Believed to be murdered. Coroner's report stated she committed suicide. She was poisoned with Mercury Bichloride -- found in thermometers but there was no bottle or anything left to show where she had gotten it or where she she put it after taking it. Violent death, happened quickly. Family feels husband, Reuben Kramer, killed her.
Here's the Coroner's Inquest information:
An inquest by the Coroner of Lake County, State of Indiana was held on the 28th day of June 1917, at Hammond in said Township, over the dead body of Mrs. Lillian Kremer who was supposed to have come to her death by suicide.
The undersigned, Joseph A. Graham, then and there acted as Coroner.
The following is the testimony of witnesses then and there examined before the Coroner, and which was then and there reduced in writing by the Coroner's Clerk Amy Graham in pursuance of the Statue in such case made and provided.
B.N. Chidlaw M.D. being duly sworn deposes and says:
My name is Berry N.Chidlaw
I reside at Hammond, IN. My occupation is Physician & Surgeon.
On June 28, 1917 by order of Coroner J. A. Graham I did a post mortem examination on body of deceased at Stuarts Morgue. Height 5-2 - wt. 110 lbs. - brown hair - brown eyes. right eye swollen black & blue - nose marked & face & neck swollen & dark from serious congestion being found lying on face. Eyes glazed - bubbling & bloody froth from nose shows decomposition - death hour occurred in my estimation from the degree of (??? might be medical term); petrification about 4 days previous. The fingers were clenched in palms and tongue had been bitten. The tongue had white appearance - scraped off epithelium as though from burn of some nature. The gums were dark and discolored as also cheeks inside. Upon opening the chest - the lungs were found containing very little congested blood except in antrum surface from lying on chest. they were apparently normal - the stomach was very red and inflamed and upon opening the lining showed a general red condition and about 2 oz. of digested food. The kidneys were ? and were only part of body showing any degree of ? congestion but they also were beginning to decompose. The bladder was empty and the womb dark with beginning decomposition.
I am unable with certainty to say the exact cause of death owing to the degree of decomposition of the organs.
Considering the appearance of the tongue and stomach - kidneys and no urine in bladder. I must consider some irritant poison - causing suppression of urine and convulsion.
B.N.Chidlaw, M.D.
Deposition of Witnesses
State of Indiana
North Township
Lake County
An inquest by the Coroner of Lake County, State of Indiana, was held on the 30th day of June 1917, at Hammond in said Township, over the dead body of Lillian Kramer, who was supposed to have come to her death by suicide.
The undersigned, Joseph A. Graham, then and there acted as Coroner.
The following is the testimony of witnesses then and there examined before the Coroner, and which was then and there reduced in writing by the Coroner's Clerk Amy Graham in pursuance of the Statue in such case made and provided.
Witness being duly sworn deposes and says:
My name is Dora Groat.
I reside at 438 Oak St. Hammond. My occupation is housewife.
Q. What do you know about the death of your daughter?
A. We did not know anything 'till we found her, my other daughter found her and when she came home I was on the front porch and she said "Ma -----
Q. Did you know of any trouble between the young people?
A. No, I did not know anything about any trouble.
Q. Was this girl despondent?
A. I never heard her complain.
Q. Did you know of her buying poison?
A. No, and we went there and went in and the house was locked, the windows down and how did she get there, undress and went to bed and my daughter opened the door and went in and that is the only key to open the door,. Her shoes were in the bath room and her coat in a chair and her stockings beside the bed and she had picked up her clothes and laid them on the chest beneath the window, how did she get there?
Q. Was the front door locked?
A. Yes we had to lock it with the back door key and they locked it when they went away.
Q. Was there a cellar?
A. There was no inside entrance, you could not get in the house from the basement.
Q. Did you find any bottle near her?
A. no, bottle nothing at all. We called the undertaker and when he came we explained to him how we found her and he Said, "I dasent touch her 'till we call the Coroner.
Q. Did she leave any note?
A. Nothing, we looked everyplace, there was no bottle and no paper, there was no gas in the meter, we had been there and I thought I would wash up the dishes they left, but I could not heat any water because there was no gas in the meter. Yesterday I was going there to clean up the house so it would be clean when she got home.
Q. (to R.C. Kramer) Where were you when she got out of the automobile?
A. About a mile from the station at that time, she walked that way and I caught up with her.
Q. Where did you take her?
A. I did not take her, she wanted me to go back home and she talked the way she always does and she said, "I said I am going home and I am going home."
Reuben C. Kramer
*****
Deposition of Witnesses
State of Indiana
North Township
Lake County
An inquest by the Coroner of Lake County, State of Indiana, was held on the 30th day of June 1917, at Hammond in said Township, over the dead body of Lillian Kramer, who was supposed to have come to her death by suicide.
The undersigned, Joseph A. Graham, then and there acted as Coroner.
