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Was He Drugged?

Was He Drugged? image
Parent Issue
Day
9
Month
August
Year
1895
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

"Residence nowhere, " such is the entry on the jail records of this city after the name, Frank Clancy. It describes all that is known of a young man who died at the Washteiiaw county house last Tuesday morning. He was not a tramp, not a paurjer, but alone and penniless, unable to give any account of himself, with clouded brain and fluttering heart, he had been set down in our midst, snspected of beiug drnnk, when not a trace of liquor could be fouud, taken to jail and then to the county house, there to die,witho.ut medical assstance and without being a ble to give any clue to his identity or relatives. He was one of the human flotsam and jetsam of life, who quietly sank out of sight, leaving no trace for his friends - in fact another mysterious disappearance. Last Monday aftemoou, the sheriff's office was notifled that there was a man at the depot of the Ann Arbor road who had been trying to board a freight train and who was badly intoxicated. Deputy Sheriff Jay Wood got him and brought him to the jail. Mr Wood says he saw at ouce that the man was not intoxicated, as there was absolutely no smell of liquor about him. He had tried to board a freight train but bad been physically unable to do so. He could give no account of himself and seemed incapable of understanding questious. It was clearly not a case for imprisonment in the jail and Superintendent of the Poor Mason was sent for and at once drove him down to the county house. Here he died the next morning. He never rallied. It had not been thought necessary to surnmon medical assistauee and the ailment or in jury of which he died was not apparent. Justbefore he died both. matter and substauce camel away from his rnoutb. No particular steps were taken to establish his identity. He was treated as "Only a pauper whom uobody owqs." So little ado was made over the affair that the daily papers have not even chronicled the death which occurred as long ago as Tuesday morning. In all human probability, the unknown's name was Frank Clancy. A number of reoeipts were found on his person running like this: "Received of Frank Clancy one dollar," "Received of Frank Claucy flfty cents," etc, but these receipts are not dated and no name of any city or village is on theni. There was also au empty envelope addressed to some woman in Chicago, but her name or address the Argus was unable to learn but was informed that the addressee had not been comniunicated with, "as it would be of no use." He had a common jack knife and a gold tipped fountain pen, but no ïnoney. He was cleanly dressed in common but substautial working clothes and shoes and had a small haudbag which contained a clean,freshly laundried shirt. He was about five feet nine inches high, weighing about 160 pounds, with blue eyes aud light complexion and apparently about thirty years of age. He wore small chin whiskers and ruustacbe. He can be traced from here to Toledo, through the conductor on the Ann Arbor road by which he carne to tnis city. He was picked up on the streets of Toledo I by the pólice and lodged in the station house over night and on Monday was taken to the depot in the patrol wagon, a ticket purchasel for him and he was put on board the cars. He was a stranger in Toledo. The pólice there claimed that he said he wanted to go to Ann 1 bor. Whether this is the exact truth is not known. It is known that the officers of different cities have a way of sending helpless or indigent persons from one town to another as the cheapest means of avoiding the expense of caring for them. He was dazed and unable to give any account of himself in Toledo, as he was here. His history or from whence he came is entirely unknown. The mystery is from whence he carne, who he is, how he came in the condition in which he was found and what was the trouble with him. Had he been foully dealt with and was his dazed condition due to drugs? Had he wandered from home in a dazed condition? Are his friends awaiting his return in an agony of suspense? Will tney ever be able to get trace of him? No steps have been taken to determine any of these questions. It is simply a mysterious death of an unknown. In some loving circle there may have been simply a mysterious disappearance, never to be cleared up until the last trump sounds. Alas, the pity of it.

Article

Subjects
Ann Arbor Argus
Old News