Frostburg mining journal., 1908-02-08

merly of this county, had died suddenly
III Chicago. When it became known
later that he died in the dark and cold
of Saturday night the shock was greater,
and sympathy for the bereaved ones be-
came more pronounced.
The sad story, as told by the Chicago
TrjJUHF, follows:
A news-boy on his early morning route in
Highland Park yesterday came across the
body of William Brace, member of the law
firm of DetreeS, Brace Il Ritter, frozen stiff
i'll the snow within fifty yards of his home.
There were no evidences of foul play and
theory that Mr.. Brace, while on his way
home late the previous evening. had been
stunned by fall upon the slippery sidewalk
and succumbed to the cold, was supported
by the verdict of coroner'S Jury.
Mr.. Brace and Henry ID. Laughlin presi-
dent of the Perry SIdebearing company, went
to Madison, WIS, last Friday to appear be-
fore the United States Court there. Mr..
Laughlin was to go on to st. Paul, but Mr..
Brace returned to Highland Park Saturday
evening. The hour of his arrival was not
known, and it could not be learned if he
took a train directly to Chicago, came by
way of Milwaukee on a train that stopped
at Highland Park or left it at some point
farther north and by inter-urban electric
reached the suburb.
Narcs Berube. a l0year old school boy
who was delivering Sunday papers, ap-
preached the Brace residence at Linden ave
nue. and Sheridan road by way of the for
mer street, at $50 III. AS he went down
an incline leading to ravine directly ad-
joining the Brace property he saw a dark
mass, which he believed to be two dogs ly-
ing in the snow.
He avoided it by going into the street and
from there he saw IL was the body of a man.
l.
Hverlng the rest of his papers, told two 9TH
er boys, Bert. and George Kirby. of his dis
covery, The three returned and identified
the body AS that of Mr.. Brace
When the police had taken the body into
the house Mr.. Braces partners, james H -,
Defrees Henry A. Ritter and John g. Camp
bell, were notified. They went directly to
Highland Park, where they made thorough
examination of the snow near the place
where the body was found, questioned the
boys closely, and when the coroner Dr. J .
l.. raylor, of Llbertyville arrived, they had
ready for hlm all their information in CON
nection with the case.
The body lay with the head to the north,
as if the homeward- bound man feet had
slipped under him on the slope and he had
fallen upon his back. a belief supported by
the cruShing-in of the back of hlS Derby hat
found under his head,
There were no signs of struggle in the
snow or that Mr.. Brace had moved after the
fall HIS small hand bag was about six feet
back, as If 1t had been thrown by the jerk
ing of his arms when he felt himself slip
ping. The contents of his pockets-money,
Jewelry, and papers-were undiSturbed.
He was a heavy man. said Mr.. Defrees,
mot tall, but weighing about $50 pounds,
and he always gave the impression of walk
ing carefully as if in dread of fall. He
took little short steps and a sudden fall for
a man of such extremely sedentary habits as
his might easily have serious consequences
The only alternative from our belief that
he was stunned by the fall and did not re-
cover until he had been partly frozen by the
terribly cold wind that swept through here
last night is that he was attacked by heart
failure, apopleXy, or paralysis, but he was
not known to be subject to such ailments" !"
Mr.. Braces partners said his personal
habits were unlnJuriOuS, save that, marked
as they were by close application to his
work and lack of physical exercise, they
might leave him incapable of the struggle
with bad storm from the railroad depot to
hls house, a distance of one-third of mil
over snow-drfted sidewalks and in the fac
of strong wind
Coroner TAYLOR found no external appear
anCe of violence and announced that an
autopsy was unnecessary, The jury re-
turned verdict of freezing, occurring dur
ing period of unoonsciousness caused by
Mr.. Brace had achieved an enviable repu-
tatlOn as an attorney in chanCery cases. He
practlCed i'll Chicago for twenty years and
during the latter half of that period had
lived at Highland Park. He was born in
Westernport, Md, Nov. %, 1850, and was
admitted to the bar in 1871, beginning prac-
tice in Cumberland, Md. He came to
Chicago in 1883 and was associated with the
firm of Aldrich, Payne Il Defrees, which
changed to Defrees, Brace Il Ritter.
He was member of the Chicago and the
Illinois State Bar Associations, the Law in
stltute, of which he was president in 1901,
and of the Marquette, Republican, Highland
Mrs. Margaret Thomas Brace and one son,
William Brace, jr., 10 years old Funeral
plans have not been completed.
Later a letter, requested by the JOUR
NAL, came from Mr.. Braces brother-in-
law, Mr.. |. g. Lambert, conveying some
further intelligence:
On leaving home for Madison, Wisconsin,
two days before his death Mr.. Brace stated
to Mrs b. that he would try to reach home
on Saturday evening. Owing to the dread
full storm, trains generally coming into
Chicago Saturday were greatly delayed 1t
is believed that Mr.. Brace had in mind,
when he started on his perilous walk to his
home so late in the night the natural
anxiety of his wife regarding his safety, and
thus attempted to do what ordinarily, he
nor anyone would seek TO do. Being so
late, all the livery barns in Highland Park
were closed and there was no way to get
conveyance, The TribuHe report gives the
distance from the station to his home as
about one-third mile. In point of fact, it is
practically a mile and the way leads over
streets having heavy grades. The peril at
tending such walk in a fearful storm with
the temperature below zero, can easily be
imagined. Undoubtedly, Mr.. Brace was ex-
hauSted by the time he reached the point,
near his home, where he fell Being a
stout man, the shock of his fall on the ice
stunned him into insensiblity, and so death
came while he lay helpless in the darkness
and storm.
The funeral occurred from his late resi-
dence ~ Highland Park yesterday Tuesday,
$50 p. m. The Chicago Bar Association, of
which Mr. Brace was q member. accom-
panied the funeral train to Rosehill, where
interment was made. Aside from the large
plumber of Chicago attorneys, many other
friends from the city went to Highland
Fark IN special train to attend the services.
The kilograms and other messages of CON
doence received by Mrs. Brace were almost
innumerable, showing in what esteem and
affection Mr.. Brace was held
1t can be truly said of him as was once
said of another, that, 'if every one for
49, Il. IL.