The following is the testimony of witnesses then and there examined before the Coroner, and which was then and there reduced in writing by the Coroner's Clerk Amy Graham in pursuance of the Statue in such case made and provided.
Witness being duly sworn deposes and says:
My name is Adolph Kramer.
Q. Where do you live?
A. At Union Ill.
Q. What direction is that from Chicago?
A. Almost West, near Elgin, about 20 miles west of Elgin.
Q. On the Northwestern?
A. Yes sir.
Q. Your daughter went there last Saturday?
A. Yes, they were at the lake.
Q. You knew she left there Sunday?
A. Yes, after they came home.
Q. You don't know how she came home?
A. I do not.
Q. Do you know of any trouble between her and your son?
A. No sir.
Q. Did you son tell you about it?
A. Yes he told me, she said she would go home. He said he gave her some money and he trusted her to get home all right.
Q. Did she ever threaten to take her life?
A. No, everything seemed to be congenial between them.
*****
Deposition of Witnesses
State of Indiana
North Township
Lake County
An inquest by the Coroner of Lake County, State of Indiana, was held on the 30th day of June 1917, at Hammond in said Township, over the dead body of Lillian Kramer, who was supposed to have come to her death by suicide.
The undersigned, Joseph A. Graham, then and there acted as Coroner.
The following is the testimony of witnesses then and there examined before the Coroner, and which was then and there reduced in writing by the Coroner's Clerk Amy Graham in pursuance of the Statue in such case made and provided.
Witness being duly sworn deposes and says:
My name is Clara Howard.
I reside at 438 Oak St. Hammond. My occupation is housewife.
Q. Where did your sister die?
A. I found her dead in bed in her own house.
Q. How did you happen to go there?
A. Her husband called me and asked if my sister was home and I told him no. I had not seen her and I said what is the matter and he said"She left Sunday and I said "I have not seen her" and he asked me if I went to the house and I said "We went Tuesday but did not go in, we went to look at the garden and I picked up a paper off the porch and put it in a little out-house that is there," I said "My God what has happened" and he said "maybe she went back to the lake" I felt funny and I finished my work and then I went over there and found the letter first and I ran in and went in the back and opened the door, it was locked and the key on the top of the door and I went to her room and found here there.
Q. How was she dressed?
A. She was in her night clothes.
Q. Did you find any bottles lying around there?
A. Not a thing, nothing at all.
Q. What time did you find her?
A. I could not say, it was in the afternoon between two and three.
Q. On Thursday?
A. Yes.
Q. You have no idea how long she had been there?
A. No., I went there and saw her, I did not know she was dead, I grabbed her and pulled her over and she lay there, I saw the blood, it was all over her face and she lay on her left side.
Q. Did the blood come out of her mouth?
A. I did not notice.
Q. Did she ever threaten to take her life?
A. No sir.
Q. Did she ever complain of being dissatisfied with her married life?
A. No sir.
Q. You have no idea why she would take poison?
A. No sir.
Q. Didn't anybody see her come home?
A. Not that I know of.
*****
Deposition of Witnesses
State of Indiana
North Township
Lake County
An inquest by the Coroner of Lake County, State of Indiana, was held on the 30th day of June 1917, at Hammond in said Township, over the dead body of Lillian Kramer, who was supposed to have come to her death by suicide.
The undersigned, Joseph A. Graham, then and there acted as Coroner.
The following is the testimony of witnesses then and there examined before the Coroner, and which was then and there reduced in writing by the Coroner's Clerk Amy Graham in pursuance of the Statue in such case made and provided.
Witness being duly sworn deposes and says:
My name is Reuben C. Kramer.
I reside at 443 Hoffman St.. Hammond. My occupation is ______________.
Q. Are you a native of Hammond, were you born here?
A. No.
Q. How long have you lived here?
A. Four years this June.
Q. How long have you been married?
A. Three years last September.
Q. When did you last see your wife?
A. Last Sunday afternoon.
Q. Did you know she was in Hammond.
A. I expected she was.
Q. Did she leave for Hammond by herself?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. Did you have any trouble, did you quarrel with her?
A. Yes, we had a little dispute at the Lake.
Q. About what?
A. About the baby, I wanted her to take him with her and she wanted me to keep him with me, I had one more week of my vacation and she was not very well and she made up her mind to go home and she wanted me to keep the baby, and she would go back to her mother for the week. She had money and went to take the train, and she told me she would be home and I expected to meet her here Saturday, -- to-day.
Q. How long had you been there?
A. Saturday afternoon and staid (sic) Saturday night and Sunday morning.
Q. That was last Saturday?
A. Yes, a week ago.
Q. Do you know what made her take a notion to go home?
A. I think it was the argument about the baby and she was not feeling well.
Q. Did you ever have any trouble before?
A. No.
Q. Did she ever threaten to take her life?
A. No sir. She told me she would be at her Mother's on Saturday and I was expection (sic) to meet her. She was all right when we parted.
