Iowa Old Press
The Algona Upper Des Moines
Algona, Kossuth co. Iowa
Wednesday, December 27, 1893
G. R. WOODWORTH DEAD - He Expired Suddenly In Chicago
Last Saturday Morning—Heart Failure the Cause - A Well-known
Merchant in This Section for Many Years.
George R. Woodworth died suddenly in the Briggs House in
Chicago Saturday morning. He had been in Algona and Bancroft for
several weeks but went to the city last week Tuesday to complete
arrangements with the creditors of the Simpkins & Co. firm to
take the stock and pay them off. When he left here, Col. Spencer,
assignee of the stock, was to go if he was needed. Wednesday Mr.
Spencer received a telegram to come and also Thursday. Thursday
evening he started and spent Friday with Mr. Woodworth visiting
the various firms interested. Once during the walk, Mr. Woodworth
complained of being short of breath and asked to stand a minute
and rest. Nothing was thought of it at the time, but after the
coroner’s jury returned a verdict of death by heart failure,
it was recalled. Geo. W. Skinner of Bancroft was with them part
of the time, he being in the city on business. In the afternoon
Mr. Woodworth was not feeling well and towards 4 o’clock
Col. Spencer called a cab and had him taken to the Briggs House,
where he was soon put to bed, and where Col. Spencer left him
hurriedly, having barely time to catch the Northwestern train for
home. The next heard here in Algona was a telegram Saturday
afternoon that he had been found dead the following morning.
Probably no announcement was ever more unexpected or caused a
greater shock. Mr. Woodworth was known to nearly everybody in the
central and north part of the state. He came to Algona in May
1869, and opened his store around on Thorington street. Then at
the time of the Milwaukee depot excitement, he went there and
erected the east third of what is now Boardman’s creamery,
at a cost then of nearly $6,000. The four years of grasshoppers
ruined business there and he moved back to the building where
Goeders’ store now is and until 1883 rented there. In that
year he built the fine brick Goeders now owns. A few years later
he sold to Mr. Goeders and took his stock to Bancroft, selling it
out there and buying land at the beginning of the boom, making
during these late years very successful investments. The past
year he has spent in Chicago.
Mr. Woodworth was born in 1843 in Orleans county, N.Y., being
only 50 years of age at his death. When 16 years of age he went
to Jamestown to clerk. In 1862 he and his brother, Rome, went to
Faribault, Minn., and went into business, where they were
successful. An attack of inflammatory rheumatism kept him shut up
nearly a year and they sold out and returned to New York. There
he was married to Gertrude Hatch, who survives him, and came to
Algona, and his brother came to Webster City. Two children were
born. Rome was superintendent of the Stevens threshing machine
exhibit at the World’s Fair, and sold 16 outfits in Europe,
which W. H. Mullica of Algona spent the summer in setting up, and
is one of the most promising young business men in the city.
George is still in school.
Everybody who knew Mr. Woodworth will regret his untimely end. He
was genial, sociable, and friendly in his personal intercourse,
shrewd and cautious but fair in his business dealings, a lover of
home and a quiet domestic life, the intimate companion of his
children, a man whom everybody enjoyed stopping to chat with and
who made life pleasanter for all who came in contact with him. It
is in memory of a year of clerking under his tuition back in 1876
and frequent associations since that The Upper Des Moines pays a
tribute to the uniform courtesy and thoughtfulness for others,
which marked his private life. A cross or rough word never passed
his lips under any provocation. He expressed his views in a
smiling manner or held his peace, and while the many unpleasant
and disheartening experiences of his later years left visible
traces on him, they never robbed him of his genial and friendly
manner. His death will bring a feeling of regret to many homes in
Kossuth, and recall many incidents of early times. May he rest in
peace will be the wish of all.
