Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-07-30
death Farm" Story Is
Found Purely IInaginery

Sandoval, ILL.,, July 30.-All Illinois
is talking about the marvellous, mys-
terious, mythical goings-on at Death
Farm" (The name came from Chi
cago) The farm has been here many
years, but until it recently acquired
multitude of voluntary press agents
it was unwept, unhonored-and I'M
stung.
Thousands of Illinois eyes have
wept over the death of Joe Ackerman.
Nobody in Sandoval, the nearest
town to this shivery farm, ever saw
Joe Alderman. Nobody here ever will
see him, despite the fact that citizens
of Sandoval will continue to go in
! both directions at more or less fire.
quent intervals. Harpists and expert
pitchfork wielders will be alike dis
I appointed.
| The reason is that there never was
| a Joe Alderman. 1t was an over
sight on Joe's part that he neglected
to exist. Nevertheless, his name will
live.
II Joe could be materialized out of
the world of nothingness he would
pat his chest and say:
I'm the fellow you read about.
die on Death Farm-Tuesdays and
Fridays"
Nobody in these parts ever heard of
Death Farm until Joe Alderman died
on paper.
Then came wonderful revelations
To the four quarters of the globe, in
Guiding Chicago and Metropolis City
the news flashed forth that poor Joe
Alderman had died less than three
weeks after the death of his brother
John.
; Some weird, unexplained and ma
lign influence peculiar to Death Farm
Cvercame them both.
Scientists were astounded. Experts
, who had never been within so miles
, of the farm were deeply impressed by
accounts Of sulphurous fumes which
hung over the Inflated places at sun
: rise.
This suggested to the SUPERSTITION
some Mephistophelian influence which
: might account for Joe Alderman
death. But the scientists knew bet
; ter. One theory advanced by a st
Louis savant was that there were nj
trates in the vicinity of the farm.
Following up this suggestion an in
vestigator asked the Western UnioI
: operator here whether there was any
thing in this theory.
Sure" said the operator. I'VE hav,
night rates"
And now for the facts.
The Gottfried Palm farm, 10 mile
northwest of Sandoval is an S0-acr
tract of fine farming land on tn
banks of Coles creek.
So far as careful investigation
shows there have been three, or a
most four, deaths on the farm in tn
last 20 years. There is a traditiol
that other deaths occurred Their
about 80 years ago, but no one her
can verify this.
Eight years ago Gottfried Palm an
his wife moved from the neighborin
town OF Ferren to the farm, whic
they had owned for several years. an
; which had been occupied for NOR
than a quarter of a century by fan
lilies in which the death rate had nc
, been above the normal.
Pahm at this time was nearly z
years old and had been an invalid fo
, several years. He was wheeled int
his new home in an invalid chat
: Physicians said paralysis woul
: cause his death in short time. Les
than year later he died, as had bee
: predicted.
Mrs. Palm nursed her husban
! through his last Illness. although sh
too, was an invalid. Two months la
er she died, the cause OF death b
ing heart weakness. superinduced 0
. exhaustion and a chronic complain
I OF long standing.
At that time there was no expires