Q. Did you readdress this letter?
A. Yes, sir, it was her mail and I did not want to open it.
Q. What day was that?
A. I think it was Tuesday.
Q. How did she get here?
A. Well I think by train as near as I can tell. I expected her to walk in and get the train, but I don't know how she came in.
Q. You don't know what caused her death?
A. Not a thing.
Here's the Coroner's Inquest information:
An inquest by the Coroner of Lake County, State of Indiana was held on the 28th day of June 1917, at Hammond in said Township, over the dead body of Mrs. Lillian Kremer who was supposed to have come to her death by suicide.
The undersigned, Joseph A. Graham, then and there acted as Coroner.
The following is the testimony of witnesses then and there examined before the Coroner, and which was then and there reduced in writing by the Coroner's Clerk Amy Graham in pursuance of the Statue in such case made and provided.
B.N. Chidlaw M.D. being duly sworn deposes and says:
My name is Berry N.Chidlaw
I reside at Hammond, IN. My occupation is Physician & Surgeon.
On June 28, 1917 by order of Coroner J. A. Graham I did a post mortem examination on body of deceased at Stuarts Morgue. Height 5-2 - wt. 110 lbs. - brown hair - brown eyes. right eye swollen black & blue - nose marked & face & neck swollen & dark from serious congestion being found lying on face. Eyes glazed - bubbling & bloody froth from nose shows decomposition - death hour occurred in my estimation from the degree of (??? might be medical term); petrification about 4 days previous. The fingers were clenched in palms and tongue had been bitten. The tongue had white appearance - scraped off epithelium as though from burn of some nature. The gums were dark and discolored as also cheeks inside. Upon opening the chest - the lungs were found containing very little congested blood except in antrum surface from lying on chest. they were apparently normal - the stomach was very red and inflamed and upon opening the lining showed a general red condition and about 2 oz. of digested food. The kidneys were ? and were only part of body showing any degree of ? congestion but they also were beginning to decompose. The bladder was empty and the womb dark with beginning decomposition.
I am unable with certainty to say the exact cause of death owing to the degree of decomposition of the organs.
Considering the appearance of the tongue and stomach - kidneys and no urine in bladder. I must consider some irritant poison - causing suppression of urine and convulsion.
B.N.Chidlaw, M.D.
Deposition of Witnesses
State of Indiana
North Township
Lake County
An inquest by the Coroner of Lake County, State of Indiana, was held on the 30th day of June 1917, at Hammond in said Township, over the dead body of Lillian Kramer, who was supposed to have come to her death by suicide.
The undersigned, Joseph A. Graham, then and there acted as Coroner.
The following is the testimony of witnesses then and there examined before the Coroner, and which was then and there reduced in writing by the Coroner's Clerk Amy Graham in pursuance of the Statue in such case made and provided.
Witness being duly sworn deposes and says:
My name is Dora Groat.
I reside at 438 Oak St. Hammond. My occupation is housewife.
Q. What do you know about the death of your daughter?
A. We did not know anything 'till we found her, my other daughter found her and when she came home I was on the front porch and she said "Ma -----
Q. Did you know of any trouble between the young people?
A. No, I did not know anything about any trouble.
Q. Was this girl despondent?
A. I never heard her complain.
Q. Did you know of her buying poison?
A. No, and we went there and went in and the house was locked, the windows down and how did she get there, undress and went to bed and my daughter opened the door and went in and that is the only key to open the door,. Her shoes were in the bath room and her coat in a chair and her stockings beside the bed and she had picked up her clothes and laid them on the chest beneath the window, how did she get there?
Q. Was the front door locked?
A. Yes we had to lock it with the back door key and they locked it when they went away.
Q. Was there a cellar?
A. There was no inside entrance, you could not get in the house from the basement.
Q. Did you find any bottle near her?
A. no, bottle nothing at all. We called the undertaker and when he came we explained to him how we found her and he Said, "I dasent touch her 'till we call the Coroner.
Q. Did she leave any note?
A. Nothing, we looked everyplace, there was no bottle and no paper, there was no gas in the meter, we had been there and I thought I would wash up the dishes they left, but I could not heat any water because there was no gas in the meter. Yesterday I was going there to clean up the house so it would be clean when she got home.
Q. (to R.C. Kramer) Where were you when she got out of the automobile?
A. About a mile from the station at that time, she walked that way and I caught up with her.
Q. Where did you take her?
A. I did not take her, she wanted me to go back home and she talked the way she always does and she said, "I said I am going home and I am going home."
Reuben C. Kramer
*****
Deposition of Witnesses
State of Indiana
North Township
Lake County
An inquest by the Coroner of Lake County, State of Indiana, was held on the 30th day of June 1917, at Hammond in said Township, over the dead body of Lillian Kramer, who was supposed to have come to her death by suicide.
The undersigned, Joseph A. Graham, then and there acted as Coroner.