-----
The Courier
Algona, Kossuth co. Iowa
Friday, Dec. 29, 1893
A VERY SAD AFFAIR - Geo. R. Woodworth Was Found Dead in a
Room in the Briggs House in Chicago —The Remains Interred in
Algona — A Large Number Pay Their Last Respects to the
Deceased.
A telegram received in Algona last Saturday morning by Col.
Spencer, bearing the intelligence that Geo. R. Woodworth had been
found that morning dead in one of the rooms of the Briggs House
in Chicago. The Col. had left Mr. Woodworth in the Briggs House
about 5 o’clock the evening before, and had been in
Woodworth’s company during the day, and as much talk
naturally resulted from the sad incident we deem it best to give
all that has appeared in print and also a succinct statement as
told by Col. Spencer himself. The following is from the Chicago
Herald, and is substantially all that has appeared in print about
it and all there is to tell about it.
FOUND IN THE BRIGGS HOUSE.
When a chambermaid at the Briggs House opened the door of room
421 with a pass key last Saturday morning, she found a dead man
on the floor. The girl had been unable to arouse the inmate of
the room from the outside and was horrified at the discovery, but
reported the matter to the hotel office at once.
The body on the floor was finally identified as that of Geo. R.
Woodworth, of 119 Loomis street, a wealthy man of family, who for
thirty years previous to the fall of 1892, had dept a dry goods
and general store at Algona, Iowa. The body was taken to C.H.
Sigmund’s undertaking establishment at 73 Fifth avenue,
where an inquest was held. Dr. Mitchell, the coroner’s
physician, held the autopsy and a verdict of death from heart
disease was returned.
REGISTERED UNDER A FALSE NAME.
The clerk in the office of the Briggs House, to whom the
discovery was reported, sent at once to the room, having first
ascertained that the name of the occupant of the room, according
to the hotel register, was George Ganem, and that he lived in or
registered from this city. The clerk found the body on the floor
near the washstand. A dampened towel lay near the hand of the
corpse. The man was still warm, and probably had not been dead
more than an hour. After getting up the man had dressed himself
with the exception of his coat, overcoat and hat, and these
articles were found in the room.
When an investigation was made at the undertaking rooms and the
articles of personal property were taken from the pockets, it was
thought the man was R.H. Spencer, of Algona, Iowa, who appeared
to have been having some business with George R. Woodworth and
James H. Walker & Co., of this city. Word was sent to James
H. Walker’s wholesale store and finally a clerk was found
there, who came and identified the body as that of George R.
Woodworth. David Sinsebaugh, also employed by Walker and Co.,
knew both Spencer and Woodworth, and was able to tell
considerable about the nature of the business between the two
men.
HAD TO BE HELPED TO THE ELEVATOR.
The clerk at the Briggs House relates this story: “Last
Friday evening about 4:45 o’clock three men came into the
hotel. Two of them were supporting the third and they took him
directly to the elevator. One of the men, who, I have since
learned, was Colonel Spencer, of Algona, came to the desk and
asked for a good room for a good man who was unfortunate but who
wanted to be called early in order that he might get home to his
family, members of which would be anxious. I gave them a room and
Spencer registered the man, whom I have since learned was George
R. Woodworth, as George Ganem. They then went upstairs and I
heard no more of them until the maid reported the man dead in
room 421 Saturday morning at 9 o’clock. I remember that
Spencer was anxious to catch a train on the Milwaukee and St.
Paul Road at 5:30 o’clock Friday evening and that the cab
they came to the hotel in waited and that Spencer came downstairs
and left in the cab for the Union depot, having barely enough
time to catch the train. Late Saturday evening the same man who
helped Spencer bring Mr. Woodworth to the hotel the previous day,
came in here and spoke to me at the desk, asking me if ‘our
friend’ (referring to Mr Woodworth) had got up all right. I
told him the man was dead and he said Mr. Spencer and Mr.
