Almanac: This week in south Lake County history

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Updated: February 7, 2012 2:42PM

100 years ago

February 9, 1912

A man supposed to be Thomas McGaileck, about 38 years old, well dressed with overcoat, gloves and an extra suit of fleece lined underwear, was found lying on his back in Chip Binyon’s barn at Cedar Lake, last Monday morning, with two cuts in his forehead, which looked a little suspicious to Corner Houk, who ordered the undertakers, Linton and Merrill, to thaw the body out before a verdict is given.

A peculiar thing about it is his coats were off and one of his shirt sleeves was rolled up, which seemed he had stripped for a fight but that is only supposition. Papers found on his person show that he is Thos. McGaileck, and a story says he worked at the Zurbriggen place, near the lake, and was last seen on Saturday.

The Binyon place is not occupied in the winter and the barn was destitute of hay or anything to call him there to sleep last Saturday night with the weather down below zero. The cuts might have come from a fall, as a bottle partially filled with whisky was found near by. The remains were frozen stiff, but from the appearance he had bled a considerable amount from the cuts in his head.

From the manner he was laid out in the barn and the spots of blood found the sheriff partially believes the body was carried in there. Both knees and his elbows were found with skin off when examined closer. Why he should have pulled off his two coats and cap and rolled up one sleeve to go to bed in that cold barn is a mystery, if done on his own account.

A postmortem was held over the body by Drs. Houk and Blackstone on Tuesday afternoon. After the body was thawed it aroused more suspicion that he had been in a fight, as the bruises and cuts over the body make it seem impossible that he could have received them by falling down.

75 years ago

February 12, 1937

Injury to his back as he jumped from his truck early Wednesday morning made immediate medical attention necessary for John Parysek. He was brought from his farm place west of the South Halfway house by his son James, student in the local high school.

WASHINGTON — E. M. Jameson has a canary that whistles “Yankee Doodle” — honestly.

It’s a trick he learned by himself and performed for reporters — a little coy at first about so much company, but at length, as if reluctant to lose an audience on the verge of impatience, breaking forth into a lively refrain that was unmistakable.

He got as far as the part where the words say, “Yankee Doodle, keep it up,” and then sort of lost himself, but it was a good show.

COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Ohio department of education will introduce a course of safety study in high schools beginning with the next term. The course not only will include safety on the highways, but safety in the home and in the school. Parent-teacher organizations have representation on the committee drafting the course.

SAN FRANCISCO — Roher Bramy, attorney, has filed suit against an air line for $6,500 damages, charging that the failure of the stewardess to have a supply of chewing gum aboard caused him to suffer from air sickness.

SALT LAKE CITY – A five-by-ten foot chunk of coal from the Carbon county fields exhibited at the State Capitol weighs 20,000 pounds.

50 years ago

February 9, 1962

Joseph L. Costin, Illinois Bell Telephone manager, has announced the company’s plan to change the Crown Point telephone system to dial operation. The changeover is expected to take place in late summer of 1963. Other features of the new system will be Direct Distance Dialing — DDD — and new style, all-figure phone numbers. DDD will make it possible for Hub City residents to dial their own long distance calls in seconds to nearly 70 million telephones across the country. The all-figure phone numbers will fit Crown Point telephones into the nationwide numbering plan. The dial project calls for installation of additional equipment in St. John, Cedar Lake and Lowell to provide long distance direct dialing from phones in those communities, too. “A new telephone building to house the dial equipment will be constructed at the southeast corner of Walnut and East streets,” Costin said. “Measuring 118 by 102 feet, the one story reinforced concrete structure will have an attractive brick and stone exterior. It will be air-conditioned throughout and include a business office for our customers’ convenience.”