Ionia County MI Archives Obituaries.....Havens, William 1914
************************************************
Copyright.  All rights reserved.
http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm
http://www.usgwarchives.net/mi/mifiles.htm
************************************************

File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Sandy Heintzelman sheintz@iserv.net November 20, 2009, 12:47 am

Portland Observer, 6 Mar 1914

Authorities Probe Death of Wm. Havens

Mysterious Circumstances Surround Finding of Man’s Body on Railroad Tracks.

Companion Sees No Trains on Long Walk

This Leads Officers to Believe that Havens May Have Been the Victim of Foul 
Play – Burial to Be Made Friday.

Circumstances surrounding the discovery of the mangled body of William Havens a 
former resident of Portland, on the Pere Marquette railroad tracks near Sparta, 
Wednesday morning, have thrown a mysterious light on the man’s death.  Kent 
county authorities are probing the case.

It appears that Havens, who is well know here, was digging a well at Alpine on 
the day prior to his death in company with M. Doubleday, of Sparta.  Doubleday, 
who walked from Alpine to Sparta, reaching the latter place at about 5:00 
o’clock Wednesday morning, declared he left Havens at the Alpine station at 
7:30 o’clock Tuesday night, and that he had met no trains on his way to 
Sparta.  This has led the officers to believe that Havens may have been the 
victim of foul play, although the man’s mangled body gave every indication that 
he had been crushed under the wheels of a train.

Havens was 46 years of age and had made his home in Portland nearly all his 
life, although he had resided with his mother, Mrs. Helen Havens, at Casnovia, 
for the past few months.  During his residence in this vicinity he had followed 
the occupation of a well digger.

Upon learning of the tragedy, Lee Havens, of Portland, a brother of the dead 
man, accompanied by his wife, left for Sparta Wednesday noon.  The remains will 
be taken to Oakfield, Mich., where interment will be made Friday afternoon.  
Besides the brother in Portland deceased is survived by his aged mother and 
several other brothers and sisters.


File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/mi/ionia/obits/h/havens1429nob.txt

This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.net/mifiles/

File size: 2.3 Kb