Gilbert, Jerome, 1889-1939

GILBERT, CHILTON, ORTH

Posted By: Lydia Lucas - Volunteer (email)
Date: 6/13/2021 at 20:33:35

From the Alton Democrat, August 11, 1939:

UNKNOWN MAN FOUND DEAD ALONG TRACK
Hope To Identify By Finger Print Record

A gruesome discovery was made by the Great Northern section crew Monday morning north of Sioux Center when they found parts of a man’s body scattered along the right of way for about a block. He had evidently fallen under the wheels of the freight train, the last train to go through Sioux Center, at about 10:30 P.M. Sunday night. The section foreman at first thought it was a horse which had been struck by the train, until a closer approach revealed the horrible fact that it had been a man.

Deputy Sheriff Harry McGloghlon holds the theory that the man fell asleep while riding an oil tank car and rolled off under the wheels. Finger prints were taken and sent to the F.B.I. at Washington. It is the belief of officers that the man was between 45 and 50 years old and may have served in the army or navy during the war. In that event his finger prints would be on file.

Entrails of the man were gathered up and placed in a keg. One arm was cut off and lay outside the rails. The back of his head was gone but his face is still recognizable, officers state. Bones in his legs were ground to pieces and practically all of his clothes were torn off. Very likely the man never knew what happened.

No means of identification could be found. A liquor bottle found near the scene may or may not have belonged to him. What was left of the torso was placed in a basket and taken to an undertaking parlor.

No word from Washington had yet been received by the sheriff’s office Wednesday morning on the identification. A “G” man accompanied Sheriff Dykstra to Sioux Center Tuesday to look into the matter. The finger prints had been sent to Washington, air mail, on Monday night and it was thought a report might be available by Wednesday.

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From the Sioux Center News, August 17, 1939:

F.B.I. IDENTIFIED TRAIN VICTIM BY FINGERPRINTS – BURIED HERE
No One Claimed Corpse—Buried Here Without Ceremony
Letter From Father Definitely Identifies Gilbert

Wednesday evening county coroner Vander Ploeg received a letter from a Mr. J. M. Chilton of Orangeville, Ill., relating to Jerome Gilbert. Enclosed was a picture which plainly shows that the dead man is the same as shown in the picture on this page [a head shot accompanies this article] and is the adopted son of Mr. Chilton. He states that he received a letter from his son on July 16 and wrote him a few days later but this letter has been returned to him unclaimed. He describes Gilbert’s habits and states he hiked on freight trains and sold pencils, razor blades and other small items for a living. He explains that his son changed his name from Chilton to Gilbert after his wife had sent him to an asylum for drinking.

Full particulars of the accident have been forwarded to Mr. Chilton.
__________

Jerome Gilbert, killed by the train three miles north of Sioux Center Sunday evening, Aug. 6, was identified by the federal bureau of investigation finger print department. Sheriff Dykstra took the finger prints and sent them to Washington and three days later he received the following telegram:

“Sheriff, Orange City, Iowa.
Finger prints deceased man found on railroad right of way identical Jerome Gilbert received as three naught eighteen, State farm Green Castl, Indiana, June 1927 intoxication forty days….the other arrest investigation desertion. Residence given as Mason City, Iowa and Freeport, Ill. Birth place given Winslow, Ill. Confirming. –Hoover.”

Sheriff Dykstra immediately asked the chief of Police of Mason City for detailed information and received the following letter:

“Dear Sheriff:--
Enclosed you will find a picture of one Jerome Gilbert, formerly of Mason City. A check of the local relief offices reveal the following:
He was a medium height, about 5-5½ to 5-6, about 175 lbs., dark hair and blue eyes. He was of stout build and had a swarthy complexion. He had a noticeable gold tooth in front….
He has a father, James M. Gilbert at Freeport, Illinois, and his father-in-law, Henry Orth, Austin, Minn., lives near Austin on a farm. He is listed as having a wife, however the records show the name of two different women, Freda and Lola Gilbert. He was born May 16, 1889.
Hoping that this information will enable you to make an identification, and that if we can be of help to you, you will call upon us, I remain,
Yours very truly,
H. E. Wolfe, Chief of Police.”

The sheriff attempted to contact the relatives mentioned in the above letter to see if anyone was interested in claiming the corpse, but he was not able to find a single close relative. The father-in-law had moved from Austin, Minn. and left no forwarding address. His own family have apparently moved around so much that the trail to finding them has disappeared.

The body was held by the coroner in a specially built sealed container until Tuesday of this week. Since no one could be found to claim him the board of supervisors ordered that the coroner should bury him. So Tuesday afternoon Jerome Gilbert was lowered into a paupers grave without christian ceremony, accompanied only by the undertaker and his assistants.