The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1921-12-31
THOMAS
| DIED SUDDENLY
Was Familiar Figure Of
Barre and Civil War
Vet yan
3
CAUSE o. EATH
toT KNOWN
Women House Heard
Him 2 After She Had
Caned Physician

Joseph Thomas, an old resident
Barre and familiar figure about &c
city for many years, died suddenly in
his room at IA Depot square shortly
after 10 o'clock last night. He was
about ~ years old
Mr.. Thomas contracted severe cold
several days ago but did not consider
IT, serious enough to take to his bed.
He was apparently over it yesterday,
according to friends. but was very ner-
vons. Mrs. M. Il. Bruce. who occupies
the apartment under the rooms used
by Mr. Thomas and who has frequent
ly cared for him when he required 1t,
said she went up to see him shortly
after 9 o'clock yesterday morning and
he told her he had passed a sleepless
night. lie said his room was cold and
that about Is minutes after he retired
at 10 o'clock, he awoke and found his
body blue and numb. He said the
remainder Of the night he was unable
to sleep.
Mrs. Bruce gave him oatmeal and
some breakfast. During the rest Of
the day, she said, he was exceptionally
gruff in his manner, and she believed
it was from the sleepless night he told
of. At about $50 o'clock last night,
she said, she heard him calling her
name ard she hurried up stairs to find
Mr.. Thomas leaning over the sbanister-
He appeared very i'll and she helped
him into the room and he sat down
on the bed Mrs. Bruce made him some
I....a..xla o.,I NJ. TI,n,,ao .a4 an tho
edge of the bed drinking it. He urged
that a doctor be called and as he
looked SO bad. Mrs. Bruce sent a pass
erby to telephone.
The man was unable 10 get the doe
tor Mr.. Thomas asked for, so Mrs.
Bruce sent him for DIR. J. A. Wark.
She then set the cup of lemonade on
box near Mr.. Thomas, who was sit
ting on the edge of the bed, and re-
turned to her apartment. A few min
utes later she heard a thump on tho
fioor and, running upstairs, found Mr..
Thomas lyinr on the floor of the room
face downward. DR.. Nark arrived
very soon but Mr. Thomas was past
aid. The police were notified, the
states attorney called and he, in turn,
passed the case over to Grand Juror
William Nishart Permission was Civ
en- to remove the body and it was taxi
en- to the funeral parlors Of Perry q
NoonaD.
Little has been known of Mr.. Thom-
as origin or early life except that he
was born near Thomaston, Me. He
served in the Civil war in the United
States navy and frequently held knots
of friends speil-bound with tales OF
blockade running, high-seas engage
ments and other naval achievements
OF the Rebellion
While in one of his talkatiye moods
last week, he eonfided to Times man
during his daily wait in the office for
the first paper off the press that he was
a boy selling papers on the streets OF
Worcester during the early part OF the
Civil war and business was exception
ally brisk, there being such big
crowd clamoring for war news that he
would sell bundle of 800 papers as
soon as he emerged from the newspa-
per Office. When asked If he wasn't
rather Young TO enter the service, he
remarked that he was II years old
when he enlisted.
He came to Barre many years ago
and had been an active member OF
the granite cutters union up TO the
time of his death, acting as doorkeep-
er Of the union. He had not worked
at his trade for several wears but had
been caretaker of the union rooms.
Efforts are being made by the au-
.lor;+;,. 20 locate relatives IL is be-
lieved he has a son who is employed
hv the American Express Co., near
Worcester. Mass. Funeral arrange
ments win not be made until some rel
ative is communicated with.