The following is the testimony of witnesses then and there examined before the Coroner, and which was then and there reduced in writing by the Coroner's Clerk Amy Graham in pursuance of the Statue in such case made and provided.
Witness being duly sworn deposes and says:
My name is Adolph Kramer.
Q. Where do you live?
A. At Union Ill.
Q. What direction is that from Chicago?
A. Almost West, near Elgin, about 20 miles west of Elgin.
Q. On the Northwestern?
A. Yes sir.
Q. Your daughter went there last Saturday?
A. Yes, they were at the lake.
Q. You knew she left there Sunday?
A. Yes, after they came home.
Q. You don't know how she came home?
A. I do not.
Q. Do you know of any trouble between her and your son?
A. No sir.
Q. Did you son tell you about it?
A. Yes he told me, she said she would go home. He said he gave her some money and he trusted her to get home all right.
Q. Did she ever threaten to take her life?
A. No, everything seemed to be congenial between them.
*****
Deposition of Witnesses
State of Indiana
North Township
Lake County
An inquest by the Coroner of Lake County, State of Indiana, was held on the 30th day of June 1917, at Hammond in said Township, over the dead body of Lillian Kramer, who was supposed to have come to her death by suicide.
The undersigned, Joseph A. Graham, then and there acted as Coroner.
The following is the testimony of witnesses then and there examined before the Coroner, and which was then and there reduced in writing by the Coroner's Clerk Amy Graham in pursuance of the Statue in such case made and provided.
Witness being duly sworn deposes and says:
My name is Clara Howard.
I reside at 438 Oak St. Hammond. My occupation is housewife.
Q. Where did your sister die?
A. I found her dead in bed in her own house.
Q. How did you happen to go there?
A. Her husband called me and asked if my sister was home and I told him no. I had not seen her and I said what is the matter and he said"She left Sunday and I said "I have not seen her" and he asked me if I went to the house and I said "We went Tuesday but did not go in, we went to look at the garden and I picked up a paper off the porch and put it in a little out-house that is there," I said "My God what has happened" and he said "maybe she went back to the lake" I felt funny and I finished my work and then I went over there and found the letter first and I ran in and went in the back and opened the door, it was locked and the key on the top of the door and I went to her room and found here there.
Q. How was she dressed?
A. She was in her night clothes.
Q. Did you find any bottles lying around there?
A. Not a thing, nothing at all.
Q. What time did you find her?
A. I could not say, it was in the afternoon between two and three.
Q. On Thursday?
A. Yes.
Q. You have no idea how long she had been there?
A. No., I went there and saw her, I did not know she was dead, I grabbed her and pulled her over and she lay there, I saw the blood, it was all over her face and she lay on her left side.
Q. Did the blood come out of her mouth?
A. I did not notice.
Q. Did she ever threaten to take her life?
A. No sir.
Q. Did she ever complain of being dissatisfied with her married life?
A. No sir.
Q. You have no idea why she would take poison?
A. No sir.
Q. Didn't anybody see her come home?
A. Not that I know of.
*****
Deposition of Witnesses
State of Indiana
North Township
Lake County
An inquest by the Coroner of Lake County, State of Indiana, was held on the 30th day of June 1917, at Hammond in said Township, over the dead body of Lillian Kramer, who was supposed to have come to her death by suicide.
The undersigned, Joseph A. Graham, then and there acted as Coroner.
The following is the testimony of witnesses then and there examined before the Coroner, and which was then and there reduced in writing by the Coroner's Clerk Amy Graham in pursuance of the Statue in such case made and provided.
Witness being duly sworn deposes and says:
My name is Reuben C. Kramer.
I reside at 443 Hoffman St.. Hammond. My occupation is ______________.
Q. Are you a native of Hammond, were you born here?
A. No.
Q. How long have you lived here?
A. Four years this June.
Q. How long have you been married?
A. Three years last September.
Q. When did you last see your wife?
A. Last Sunday afternoon.
Q. Did you know she was in Hammond.
A. I expected she was.
Q. Did she leave for Hammond by herself?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. Did you have any trouble, did you quarrel with her?
A. Yes, we had a little dispute at the Lake.
Q. About what?
A. About the baby, I wanted her to take him with her and she wanted me to keep him with me, I had one more week of my vacation and she was not very well and she made up her mind to go home and she wanted me to keep the baby, and she would go back to her mother for the week. She had money and went to take the train, and she told me she would be home and I expected to meet her here Saturday, -- to-day.
Q. How long had you been there?
A. Saturday afternoon and staid (sic) Saturday night and Sunday morning.
Q. That was last Saturday?
A. Yes, a week ago.
Q. Do you know what made her take a notion to go home?
A. I think it was the argument about the baby and she was not feeling well.
Q. Did you ever have any trouble before?
A. No.
Q. Did she ever threaten to take her life?
A. No sir. She told me she would be at her Mother's on Saturday and I was expection (sic) to meet her. She was all right when we parted.
