The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1910-06-09
Offer of $5OO,OOO Made to President
Frank Gavit for Stock of Thriving
Gary-Hammond Interurban
HAMMOND
BUSINESS MAN
IS DROWNED

Drowned in the murky waters of
the Grand Calumet river between the
Nickel Plate bridge and Holman street
In Hammond this morning was the
fate of George j. Thiel. a young Ham
mond man who conducts a saloon at
401 Sibley street. His body was re-
covered this morning at ten o'clock by
officers Mike Herman and William
Davis. after the river had been dragged
since two o'clock this morning. Thiel
fell into the water from the rear end
of the motor boat which was occupied
by himself. william Brook of S74 Beal
avenue chief electrician at the Conkey
plant and Peter Helmer. OF As Sibley
street, employed at.the r. S. Betz plant
The accident happened about one
thirty this morning as the party was
on its way home from Pullman where
it had spent Wednesday afternoon.
Brook adm Helmer are said to have ad-
mitted that they were under the in
fiuence of liquor. Coroner E. NJ.
shanklin will make a detailed examina-
tfon into the whole affair.
| Georr j. Thiel is % years old and
was single. He lived with his parents,
Mr. and Mrs. John B. Thiel, 135 Clinton
street, and in addition to these is sur
vived by two brothers and two sisters.
| The funeral has been arranged for next
| Saturday morning at 10 o'clock and will
be held under the auspices of the Cath
| olfc Columbia league. as he was a mem
/ ber of this order.
/ Mat Hilbrich was one of the party as
| 1t started toward Pullman yesterday
evening about 6 o'clock. The hour grew
| too late for him. however. and he soor
| left them, preferring to go home via
| the interurban. He knew nothing OF
the accident until at an early hour this
morning and then left for the river i'm
mediately to assist in the search for the
body.
Business Men Help.
The news of the drowning spreat
early about town Chief Austgen called
out both the day and night force to as
| sist in dragging the river. 1t wa!
found that the graphing hooks which
the police had were ineffective, and ac.
cordingly Otto Knoerzer and John E
Fitzgerald, of the o. K. Champion and
the distillery, ordered their blacksmith
to make some that would be effective
Mr. Fitzgerald gave the police the us
of his motor boat and man who woult
handle the boat while the police woult
take care of the hooks. The hook mad
Dy F1IZSeT2ld was maze OF a pleC
of rod from about six feet long and ben
in a V-shape and sharp at the ends
It was found that the grappler caugh
the drowned man in the belt of hi
clothes without mutilating the body.
Companions Aid I'm Search.
It was after 6 o'clock this morninl
when the family was notified of tn
accident, and the mother is almost pros
. trate with grief over the accident. TIL
. body was found about one hundred fee
, east of the Nickel Plate bridge. TIL
r hat of the dead man was found at a
early hour this morning, floating in tn
! slip between the Nickel Plate and Hof
, man street bridges. A string of f1s
yhich went overheard with Thiel wer
also brought up by the graphing hook
Brook and Helmer assisted in til
search from early morning until th
body was found
The body was taken to Emmerling
4 morgue.