a part of genealogytrails

The Lima News
(Contributed to Genealogy Trails by Norita Moss)
Frank Coe: Haunted by his own demons
by line
Kim Kincaid - Wednesday Jan. 30th, 2008
LIMA Some turn-of-the-century neighbors said it was that hit on the head that changed Frank Coe. Others say he followed in his father s suicidal footsteps. Still others claimed it was his sad lot in life that traumatized him.
     Whatever the reason, Coe was a troubled man by anyone s standards. And before he disappeared from the face of the earth, he had murdered his wife in front of his toddler daughter and tried to kill the president of the United States.
     Pretty unbelievable for a guy generally considered likeable. In fact, experts in the medical and legal fields both described Frank as a talkative guy, inclined to make friends easily. His family said that growing up, he was generally happy.
     Until that fall.
     His brother George claimed that when Frank worked for the railroad in Lima in 1894, he took a fall and landed on his head. According to George, that s when many of the problems began.
     Three years later, Frank left Lima to find work in Cincinnati. While there, he began hallucinating that people were trying to kill him. Brother George went to retrieve Frank and had him admitted to a hospital in Toledo.
     While he was being treated there, his mother, Fidelia Burnham, went to visit him. On her return trip, the excursion train she took was hit by a freight train, and Mrs. Burnham was killed.
     As her son remained a patient in the Toledo hospital, her body was taken to Milan, Mich., where she was laid to rest beside her first husband and Frank's father, John Coe.
     After Frank was released from the hospital, he set up housekeeping on West Kibby Street with his wife, Emma. By all accounts, the two had a storybook marriage.
     However, Coe was back in the newspapers when his 16-month-old daughter Julia died of cholera in August 1899. Not long after, Frank lost his Lima job.
     The family picked up and went to Springfield to try and start over. There Frank did find a job, but his life quickly began spiraling out of control. Neighbors said he began to imagine that people were talking about him, and accusing him of wrong-doing.
     It came to a head on Dec. 27, 1899, when Coe killed his wife and then shot himself as their daughter Irma looked on. His suicide attempt was unsuccessful.
     George told the local papers that his brother was undoubtedly insane.
     Meanwhile, Coe s mother-in-law, Mrs. A .J. Neister of Indiana, said she had feared for her daughter's life for some time.
     She recounted that Emma had left Frank the summer prior to the killing and spent time with her mother, telling her of life in the Coe household. Although her mother begged, Emma refused to leave Frank, fearing he would do something desperate.
     The mother-in-law told the newspapers that insanity ran in Frank's family, claiming Coe s father had committed suicide years earlier.
     Police claimed two notes left by Frank intimated that he had intended to take only his own life, and perhaps his wife had struggled with him in those early morning hours before he shot her.
     A jury found Coe guilty of manslaughter, and he served one year in the state penitentiary. His daughter Irma was reared by her maternal grandmother.
     Upon Frank's release, he was taken to an asylum in Toledo.
     Shortly thereafter, he escaped from there. Considered harmless by hospital officials, no attempt was made to find him.
     But Coe's demons continued to haunt him.
     By 1904, he had sent several letters to President Theodore Roosevelt. In them, he detailed his plans for a bill to revolutionize the spelling of proper names.
     Signing his name as Edward Relgar, he suggested that Roosevelt require people to adopt their profession as their surname. Carpenter would be for carpenters, Mason for masons, and so on.
     Roosevelt did not respond to his suggestion, so carrying a gun, Frank made his way to the White House in February 1904.
     There, he was arrested at the gate and charged with carrying a concealed weapon.
     An uncle who knew of Franks suggestion quickly identified Relgar as Frank Coe, and once again the former Lima resident was front-page news.
     His family petitioned to have Coe brought back to Lima where they would take charge of him, promising to take him to a Chicago doctor who claimed he could surgically help Frank.
     That request was granted, and Coe, along with a U.S. Marshall, was on the next train out of D.C.
     However, when the train made a stop that night, Coe jumped out and was never seen again.
     His family told the local newspaper they didn't expect to hear from him ever again, until another strange notion overtakes him.
     No other word was ever heard from the very troubled Frank Coe.

Van Wert Times Bulletin
Oct. 18, 1928

Anna M. Grafton has been appointed administratrix of the estate of the late Rolvin Burton Grafton, of Delphos.

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Earl Westfall, of this city, was quietly united in marriage to Miss Bernice Wise, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. M. F. Wise, of South Chesnut street, at 9:30 o'clock this morning, by Rev. C. J. Coverstone. The single ring ceremony was used. The bride and groom will make their new home on North Franklin street.

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Amos Harmon, an employee of the Glenmore Equity Exchange Grain Company, was the victim of a singular accident, Wednesday afternoon, at the company's plant. A shipment of coal had just been received at the company's yards when Harmon started to walk across the top of the coal. The dump fans of the car were unloosed and Mr. Harmon was carried through the coal to the bottom of the car. A corps of men about the elevator dug him from the coal and fortunately he escaped with numerous bruises and cuts about the face and body.