Q. Did you readdress this letter?
A. Yes, sir, it was her mail and I did not want to open it.
Q. What day was that?
A. I think it was Tuesday.
Q. How did she get here?
A. Well I think by train as near as I can tell. I expected her to walk in and get the train, but I don't know how she came in.
Q. You don't know what caused her death?
A. Not a thing.
Believed to be murdered. Coroner's report stated she committed suicide. She was poisoned with Mercury Bichloride -- found in thermometers but there was no bottle or anything left to show where she had gotten it or where she she put it after taking it. Violent death, happened quickly. Family feels husband, Reuben Kramer, killed her.
Here's the Coroner's Inquest information:
An inquest by the Coroner of Lake County, State of Indiana was held on the 28th day of June 1917, at Hammond in said Township, over the dead body of Mrs. Lillian Kremer who was supposed to have come to her death by suicide.
The undersigned, Joseph A. Graham, then and there acted as Coroner.
The following is the testimony of witnesses then and there examined before the Coroner, and which was then and there reduced in writing by the Coroner's Clerk Amy Graham in pursuance of the Statue in such case made and provided.
B.N. Chidlaw M.D. being duly sworn deposes and says:
My name is Berry N.Chidlaw
I reside at Hammond, IN. My occupation is Physician & Surgeon.
On June 28, 1917 by order of Coroner J. A. Graham I did a post mortem examination on body of deceased at Stuarts Morgue. Height 5-2 - wt. 110 lbs. - brown hair - brown eyes. right eye swollen black & blue - nose marked & face & neck swollen & dark from serious congestion being found lying on face. Eyes glazed - bubbling & bloody froth from nose shows decomposition - death hour occurred in my estimation from the degree of (??? might be medical term); petrification about 4 days previous. The fingers were clenched in palms and tongue had been bitten. The tongue had white appearance - scraped off epithelium as though from burn of some nature. The gums were dark and discolored as also cheeks inside. Upon opening the chest - the lungs were found containing very little congested blood except in antrum surface from lying on chest. they were apparently normal - the stomach was very red and inflamed and upon opening the lining showed a general red condition and about 2 oz. of digested food. The kidneys were ? and were only part of body showing any degree of ? congestion but they also were beginning to decompose. The bladder was empty and the womb dark with beginning decomposition.
I am unable with certainty to say the exact cause of death owing to the degree of decomposition of the organs.
Considering the appearance of the tongue and stomach - kidneys and no urine in bladder. I must consider some irritant poison - causing suppression of urine and convulsion.
B.N.Chidlaw, M.D.
Deposition of Witnesses
State of Indiana
North Township
Lake County
An inquest by the Coroner of Lake County, State of Indiana, was held on the 30th day of June 1917, at Hammond in said Township, over the dead body of Lillian Kramer, who was supposed to have come to her death by suicide.
The undersigned, Joseph A. Graham, then and there acted as Coroner.
The following is the testimony of witnesses then and there examined before the Coroner, and which was then and there reduced in writing by the Coroner's Clerk Amy Graham in pursuance of the Statue in such case made and provided.
Witness being duly sworn deposes and says:
My name is Dora Groat.
I reside at 438 Oak St. Hammond. My occupation is housewife.
Q. What do you know about the death of your daughter?
A. We did not know anything 'till we found her, my other daughter found her and when she came home I was on the front porch and she said "Ma -----
Q. Did you know of any trouble between the young people?
A. No, I did not know anything about any trouble.
Q. Was this girl despondent?
A. I never heard her complain.
Q. Did you know of her buying poison?
A. No, and we went there and went in and the house was locked, the windows down and how did she get there, undress and went to bed and my daughter opened the door and went in and that is the only key to open the door,. Her shoes were in the bath room and her coat in a chair and her stockings beside the bed and she had picked up her clothes and laid them on the chest beneath the window, how did she get there?
Q. Was the front door locked?
A. Yes we had to lock it with the back door key and they locked it when they went away.
Q. Was there a cellar?
A. There was no inside entrance, you could not get in the house from the basement.
Q. Did you find any bottle near her?
A. no, bottle nothing at all. We called the undertaker and when he came we explained to him how we found her and he Said, "I dasent touch her 'till we call the Coroner.
Q. Did she leave any note?
A. Nothing, we looked everyplace, there was no bottle and no paper, there was no gas in the meter, we had been there and I thought I would wash up the dishes they left, but I could not heat any water because there was no gas in the meter. Yesterday I was going there to clean up the house so it would be clean when she got home.
Q. (to R.C. Kramer) Where were you when she got out of the automobile?
A. About a mile from the station at that time, she walked that way and I caught up with her.
Q. Where did you take her?
A. I did not take her, she wanted me to go back home and she talked the way she always does and she said, "I said I am going home and I am going home."
