusing to listen to the voice of reason or of law, heeds only the roar of great guns. We are challenged to renew the age-long contest between political free­dom and arbitrary power. We shall prove recreant to our great traditions if we do not now settle once for all the right of man to govern himself and the right of free government to have a place in the world."

"America will enter this war, if in­deed it be not already forced upon us, with clean hands, a clear conscience and a just cause."

This is history in the making.

Tomorrow, April 3 I will post the article from the above arson case.