Paul Beeker Slocum Sr. 2 3
- Born: 18 Nov 1886, Hutchinson, Reno, KS, USA 1 2
- Marriage (1): Elsie Mary Williamson on 4 Aug 1911 in Danville, Vermilion, IL, USA 1
- Died: 9 Apr 1938, South Wheatland Township, Macon, IL, USA at age 51 1 2
- Buried: 26 Apr 1938, Lafayette: Spring Vale Cemetery, Tippecanoe, IN, USA 1 2
FamilySearch ID: K8KT-1LX.
Noted events in his life were:
1. Census in 1900 in West Lafayette, Tippecanoe, IN. 4 The 1900 census recorded owning a home at 643 Wood Street in West Lafayette: Leroy C. Slocum, bank teller, 52, born Feb 1848, living with wife Flora V., 43, Jul 1857; Grace, 21, Jan 1879; Edith M., 17, M 1883; Blanch, 15, Jun 1885; Paul, 14, Nov 1886; Guy, 12, Sep 1888; Nellie, 9, M 1891. Everyone was born in Indiana except Paul, Guy and Nellie in Kansas. Leroy's father was born in Rhode Island and mother in Massachusetts. Flora's father was born in North Carolina and mother in Kentucky. The census column records Leroy and Flora were married 22 years ago and she had birthed 9 children, 6 alive in 1900.
2. Census in 1910 in West Lafayette, Tippecanoe, IN. 5 The 1910 census recorded owning a home at 443 Wood Street: Leroy C. Slocum, cashier at national bank, 62, living with wife Flora V., 52; son Paul B., mechanical engineer at railroad shops, 24; daughter Mary E., 27; daughter Blanche, secretary for dean of Purdue agriculatural school, 24, and son Guy R., 22. Everyone and their parents were born in Indiana except as follows: Leroy's father Rhode Island and mother Massachusetts; Flora's father North Carolina and mother Kentucky; Paul and Guy were born in Kansas. The census columns record Leroy and Flora were married 32 years ago and she had birthed 9 children, 6 alive in 1910.
3. Arrival: 1926, in Decatur, Macon, IL, USA. 1
4. Residence: on 14 Dec 1933 in Decatur, Macon, IL, USA. 3
5. Newspaper: Decatur Daily Review: Lake Dragged For Body of Paul B. Slocum, 10 Apr 1938, Decatur, Macon, IL, USA. 1 ---
Lake Dragged For Body of Paul B. Slocum
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Clothing Found oon Bridge Identified by Wife and Daughter
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Waters of Lake Decatur around Lost Bridge were dragged for three hours Saturday afternoon by Decatur firemen following the identification of a hat and overcoat found on the bridge as that of Paul B. Slocum, 50, of 1019 West Wood street. Mrs. Slocum and her daughter, Ruth, 16, made positive identification of the clothing.
Howard Ott, 1113 East Rogers avenue, found the hat and overcoat crammed into the steel girders of Lost Bridge about 9:15 a.m. Saturday, and reported the matter to Sheriff Emery Thornell and the Decatur police.
When her husband failed to return home after going for a walk Saturday morning. Mrs. Slocum became worried and called authorities. She and her daughter were shown the clothing and recognized it at once. Sheriff Thornell immediately gave instructions to start dragging the lake, and city firemen, under the direction of Chief Will Platt, took the city grappling equipment and boat to Lost Bridge, where they searched three hours in a vain attempt to recover the body. Firemen Louis Dickinson, Alvin Dresback, Dan Wise and Ernest Hanes worked in the search.
Handicapped By Wind
Efforts to drag the lake were greatly handicapped by a strong wind, which whipped up high waves. At 6 last night Sheriff Thornell and Fire Chief Platt suspended the search because of the gathering dusk and danger of the boat being swamped by the waves. Chief Platt said that his men would resume their work about 9 a. m. today.
Police Chief H. J. Schepper, Lieuts. L. L. Gibbons and S. L. Wood, with members of the department and a corps of deputy sheriffs assisted in direction of the work. Deputies kept traffic moving, many motorists being attracted to the scene.
Mrs. Slocum could give no reason last night for the supposed attempt at suicide on the part of her husband except that he had recently been afflicted with a nervous ailment which at times, she said, caused him to be melancholy and depressed.
Was Cost Accountant
A cost accountant with the Faries Mfg. Co. for the last 12 years, Mr. Slocum had taken a vacation during the last week in an attempt to relieve his nervous condition with a few days of rest. Mrs. Slocum said that he had been taking walks daily.
Mr. Slocum had visited his physician Friday, Mrs. Slocum said, adding that he had spent a very restless night Friday night. He had breakfast with her shortly after 7:30 Saturday morning and left soon afterward. She did not notice which direction he went, although on previous mornings he had walked west on the Springfield road.
