Ionia County MI Archives Obituaries.....Anderson, Charles B. 1879
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Belding Home News, 17 Jul 1879


His History- Sudden Departure and Cause – His Death at Toledo.

The person above named was the son of James Anderson, one of the pioneers of 
Otisco.  He was born from a respectable family, and from youth to manhood he 
was surrounded by influences calculated to develop a noble character.  He was 
regarded by his neighbors as a man of intelligence and integrity.  In some way, 
however, he had become addicted to the use of liquor, and a times would have a 
regular “spree.”  Ordinarily he was not unfitted for business.  Most of his 
life has been spent on a farm a little south-west of Belding.  On the 1st day 
of July, 1878, he became agent for the co-operative Association of the Patrons 
of Husbandry of Belding.  $1400 were placed in his hands with which to do 
business, and J.M. Brown and J. Milton Earle became his bondsmen for the 
faithful handling of the money and a proper fulfillment of duty.  Mr. Anderson 
was an extensive purchaser and shipper of wheat, and much wheat was stored with 
him.  In every capacity it seems that he acted only as agent for the 
association.  June 30 was appointed by the trustees as a day of settlement with 
their agent, and it was expected that he would be superceeded.  On the evening 
of June 27, Mr. Anderson purchased a ticket to Detroit and return.  He hired 
Mr. Wm. Rickert to carry him to Greenville.  Monday, June 30, came.  The 
trustees met, but Mr. Anderson did not put in an appearance.  Suspicions were 
at once raised as to the cause.  They inventoried the stock at the warehouse 
and found but little.  Wheat had also been deposited by sundry farmers which 
had been sold and no returns made to owners.  Investigations indicated that Mr. 
Anderson had been dealing in “options,” and that he had been the loser in the 
speculations.  This, with the fact that he had been drinking more freely than 
usual for the past few months, explained all.  It is not thought that he 
carried a large amount of money away with him, but that it had been buried in 
unfortunate speculation and drinking.  Nothing further was heard from him until 
Tuesday of this week when Wm. A. Luther, P.M., received the following telegram:

Van Buren House, Toledo, O., 10:15 A.M.  a man has died at my hotel registered 
as C.W. Hartwell, but from papers found supposed to be C.B. or James Anderson 
of your place.  Has he friends residing there?  If so, give address.  C.J. Van 
Buren.

Mr. Fred Deitz was at once dispatched for the body, which arrived this 
morning.  The body was in a good state of preservation.  A short funeral 
service was conducted by the editor at the family homestead, and the remains 
were deposited in the Cook’s Corners Cemetery.  Mr. Anderson leaves an aged 
mother, two sisters and a daughter to mourn his death.  The family are very 
deeply afflicted, and have the heartfelt sympathies of the whole community.  
Mr. Deitz informs that the amount of $210 was found upon his person.  The 
following related substantially the manner of his death:

From the Toledo Bee, July 15.  On the 3rd inst, a stranger registered at Van 
Buren’s hotel, on Monroe street, as C.W. Hartwell of Detroit.  He said he was a 
dealer in grain options and was on his way to Chicago.  Shortly after his 
arrival he was taken sick with the ague and obliged to give up his trip to 
Chicago.  He was sick on alternate days until the 11th, when he took to his 
bed.  Dr. Thorn was called, and as he grew worse, Dr. Bond was summoned in 
consultation.  The stranger would tell nothing of his friends nor of his 
affairs, except that he had no family.  On Tuesday morning he died.  Mr. Van 
Buren had reason to be believe that the man’s name was not Hartwell, and 
investigated his papers.  Among them was a receipt to James Anderson from the 
Farmer’s Mutual Fire Insurance company of Ionia, Mich., dated June 30, 1877, a 
note to A. L. Chubb of Grand Rapids, given by Frank Moon for $15, and several 
grain circulars and letters addressed to C.B. Anderson.  Mr. Van Buren 
telegraphed to the parties in Chicago, Detroit, and Belding, Mich., from whom 
the circular came, but they knew nothing of the deceased.  He was about 35 
years old, five feet ten inches high, weighed 140 pounds, with sandy mustache 
and goatee, and deep set, hazel eyes.  He was dressed in an ordinary business 
suit, and appeared to be what he represented, a grain speculator.  Mr. Van 
Buren will give the body proper burial, unless he should hear from the friends 
of the deceased.

The Detroit Evening News, desiring to get at the marrow of the matter, 
telegraphed on Wednesday morning to Belding, telling of the Toledo occurrence 
and asking if C.B. Anderson was missing; and if so, how long and why?  In 
response the following was received just before going to press:  “C.B. 
Anderson, the man found dead yesterday at Toledo, was agent for the grange 
association, and operated a grain elevator for them.  He disappeared June 27, 
and his accounts were found to be 83,000 short, a result of drinking and 
unfortunate speculations.”

----

Mrs. James Anderson and family have returned to the homestead, a short distance 
south-west of town.  The family are in deep sorrow, and have the heartfelt 
sympathy of all.


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