Tompkins, Charles, 1862-1920

TOMPKINS, THOMPKINS

Posted By: Lydia Lucas - Volunteer (email)
Date: 10/11/2016 at 19:51:36

Road contractor Charles Tompkins suffered a stroke in Hawarden in early December, was found unconscious and jailed for drunkennesss, left overnight without medical care, and died of complications several days later. This incident was covered in the area newspapers, including the articles and obituary below:

From the Rock Valley Bee, December 17, 1920:

VICTIM OF APOPLEXY JAILED AT HAWARDEN
Unconscious Man Is Thrown In Jail "To Sober Up"

Charley Thompkins, road contractor who has been operating in the vicinity of Ireton for some time was stricken with apoplexy while in Hawarden on business last Saturday and when found in an unconscious condition by the town marshal was thrown in jail, it is said, as a plain drunk, where he was left alone to "sober up" until the following day.

Mr. Thompkins had completed the transaction of his business and on his way to the depot, homeward bound, when he was stricken. In a half-conscious condition he wandered listlessly about until he collapsed near a livery barn where he was apprehended by the marshal.

When the marshal visited the jail on the following morning and found his prisoner still unconscious he sought instructions from the city mayor believing that the prisoner was a subject for the hospital rather than the jail. Without official investigation, it is said the jailor was instructed to "let him alone that he would be alright after a while." Later in the day relatives in search for the diseased man found him in jail and were compelled to pay a heavy fine before he was released.

Mr. Thompkins is now lying at his farm home, formerly occupied by Hugh Irwin, and in a precarious condition. It is thought that he has developed a case of pneumonia as the result of exposure in the jail.

The incident is apparently a case of misplaced judgment of a serious nature on the part of the Hawarden authorities. The family is highly indignant over the matter especially in view of the fact that the victim, who is not a drinking man, should be charged with drunkenness. Relatives of Mr. Thompkin are expected to arrive today from their home in Kansas and, it is said, that a thorough investigation will be instituted upon their arrival.--Ireton Ledger.

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From the Hawarden Independent, December 16, 1920:

VERY PECULIAR CASE'STRANGE CIRCUMSTANCES SURROUND ILLNESS
Charles Tompkins, Taken Ill in Hawarden Ten Days Ago Died Wednesday

Charles Tompkins, the grading contractor on the Orange City-Hawarden road, whose serious illness was reported in last week's issue of The Independent, died about 2 o'clock Wednesday afternoon on the Hugh Irwin farm, two miles northeast of Ireton, which he was occupying for the winter. The body was taken Thursday morning to his former home in Kansas for interment. Mrs. Tompkins accompanied the body.

The deceased came to Sioux county last spring to construct a portion of the grading on the primary road system between Hawarden and Orange City, and The Independent has been unable to learn very much regarding him. He did his banking during the summer in Hawarden and was regarded by his bankers as a good, reliable business man.

Peculiar circumstances surround Tompkins' sudden illness in this city a week ago Saturday, which resulted in partial paralysis, followed by a severe attack of pneumonia. As reported in The Independent last week, Marshal Vearrier was notified by telephone to come to the livery barn and care for a stranger who had been lying in one of the stalls for a couple of hours. Everything at the time indicated that it was a case of too much "moonshine," and acting upon this theory the marshal secured an automobile and took him to the city jail where he was placed on a comfortable cot in a steam heated room. Erroneous statements have gone forth that he was thrown into a cold cell, without care of any kind, and that it was this neglect that brought on the attack of pneumonia which ultimately caused his death. Marshal Vearrier says these statements are absolutely without foundation and that he has ample proof that the room was heated at all times and that the cot was comfortable and was provided with ample bedding and covering.

Marshal Vearrier states that if it was exposure that brought on the attack of pneumonia, it took place before Tompkins was placed in jail and not while in his care. The next morning after placing Tompkins in jail the marshal found him to be a very sick man, and he promptly called Dr. F. J. McAllister, the city mayor. That official also reached the conclusion that it was a case of alcoholic poisoning. Mrs. Tompkins came during the day and took her husband in an automobile to the Irwin home near Ireton where physicians later found him to be suffering from a stroke of paralysis.

Since last week the Hawarden officials have been looking into the matter of how Tompkins came to be in the livery barn and in the condition in which they found him. According to the information which they allege they have secured Tompkins was in a normal condition shortly before noon, but about 1 o'clock, it was discovered, he was being helped along the Milwaukee railway track in staggering condition. At the crossing north of the Milwaukee depot two young men from Hudson came along in an automobile and he was assisted into the car and taken to the livery barn. Someone in the barn was asked if he might lie down in a stall for a short time, intimating that he would be all right in a couple of hours. A blanket was thrown over him and this was his condition when Marshal Vearrier was summoned to take charge of him.

The city officials are unable to understand why a man should have been taken to a livery barn if he was just sick. They say that other developments may follow the information which they have thus far recovered.

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From the Maurice Times, December 16, 1920:

Victim of Apoplexy Died After A Week's Illness

Charles Tompkins, road contractor, died from apoplexy at his home northeast of Ireton on Wednesday afternoon after an illness of twelve days. The deceased was stricken while in Hawarden on business December 4 and was found by the town marshal on the streets in an unconscious condition and was lodged in the city jail until the afternoon of the following day when his wife arrived and was compelled to pay a heavy fine for his release. He remained unconscious for several days but under the care of a physician he rallied and for a time hopes were entertained for his recovery. He was stricken with a hemorrhage of the heart the first of this week following which he sank rapidly.

Charles Tompkins was aged 58 years and 22 days at the time of his death and was a native of Sedan, Kansas. He came here with his family on April 20 this year having received the contract for doing a large amount of grading on the county road north of town and would have completed the contract in about two weeks.

The body was shipped this morning to Omaha, Neb. for burial. Mr. Fitzgerald, a brother-in-law, Mr. and Mrs. Massey and family, who were called here last week, accompanied the wife to Omaha. Mrs. Tompkins expects to return here following the funeral to settle up affairs and institute an investigation of the alleged negligence of Hawarden officials.

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FindaGrave.com shows him buried in Holy Sepulchre Cemetery, Omaha. The entry is accompanied by a transcript of an article from the Ireton Ledger that is the same as that from the Maurice Times, above. No family information accompanies the entry, but there is a photo of a joint headstone for him and Catherine Tompkins, 1871-1938.