Henry Boozer

BOOZER

Posted By: Volunteer - Rich Lowe
Date: 4/8/2015 at 15:37:37

Henry Boozer.

The dead body of Henry Boozer was found Friday afternoon, October 4, in his room at the Ballingall hotel in Ottumwa. About one o'clock P. M. the chambermaid tried to arouse him and being unable to do so looked over the transom and saw him lying at full length on the floor. Dr. A. O. William was called and stated that Mr. Boozer had been dead for at least four hours.

He had been in Ottumwa recently working on the promotion of an interurban line from that city to Centerville and had recently received from some source a sum of money said to be more than one thousand dollars. During the street fair or Ollepaw festival at Ottumwa he plunged into reckless drinking and threw his money to the winds, until at the time of his death he was entirely without funds, no money or message or any kind being found on his body.

Besides the body were two four ounce bottles of chloral, empty. it is believed that he was addicted to the use of this drug and that at this time he had taken it in too large quantity.

Mr. Boozer first came to this county to promote the Kesosauqua-Fairfield interurban and was successful in the organization of the company. This road failed to follow the plan he desired and Hillyer and Co. of New York were unable to carry out the successful financing of the same. It is now in the hands of the Donald Fitzgerald Company of New York.

He came to Bonaparte in the spring of this year to promote the Burlington Bonaparte road. He remained here several weeks but because of his continued unfitness to do business was turned down by the Burlington and Bonaparte people who were interested in the promotion of the BB line. He however, given the start and the company was organized, a survey made, etc.

When Mr. Boozer was in Bonaparte's wife and son, aged about 14 years, we're living with his wife's brother who was running a hotel in a town in Michigan. Mr. Boozer's former home and the home of his immediate relatives is Waterloo, Indiana.

He had the qualifications for a successful promoter, being an intelligent man, a ready speaker and a hard worker, but excessive use of stimulating liquors and drugs finally brought him to his untimely end.

Note: Year not given but position in scrapbook would suggest 1907.

Source: Entler Scrapbook, vol 3, Iowa Historical Library, Iowa City, IA