Reuben C. Kramer
*****
Deposition of Witnesses
State of Indiana
North Township
Lake County
An inquest by the Coroner of Lake County, State of Indiana, was held on the 30th day of June 1917, at Hammond in said Township, over the dead body of Lillian Kramer, who was supposed to have come to her death by suicide.
The undersigned, Joseph A. Graham, then and there acted as Coroner.
The following is the testimony of witnesses then and there examined before the Coroner, and which was then and there reduced in writing by the Coroner's Clerk Amy Graham in pursuance of the Statue in such case made and provided.
Witness being duly sworn deposes and says:
My name is Adolph Kramer.
Q. Where do you live?
A. At Union Ill.
Q. What direction is that from Chicago?
A. Almost West, near Elgin, about 20 miles west of Elgin.
Q. On the Northwestern?
A. Yes sir.
Q. Your daughter went there last Saturday?
A. Yes, they were at the lake.
Q. You knew she left there Sunday?
A. Yes, after they came home.
Q. You don't know how she came home?
A. I do not.
Q. Do you know of any trouble between her and your son?
A. No sir.
Q. Did you son tell you about it?
A. Yes he told me, she said she would go home. He said he gave her some money and he trusted her to get home all right.
Q. Did she ever threaten to take her life?
A. No, everything seemed to be congenial between them.
*****
Deposition of Witnesses
State of Indiana
North Township
Lake County
An inquest by the Coroner of Lake County, State of Indiana, was held on the 30th day of June 1917, at Hammond in said Township, over the dead body of Lillian Kramer, who was supposed to have come to her death by suicide.
The undersigned, Joseph A. Graham, then and there acted as Coroner.
The following is the testimony of witnesses then and there examined before the Coroner, and which was then and there reduced in writing by the Coroner's Clerk Amy Graham in pursuance of the Statue in such case made and provided.
Witness being duly sworn deposes and says:
My name is Clara Howard.
I reside at 438 Oak St. Hammond. My occupation is housewife.
Q. Where did your sister die?
A. I found her dead in bed in her own house.
Q. How did you happen to go there?
A. Her husband called me and asked if my sister was home and I told him no. I had not seen her and I said what is the matter and he said"She left Sunday and I said "I have not seen her" and he asked me if I went to the house and I said "We went Tuesday but did not go in, we went to look at the garden and I picked up a paper off the porch and put it in a little out-house that is there," I said "My God what has happened" and he said "maybe she went back to the lake" I felt funny and I finished my work and then I went over there and found the letter first and I ran in and went in the back and opened the door, it was locked and the key on the top of the door and I went to her room and found here there.
Q. How was she dressed?
A. She was in her night clothes.
Q. Did you find any bottles lying around there?
A. Not a thing, nothing at all.
Q. What time did you find her?
A. I could not say, it was in the afternoon between two and three.
Q. On Thursday?
A. Yes.
Q. You have no idea how long she had been there?
A. No., I went there and saw her, I did not know she was dead, I grabbed her and pulled her over and she lay there, I saw the blood, it was all over her face and she lay on her left side.
Q. Did the blood come out of her mouth?
A. I did not notice.
Q. Did she ever threaten to take her life?
A. No sir.
Q. Did she ever complain of being dissatisfied with her married life?
A. No sir.
Q. You have no idea why she would take poison?
A. No sir.
Q. Didn't anybody see her come home?
A. Not that I know of.
*****
Deposition of Witnesses
State of Indiana
North Township
Lake County
An inquest by the Coroner of Lake County, State of Indiana, was held on the 30th day of June 1917, at Hammond in said Township, over the dead body of Lillian Kramer, who was supposed to have come to her death by suicide.
The undersigned, Joseph A. Graham, then and there acted as Coroner.
The following is the testimony of witnesses then and there examined before the Coroner, and which was then and there reduced in writing by the Coroner's Clerk Amy Graham in pursuance of the Statue in such case made and provided.
Witness being duly sworn deposes and says:
My name is Reuben C. Kramer.
I reside at 443 Hoffman St.. Hammond. My occupation is ______________.
Q. Are you a native of Hammond, were you born here?
A. No.
Q. How long have you lived here?
A. Four years this June.
Q. How long have you been married?
A. Three years last September.
Q. When did you last see your wife?
A. Last Sunday afternoon.
Q. Did you know she was in Hammond.
A. I expected she was.
Q. Did she leave for Hammond by herself?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. Did you have any trouble, did you quarrel with her?
A. Yes, we had a little dispute at the Lake.
Q. About what?
A. About the baby, I wanted her to take him with her and she wanted me to keep him with me, I had one more week of my vacation and she was not very well and she made up her mind to go home and she wanted me to keep the baby, and she would go back to her mother for the week. She had money and went to take the train, and she told me she would be home and I expected to meet her here Saturday, -- to-day.