Graduating from Purdue university in 1909, Mr. Slocum went from Lafayette, Ind., to Chicago as an accountant, and came to Decatur 12 years ago. The Slocums have three daughters, Virginia, 22 and Anne, 20, attending Purdue, and Ruth, 16, a student in Decatur high school.
Mrs. L. C. Slocum, the mother of West Lafayette, and three sisters, Mrs. B. W. Smith and Miss Edith Slocum, of West Lafayette, and Mrs. Howell Gholson, of Clarksville, Tenn., have been notified of Mr. Slocum's disappearance and were on their way to Decatur last night.
6. Obituary: Decatur Daily Review: Lake Dragged For Body of Paul B. Slocum on 25 Apr 1938 in Decatur, Macon, IL, USA. 6 ---
Slocum's Body Found in Lake By Fishermen
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Death in Lake Decatur Accidental, Inquest Jury Finds
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Uncertainty surrounding the disappearance of Paul B. Slocum, Decatur accountant, was cleared 10:45 a. m. Sunday, when his body was discovered in waters of Lake Decatur.
For 15 days. Decatur firemen searched for the body in the lake while police authorities aided Mrs. Slocum, who lives at 1019 West Wood street, in tracing down all clues that indicated her husband might have wandered from Decatur a victim of amnesia.
A coroner's jury, holding an inquest at 10 a. m. today in the Dawson & Wikoff chapel, returned a verdict of death by accidental drowning.
Discovery of the body was made by Harold Harvey, 452 Central avenue, and Grant Batchelder, 2182 Avery street, who were fishing in Big Creek.
The body had washed up on the shore of Big Creek, approximately 400 feet from the point where the creek flows into the lake.
Disappeared April 9.
While on a week's leave of absence from his position as cost accountant for the Faries Manufacturing Co., Mr. Slocum left his home on the morning of April 9 to take his usual morning walk. His leave from work was for the purpose of recovering from a nervous ailment which occasionally had brought periods of melancholy.
When his overcoat and hat were found crammed in the steel work of Lost Bridge, firemen started dragging the lake for his body. As many days passed without discovering the body, hope was revived that he might be alive. Mrs. Slocum was encouraged by reports that a man answering her husband's description had been seen in the vicinity of Pana and Tower Hill. Mrs. Slocum passed Friday and Saturday in that neighborhood. She was advised of the discovery of the body by Sheriff Emery Thornell.
Rough and rising water in Lake Decatur, it was suggested bv authorities, might cause the body of Mr. Slocum to be carried from Lost Bridge to the mouth of Big Creek, and then force the body upstream to the point where it was found.
"Loved the Lake."
The verdict of accidental drowning was directed by Dr. I. V. Grissom, county coroner, who explained that, if intentional, the drowning was due more to an emotional upset than to any premeditated plan to commit suicide. "By some unknown manner, he fell into the lake," the verdict read.
Mrs. Mary Elsie Slocum, wife of the accountant, testified she was confident her husband "wouldn't have desecrated the lake that way if something hadn't snapped." Mr. Slocum "loved the lake," she said. Exhibits presented at the inquest included objects taken from Mr. Slocum's clothing. They were a gold watch, stopped at 6:37; a billfold including a picture of his daughter, Ruth Elizabeth, 16; another picture of four children, and a receipt for a doctor bill. Money which Mrs. Slocum previously said he carried, was not shown in evidence.
Funeral Today
Funeral services for Mr. Slocum, a prominent member of the Central Christian church, will be held at 4 p.m. today in the Dawson &; Wikoff chapel. The body will be taken to Lafayette, Ind., for burial Tuesday, where graveside services will be conducted at 11:30 a. m. Mr. Slocum was born Nov. 18, 1886 in Hutchinson, Kan. He married Mary Elsie Williamson in Danville Aug. 4. 1911. The Slocums moved to Decatur about 12 years ago from Chicago. Previous to that time they lived in West Lafayette, Ind.
Mr. Slocum, a graduate of Purdue university, leaves in addition to his wife, three daughters, Alice Virginia, 22 and Anne Elsie, 20, students at Purdue, and Ruth Elizabeth, 16, Decatur high school pupil; three sisters, Mrs. B. W. Smith, West Lafayette, Mrs. Howell Gholson, Clarksville, Tenn and Mrs. Edith Snyder, West Lafayette, and his mother, Mrs. Flora Slocum, also of West Lafayette.
Paul married Elsie Mary Williamson on 4 Aug 1911 in Danville, Vermilion, IL, USA.1 (Elsie Mary Williamson was born on 2 Mar 1888 in Lafayette, Tippecanoe, IN, USA,7 died on 26 Aug 1974 in West Lafayette, Tippecanoe, IN 7 and was buried in Lafayette: Spring Vale Cemetery, Tippecanoe, IN, USA 7.)
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