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Van Wert Times Bulletin
Jan 2, 1930

Born to Mr. and Mrs. Fred Campbell, of Vendeocia, a daughter.

Born to Mr. and Mrs. William Spoor, of George street, a daughter, who has been named Betty Jean.

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Clark Bechtol, of Hoaglin township, and Miss Ruby Imler, of Union township, were married New Year's Day by Rev. T. J. Carey at his home on Allingham street.

John Flint, of Broughton, and Miss Thelma Mildred Smith, of Paulding, were married Wednesday by Rev. T. J. Carey, at his home on Allingham street.

William B. Shepherd, who resides with his daughter, Mrs. C. L. Ireland, of North Jefferson street, fell at the family home Wednesday and suffered a fracture of the bones of his right hip. He is a patient at the Van Wert County Hospital.

Lawrence LaRue, of South avenue, mashed the end of the middle finger of his right hand Wednesday while attaching a trailer to an automobile.

Van Wert Times Bulletin
Jan. 4, 1930

Oscar Emerson has been granted a divorce from Bertha Emerson, on the grounds of gross neglect.

Van Wert Times Bulletin
Jan. 6, 1930

Marriage License

Almon V. LaRue of Van Wert and Abbie M. Chambers of Ridge township.

Mrs. Lee Cassell, of North Market street, has been made a patient of the Van Wert County Hospital.

J. A. Tomlinson, who has been quite sick the several weeks at his home in Ridge township, is improving quite nicely.

Roy Loop, an employee of the Stoops Packing Company, was struck by an automobile this morning at the intersection of Main and Cherry streets, while on his way to work. Mr. Loop was badly bruised and shocked but it is not thought that his injuries are of a serious nature. Following medical treatment he was removed to his home on North Cherry street.

Dale Fireoved, of the Refiner's Gasoline Filling Station, at Main and Cherry streets, was held up and robbed at his place of business Sunday night, about 8:00 o'clock, by a stranger who escaped with about $20 in cash and three gallons of gasoline. Mr. Fireoved was forced to open the money safe and then was shut in a small wash room. The robber made his escape in an automobile.

Van Wert Times Bulletin
Jan. 7, 1930

Miss Fern Conley is quite ill at her home on West Crawford street.

There is improvement in the condition of Mrs. D. r. Owens, who is ill at her home on South Walnut street.

There is a slight improvement in the condition of John Shearer, of near Convoy, who was severely injured in an automobile accident some time ago.

Van Wert Times Bulletin
Jan. 9, 1930

Mrs. George P. Brewer, of Woodland avenue, suffered a dislocation of her shoulder in a fall on a flight of stairs at her home Wednesday afternoon.

Samuel Saltzgaber, one of the oldest men in Ohio, celebrated the 100th anniversary if his birth at Van Wert, O., last week. He was born in Lebanon county, Pa., Jan 12, 1800, and is the grandfather of 60 children and the great-grandfather of 100 children.

Henry Boesch, died suddenly while at work as teller in the Van Wert National bank here today. He was 66. Funeral services will be held Sunday afternoon.

State Births (News Article) Date: 1921-02-26; Paper: Fort Wayne News
Sentinel
Latty, Ohio Feb 26Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Steller are the parents of a son.

(Birth Notice) Date: 1919-03-14; Paper: Fort Wayne News Sentinel
Hicksville Ohio, March 14 - A new arrival of a baby boy at the Sam Siessman
home, northwest of here makes the fifteenth child in the family and all are
living.

(Birth Notice) Date: 1920-07-20; Paper: Fort Wayne News Sentinel
Convoy, Ohio July 20 - Born to Mr. and Mrs. Paul R. Cox a baby girl, which
they have named Gladys Marveline

Date: 1919-07-25; Paper: Fort Wayne News Sentinel
Van Wert, Ohio July 25 - A son was born to Mr. and Mrs. Owen Roberts of
Venedocia. Mr. Roberts is director of St. Mark's English Lutheran choir, of
this city.

Van Wert has a mild case of small pox, the first known here for 11 years, according to C. R. Keyeer, health officer. The victim, Ross Hill, colored is a waiter in the dining car service of the Pennsylvania railroad and was put off his train in Van Wert when it was discovered that he was suffering from the disease.

Van WERT — John B. Lloyd, aged resident of Venedocia died from injuries received when struck by a Clover Leaf train. He was taking a load of coal home and drove across the track in front of the approaching train which he evidently did not see. The funeral services will be held Thursday afternoon

Judge E. C. Stitz, city solicitor and former mayor and judge of common pleas court died suddenly at his home.

The remains of Lon Reid, service man who died of pneumonia and spinal meningitis at Coblenz, Germany, are being shipped home for burial. W. H. Reid, the father, has received official word that the body will be sent from its German grave to Van Wert.