The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1907-02-07
HERMIT'S BODY
FOUND FROZEN
Henry Shokies Sick and
Alone For Four Weeks
Dies in Shack.
FOUND AFTER FOUR DAYS
Old Man Was Refugee From Germany
Where He Deserted Army In
Franco-German War.

Henry Shokies. who is also known as
Halwig. q recluse who lived in a little
two-room shack in 1928 Grover street,
was found dead on the floor OF his
room this morning by Herman Hollz,
neighbor. 1t is supposed that the
man died three or four days ago after
an illness of several weeks.
shokies kept chickens and sold the
eggs for a living but did not leave his
little shack except to dispose of his
product and buy the few necessities Of
life that he required No one disturb
ed him in his voluntarily secluded life
and so it happened that during the Ave
weeks of his last illness this old man
of 60 years or more was not visited by
a single person and was not missed
until his frozen and 1ifeless body was
found on the floor of his cabin.
The discovery of his death was made
when John w. Davis, the mail carrier
who frequently passed the humble cot
tage noticed that for several mornings
he had not seen the smoke rising from
the chimney or noticed any footprints
in the snow. He talked the matter over
out in Sheffield avenue, and Holtz de-
cided to make an investigation.
Finds Corpse on Floor.
He found the door to the cottage
closed but not locked and upon open
ing it, he was Mortified to find Shokies
lying upon the floor between the bed
and the stove, half naked and frozen.
The fire was out, the chickens in the
yard were half starved and it was APP
parent that the man had been dead for
several days.
The police We're notified and Captain
Bunde went over this morning to make
an investigation. He found bruises on
the mans knees and a bruise on his
head, but it is believed these were due
to the fact that Shokies died a violent
death rather than to the violence of
any one who might have designs on
his person.
Shokies had been so much of a her
nit that even the neighbors did not
know his name and simply called him
Halwig. The only one who seems to
know anything about the dead man is
Charles Schroeder of go Hanover street,
who says that Shokies Is a German,
born in the old country. He was
soldier in the Franco German war, and
for some misdemeanor was locked in
prison. He escaped and went to Bra
zil, from there to New Orleans and
finally landed in Hammond.
For a time he was employed in the
G. H. Hammond company's plant, later
worked for Charley Heimbach, and
finally, eight or nine years ago, he set
tied down in his little cottage to end
his days, choosing occasionally to work
a day or two for Mr.. HoltZ
Shokis is believed to have a wife and
family in Germany, and at the time of
his death a letter was found which
was presumably written to his son, for
the salutation was. My boy, my boy"
Coroner Hoskins will hold the in
quest this afternoon, but the mystery
of the old Germans life may never be
solved.
On account of the frozen condition
of the body the coroner's inquest will
not be held until tomorrow It has
been learned, however, that the dead
man has $40 in the Commercial bank
and owns, free Of insumberances. the
property in which he lived, which is
valued at approximately $500.