Q. How long had you been there?
A. Saturday afternoon and staid (sic) Saturday night and Sunday morning.
Q. That was last Saturday?
A. Yes, a week ago.
Q. Do you know what made her take a notion to go home?
A. I think it was the argument about the baby and she was not feeling well.
Q. Did you ever have any trouble before?
A. No.
Q. Did she ever threaten to take her life?
A. No sir. She told me she would be at her Mother's on Saturday and I was expection (sic) to meet her. She was all right when we parted.
Q. Did you readdress this letter?
A. Yes, sir, it was her mail and I did not want to open it.
Q. What day was that?
A. I think it was Tuesday.
Q. How did she get here?
A. Well I think by train as near as I can tell. I expected her to walk in and get the train, but I don't know how she came in.
Q. You don't know what caused her death?
A. Not a thing.
Here's the Coroner's Inquest information:
An inquest by the Coroner of Lake County, State of Indiana was held on the 28th day of June 1917, at Hammond in said Township, over the dead body of Mrs. Lillian Kremer who was supposed to have come to her death by suicide.
The undersigned, Joseph A. Graham, then and there acted as Coroner.
The following is the testimony of witnesses then and there examined before the Coroner, and which was then and there reduced in writing by the Coroner's Clerk Amy Graham in pursuance of the Statue in such case made and provided.
B.N. Chidlaw M.D. being duly sworn deposes and says:
My name is Berry N.Chidlaw
I reside at Hammond, IN. My occupation is Physician & Surgeon.
On June 28, 1917 by order of Coroner J. A. Graham I did a post mortem examination on body of deceased at Stuarts Morgue. Height 5-2 - wt. 110 lbs. - brown hair - brown eyes. right eye swollen black & blue - nose marked & face & neck swollen & dark from serious congestion being found lying on face. Eyes glazed - bubbling & bloody froth from nose shows decomposition - death hour occurred in my estimation from the degree of (??? might be medical term); petrification about 4 days previous. The fingers were clenched in palms and tongue had been bitten. The tongue had white appearance - scraped off epithelium as though from burn of some nature. The gums were dark and discolored as also cheeks inside. Upon opening the chest - the lungs were found containing very little congested blood except in antrum surface from lying on chest. they were apparently normal - the stomach was very red and inflamed and upon opening the lining showed a general red condition and about 2 oz. of digested food. The kidneys were ? and were only part of body showing any degree of ? congestion but they also were beginning to decompose. The bladder was empty and the womb dark with beginning decomposition.
I am unable with certainty to say the exact cause of death owing to the degree of decomposition of the organs.
Considering the appearance of the tongue and stomach - kidneys and no urine in bladder. I must consider some irritant poison - causing suppression of urine and convulsion.
B.N.Chidlaw, M.D.
Deposition of Witnesses
State of Indiana
North Township
Lake County
An inquest by the Coroner of Lake County, State of Indiana, was held on the 30th day of June 1917, at Hammond in said Township, over the dead body of Lillian Kramer, who was supposed to have come to her death by suicide.
The undersigned, Joseph A. Graham, then and there acted as Coroner.
The following is the testimony of witnesses then and there examined before the Coroner, and which was then and there reduced in writing by the Coroner's Clerk Amy Graham in pursuance of the Statue in such case made and provided.
Witness being duly sworn deposes and says:
My name is Dora Groat.
I reside at 438 Oak St. Hammond. My occupation is housewife.
Q. What do you know about the death of your daughter?
A. We did not know anything 'till we found her, my other daughter found her and when she came home I was on the front porch and she said "Ma -----
Q. Did you know of any trouble between the young people?
A. No, I did not know anything about any trouble.
Q. Was this girl despondent?
A. I never heard her complain.
Q. Did you know of her buying poison?
A. No, and we went there and went in and the house was locked, the windows down and how did she get there, undress and went to bed and my daughter opened the door and went in and that is the only key to open the door,. Her shoes were in the bath room and her coat in a chair and her stockings beside the bed and she had picked up her clothes and laid them on the chest beneath the window, how did she get there?
Q. Was the front door locked?
A. Yes we had to lock it with the back door key and they locked it when they went away.
Q. Was there a cellar?
A. There was no inside entrance, you could not get in the house from the basement.
Q. Did you find any bottle near her?
A. no, bottle nothing at all. We called the undertaker and when he came we explained to him how we found her and he Said, "I dasent touch her 'till we call the Coroner.
Q. Did she leave any note?
A. Nothing, we looked everyplace, there was no bottle and no paper, there was no gas in the meter, we had been there and I thought I would wash up the dishes they left, but I could not heat any water because there was no gas in the meter. Yesterday I was going there to clean up the house so it would be clean when she got home.
Q. (to R.C. Kramer) Where were you when she got out of the automobile?
A. About a mile from the station at that time, she walked that way and I caught up with her.
Q. Where did you take her?
A. I did not take her, she wanted me to go back home and she talked the way she always does and she said, "I said I am going home and I am going home."
