Waterbury evening Democrat., 1895-03-28
SHAMEFUL NEGLECT.
Mans InhumRnity to Man Fully Illus-
trnted In theICRsea0f Gilbert White.
Circumstances OF HIS Death Being
Investigated.

Investigated.
The story brought to light by Sheldon
G. White, brother of Gilbert White who
died at the Hotchkiss farm Tuesday night,
is the most startling known in the history
of the town and demonstrates anew the
truth Of the words of the Scotch bard.
MANS inhumauity to man makes count
less millions mourn"
Gilbert White was born in 1923 at South
Dover, Duchess county, n. Y. He was
married twice. but leaves no children.
Thirteen years ago he came to Waterbury
and went to work for S. b. Hotchkiss on
his farm off the Wolcott road. A short
time ago Mr. White was taken i'll and Mr.
Hotchkiss sent for Town Physician 'Hara.
The town physician was out of town and
DR. Frenzy was called and prescribed Tor
the patient, who appeared to be threatened
with pneumonia.
Nothing was heard of the case afterward
until Tuesday, when Mr. Hotchkiss and
one of his men called at the town clerks
office for a burial permit. Clerk Belden
refused to issue the permit because the
blanks were not properly filled out, there
being nothing on the death certificate but
the name of the physician, DIR Frenzy,
and the cause of death, pneumonia.
Mr. Hotchkiss asked what had been omit
ted. The clerk gave him the desired in
formation and among other things said
there was no undertaken mentioned. Mr.
Hotehkiss said the remains were to be
taken out of town and that John Moriarty
was the undertaken in charge and the per-
nit was then made out. Mr. Hotchkiss
then proceeded to the Waterbury Furni-
ture Co, purchased a cheap casket and
then called on Undertaken Mulville and
asked him how much he would charge to
take q man to the depot,
"What kidd of a man." inquired the I'M
dertaker?
well" said, Mr. HotchkisS 1.-The man is
dead. Some people wanted to bury him
in the potter's field. but would not have
it, wanted to give him decent burial"
What condition is he in asked Mr.
| Mulvllle. ''If the man is dead l suppose
you have HIM in a coffin and why not get n
hsarse where you bought the outfit"
To this Mr. Hotchkiss gave an evasive
answer aud offered the undertaken 50 If he
would hitch up his team and leave the
coffin at the station. The offer was refused
and Hotchkiss left apd other arrangements
were made and the funeral was announced
to take place this morning, the remaius to
| be taken to Canaan for burial.
| In the meantime Sheldon Z.
brother of the deceased. arrived here from
| South Dover, and the rest of the story is
best told in his words. To a reporter Of
| the DEMoCRAT he said: II WAS notified
of my brothers death Tuesday night, but
| was not able 10 reach here until yesterday
| afternoon. l came here on the l O'CLOCK
on the New England road and called al
the house and found that my brother had
died under suspicious circumstances, to
say the least. was told tina,
after his death a pocketbook containing
some money and check drawn on Wa.
terbury man who is good for the amount
was found clutched IN his hand, which
shows the peculiar circumstances con.
nected with his death. He was not laid
out i'll a proper manner. There WAS moth
ing to Indicate that the remains had been
prepared for christian burial. The body
was purging and his head WAS sticking NJ
At one eud of the coffin and his position
showed that the box WAS too small and
that the remains were jammed into 1t
My nNphew's wife, Mrs George White, wa,
in the house. l sent message over fol
Mr. Hotchkiss and he sent back word tina
if wanted him l would have to call a
his house. After receiving this answer
was shown Health Officer O'Hara anC
County Health Officer Hoadley who,
since learned, were out there on som,
other business and called them in anC
| asked them to investigate the case"
| When the interview took place Nj
White was having papers of administration
made out for his brothers estate at the
probate office. John Moriarty was named
as administrator. Undertaken Moriart,
was seen and said that the county healtl
officer had called upon him in connection
with the case and he said he was surprised
| IN 70 ha II
init as funeral director. He knew nothln,
about the matter except that Mr. Hotchkis
had called at his place and puschased
cheap coffin and took it away.
| The brother of the dead man ordered tn,
first box taken back to the store and re
quested Mr. Moriarty to send out a suit
| able casket and the remains will be takeI
to South Dover for burial tomorrow. III
take him home and give him a grave be
side his father and mother" said NJ
White land then I'll push this case as fa
as possible"
MIR Hotchkiss says that he regrets Ina
matters were not arranged differently
He Gays that he paid SIS for the coffin anC
that the body was not washed after dealt
because the deceased had been washe,
shortly before he died. No undertaken wa
called to care for the body, as Mr. Hotch
kiss says that with some local assistanc
he was competent to care for the remain
without professional aid. NJ
Hotckiss says he purchased pair of trou
sers for the corpse and that the man al
ready had a good coat.
The deceased worked the farm on share
with Hotchkiss aid his brother thinks tina
unless some one got hold of his money h
must have been worth considerable at tn
time of his death.
When County Health Officer was on hi
way home he called upon Baggagemaste
ICY" Thompson of the Naugatuck depo
J and cautioned him not to allow the body T.
be put on board the tram unless the re
m aims were properly secured and a permi
filled out to either John Moriarty or tn
brother of the dead man. That thin
preySd on my mind So" said NJ
: Thompson this afternoon, that l coul
not rest until 1 called to see MoriArt
} about it. did not want TO have q seen
/ around this place. Even after Moriart
told me the situation could not forget /
} and when went to bed had dream. tn
! thoughts of which still makes me shivel
knew Gilbert White we'll. He was
joiner and used to work at one time 70
, Road Supervisor Burns, and was a very re
spectacle man. But about the dream.
thought / saw old Hotchkis trying t
force White into coffin and then paddin
J him up with hay. When he had the 10
about finished I thought White jumped OF
of the coffin and started to chase Hotel
kiss around the hay NOW. The thin
seemed as real as anything I have eve
seen and worked me up TO such a pitch {
excitement that when l thought l sa
: HOtchkiss jump out of the window an
White after him gave yell that woke u
everyone in the house"
A burial permit was made out this afte
naon to John Moriarty and the remain
, have been put in as good condition as pc
, sible.