Woodworth had called at the store where he was employed, 219
South Water street, about twenty minutes after 4 o’clock
Friday afternoon. He knew Spencer well and Spencer wanted him to
help him take care of his friend (Woodworth.) They all came to
the hotel together and when they got to the room a round of
drinks was ordered. Spencer was endeavoring to persuade Woodworth
to go to bed, and succeeded only by promising to retire with him.
Both retired, but Woodworth fell asleep before the drinks arrived
and did not drink. Seeing that Woodworth was asleep Spencer
arose, and, dressing hurriedly left the room, wearing the
Woodworth coat and leaving his own. Without knowing the man, I
thought at the time Spencer registered his friend that Spencer
had been drinking freely, and his statements to me believe that
his friend (Woodworth) had also been imbibing freely."
Clerk Sinsabaugh, of J. H. Walker & Co., testified at the
inquest that when he saw Spencer and Woodworth last, at 4:10 o’clock,
Spencer was under the influence of liquor, but that Woodworth was
duly sober.
A TRADE BEING MADE.
Over a year ago Woodworth sold a stock of goods at Algona to
Simpkins & Son, who removed the goods to Bancroft, Iowa,
eighteen miles from Algona. Simpkins & Son did not prosper
and were forced to make an assignment a few weeks ago. Spencer
was appointed assignee, and Walker & Co., were among the
principal creditors. Woodworth, however, was the first creditor
and the other creditors agreed to sell the stock to Woodworth,
and as assignee and officer of the court, Spencer came to Chicago
last Friday to assist in the arrangements for the sale which were
completed, as was contemplated, Friday afternoon.
On arriving at Algona Saturday morning, Spencer telegraphed to
Woodworth in care of Walker & Co., informing him of his
mistake in taking his (Woodworth’s) coat and asking that his
own be taken care of. Since that time no word has been received
from Spencer.
SPENCER’S OWN STATEMENT.
Col. Spencer’s statement corroborates that of the Herald. He
was called to Chicago both by Woodworth and Walker & Co. with
a view of making a deal of the Simpkins stock. He went in,
leaving Mrs. Spencer in a very nervous condition, and promised
that he would be home Saturday morning. After arriving in Chicago
and talking over the business affair with Woodworth and Walker,
Mr. Sinsebaugh, Walker’s head clerk, and Spencer and
Woodworth took a drink, and as they remained together most of the
day, they took several other drinks until all were feeling jolly.
Spencer went there with the fixed determination to start back
Friday evening, for unless he did so, he could not get home until
Monday, and he never lost sight of that idea. So after getting
Woodworth to bed, he started as above related. Under the
circumstances, he did what most men would have done. He got his
friend safely to bed in a good hotel and told the clerk to call
him early as his family would be anxious about him. Of course he
expected, as anyone else would, that Mr. Woodworth would awake in
the morning all right. With regard to answering telegrams, Mr.
Spencer did not get the telegram until 36 hours after it was
sent. He says he replied to all telegrams as soon as they were
received. Indeed so wrought up have been his feelings since the
sad event that he has not been in condition to attend to any
business.
THE REMAINS INTERRED HERE.
The remains of Mr. Woodworth arrived in Algona yesterday morning
accompanied by Mrs. Woodworth and her two sons, Rome and George,
and Mr. Woodworth’s brother, R. N. Woodworth and wife and
daughter. The Masonic Lodge of town and many of the citizens in
carriages and on foot met the remains at the depot and
accompanied them to the cemetery, where they were buried with
Masonic rites..
CAME TO ALGONA IN 1862.
Geo. R. Woodworth was one of the pioneer merchants of Algona, and
was one of the most genial and popular of men, and no man in the
community was more correct in his habits than he. He was born in
Orleans county, N.Y., in 1843, and in 1862, in company with his
brother, came to Faribault, Minn., and engaged in business. He
soon after settled in Algona, where he remained until about three
years ago. He leaves a wife and two sons, all of whom are popular
in this community and with whom the community deeply sympathizes
in this their hour of affliction.
[transcribed by L.Z., March 2019]