Beckham County, OK - Obits: Aloys Hummel, 1907
Tuesday, February 10, 2004

Submitted by: sayrepl1@sayre.lib.ok.us  (Stacy Akins)

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HUMMEL, ALOYS

B. 20 Aug 1871
D. 20 Jun 1907
Calvary Cemetery
Beckham Co. OK

  A phone message to Dr. Riley, the
county Coroner, received by him on
Sunday, About 2 p. m., stating that
Aloys Hummel had been found dead
and his services were requested.  A
reporter for the Record accompanied
him and gathered the following infor-
mation. Mr. Hummel was a prosper-
ous bachelor living about ten
miles northwest of this town, and
living alone upon his farm.  He had
been receiving his mail in Joe Lusby's
box and was punctual in his daily vis-
its to the box.  A letter addressed to
him remained in the box from Friday
morning until Sunday, when Mr. Lus-
by, thinking perhaps he might be sick
sent his son to investigate.  The young
man returned, stating that he saw
nothing of Mr. Hummel but the dog
acted strangely and he thought per-
haps it was mad or crazy.  The young
man and Conrad Siess then went to the
Hummel farm for further investiga-
tion and found him lying face down,
near the barnyard fence, dead, the
body lying across a pitch fork.
The coroner summoned a jury consist-
ing of Jos. Lusby; J. S. McConkey; S.
B. Lyda; Ernest Wamsley; Joe R.
Russell; and John Seiss, and the body
was carefully examined.  No marks.
wounds or signs of violence were dis-
covered.  The appearance was that
death was instantaneous.  The evi-
dence showed that he was seen alive,
walking round the remises on Thurs-
day morning.  Two witnesses testified
that they heard gun shots on Thurs-
day evening and some shouting, but
that the shouting did not appear to be
anyone in distress but more like
the shouts of one shooting rabbits.
There was writing material and an un-
finished letter on the table in the house;
a some of money was found in his cloth-
ing; his watch was on the table and
everything showed that he had left the
house in a somewhat hasty manner.
The hogs were out of the pen and the 
supposition was that he was attempt-
ing to get them back when he was
stricken with heart failure.  The evi-
dence was brought out that a physi-
cian has warned him that he was in a
serious condition and was liable to die
at any time.  The deceased had a bro-
ther at Amarillo and a cousin near
St. Louis.  The jury brought in a ver-
dict of death by natural causes or by
causes unknown to them.  Jos.. Lusby
was authorized to take charge of the
personal effects and attend to the buri-
al of the body which was badly de-
composed.  The deceased was a mem-
ber of the catholic church of this city
and was buried in their cemetery north
of town.
  A pathetic incident in the sad event
was of the fate of the dog, the companion
of the lonely man.  After faithfully
guarding the body, keeping away the
bogs, coyotes, and other animals three
days and nights, until neighbors ar-
rived, the apparently heartbroken ani-
mal laid down about half way between
the body and the house and died.  No
wounds could be seen; no outward
cause for his death.  Like his master,
he departed from this earth in a mys-
terious or unknown manner.  Who can 
knowingly say this animal had no soul?

Elk City Record  26 Jun 1907.

Hope this helps.

Stacy Akins
Librarian