THOMPSON, Harvey: Died 1914

THOMPSON

Posted By: Volunteer: Sherri
Date: 10/2/2016 at 11:34:26

STATION ATTENDANT AT COLLATT DEAD
Grilled By Attorneys and Went Home and Died of Heart Trouble.

Fairfield, Feb. 20, - Harvey Thompson, aged 65 years of Collatt was found dead Saturday at his home. Mr. Thompson was in charge of the railroad station at Collatt, the first station west of Birmingham. He was a witness in the Albright will case in Fairfield Wednesday and Thursday which was being heard before Judge Hunter. He was one of the most important of the large number of witnesses and as such was given a severe grilling at the hands of the attorneys Thursday afternoon.

Coroner G.C. Tallman and Sheriff Shaw Campbell who were notified went to the scene of the death. There was no evidence of foul play, however, and it is thought heart trouble caused his death.

A LATER ACCOUNT.

Birmingham. - Our community was shocked last Saturday morning to hear that Harvey Thompson of Collatt was found dead at his home. Mr. Thompson lived alone at Collatt and was station agent at that place. Friday evening he had weighed grain for Mr. Rettenhouse, who was delivering at Collatt, preparatory to moving away. Saturday morning he drove up with a load, and not seeing Mr. Thompson, and failing to to arouse him by calling, went into the house and found him lying dead across a trunk. It is not known how long he had been dead, but everything indicated that he must have died early in the evening. Mr. Thompson had been an important witness in quite an aggravated case at Fairfield, and the lawyers had given him quite an unnecessary grilling, which a neighbor noticed, seemed to affect him, and it is thought, heart trouble was more or less brought on thereby. Mr. Thompson was about 67 years of age, and a kindly neighbor and good citizen. The funeral was conducted at the home of his son-in-law, Mr. Will Gallop, near Collatt, by Rev. Crowther of the M.E. church, and not (withstanding) it was a very large crowd assembled to pay their last respects to an accommodating neighbor and a good citizen. The Jefferson county coroner was called, but no evidence was found indicating other than a sudden death by heart failure.

**Handwritten: St. Line Dem. Sat. 21 Feb. 1914

Source: Van Buren Co. Genealogical Society Obituary Book G, Page 219, Keosauqua Public Library, Keosauqua, IA