Reuben C. Kramer
*****
Deposition of Witnesses
State of Indiana
North Township
Lake County
An inquest by the Coroner of Lake County, State of Indiana, was held on the 30th day of June 1917, at Hammond in said Township, over the dead body of Lillian Kramer, who was supposed to have come to her death by suicide.
The undersigned, Joseph A. Graham, then and there acted as Coroner.
The following is the testimony of witnesses then and there examined before the Coroner, and which was then and there reduced in writing by the Coroner's Clerk Amy Graham in pursuance of the Statue in such case made and provided.
Witness being duly sworn deposes and says:
My name is Adolph Kramer.
Q. Where do you live?
A. At Union Ill.
Q. What direction is that from Chicago?
A. Almost West, near Elgin, about 20 miles west of Elgin.
Q. On the Northwestern?
A. Yes sir.
Q. Your daughter went there last Saturday?
A. Yes, they were at the lake.
Q. You knew she left there Sunday?
A. Yes, after they came home.
Q. You don't know how she came home?
A. I do not.
Q. Do you know of any trouble between her and your son?
A. No sir.
Q. Did you son tell you about it?
A. Yes he told me, she said she would go home. He said he gave her some money and he trusted her to get home all right.
Q. Did she ever threaten to take her life?
A. No, everything seemed to be congenial between them.
*****
Deposition of Witnesses
State of Indiana
North Township
Lake County
An inquest by the Coroner of Lake County, State of Indiana, was held on the 30th day of June 1917, at Hammond in said Township, over the dead body of Lillian Kramer, who was supposed to have come to her death by suicide.
The undersigned, Joseph A. Graham, then and there acted as Coroner.
The following is the testimony of witnesses then and there examined before the Coroner, and which was then and there reduced in writing by the Coroner's Clerk Amy Graham in pursuance of the Statue in such case made and provided.
Witness being duly sworn deposes and says:
My name is Clara Howard.
I reside at 438 Oak St. Hammond. My occupation is housewife.
Q. Where did your sister die?
A. I found her dead in bed in her own house.
Q. How did you happen to go there?
A. Her husband called me and asked if my sister was home and I told him no. I had not seen her and I said what is the matter and he said"She left Sunday and I said "I have not seen her" and he asked me if I went to the house and I said "We went Tuesday but did not go in, we went to look at the garden and I picked up a paper off the porch and put it in a little out-house that is there," I said "My God what has happened" and he said "maybe she went back to the lake" I felt funny and I finished my work and then I went over there and found the letter first and I ran in and went in the back and opened the door, it was locked and the key on the top of the door and I went to her room and found here there.
Q. How was she dressed?
A. She was in her night clothes.
Q. Did you find any bottles lying around there?
A. Not a thing, nothing at all.
Q. What time did you find her?
A. I could not say, it was in the afternoon between two and three.
Q. On Thursday?
A. Yes.
Q. You have no idea how long she had been there?
A. No., I went there and saw her, I did not know she was dead, I grabbed her and pulled her over and she lay there, I saw the blood, it was all over her face and she lay on her left side.
Q. Did the blood come out of her mouth?
A. I did not notice.
Q. Did she ever threaten to take her life?
A. No sir.
Q. Did she ever complain of being dissatisfied with her married life?
A. No sir.
Q. You have no idea why she would take poison?
A. No sir.
Q. Didn't anybody see her come home?
A. Not that I know of.
*****
Deposition of Witnesses
State of Indiana
North Township
Lake County
An inquest by the Coroner of Lake County, State of Indiana, was held on the 30th day of June 1917, at Hammond in said Township, over the dead body of Lillian Kramer, who was supposed to have come to her death by suicide.
The undersigned, Joseph A. Graham, then and there acted as Coroner.
The following is the testimony of witnesses then and there examined before the Coroner, and which was then and there reduced in writing by the Coroner's Clerk Amy Graham in pursuance of the Statue in such case made and provided.
Witness being duly sworn deposes and says:
My name is Reuben C. Kramer.
I reside at 443 Hoffman St.. Hammond. My occupation is ______________.
Q. Are you a native of Hammond, were you born here?
A. No.
Q. How long have you lived here?
A. Four years this June.
Q. How long have you been married?
A. Three years last September.
Q. When did you last see your wife?
A. Last Sunday afternoon.
Q. Did you know she was in Hammond.
A. I expected she was.
Q. Did she leave for Hammond by herself?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. Did you have any trouble, did you quarrel with her?
A. Yes, we had a little dispute at the Lake.
Q. About what?
A. About the baby, I wanted her to take him with her and she wanted me to keep him with me, I had one more week of my vacation and she was not very well and she made up her mind to go home and she wanted me to keep the baby, and she would go back to her mother for the week. She had money and went to take the train, and she told me she would be home and I expected to meet her here Saturday, -- to-day.
Q. How long had you been there?
A. Saturday afternoon and staid (sic) Saturday night and Sunday morning.
Q. That was last Saturday?
A. Yes, a week ago.
Q. Do you know what made her take a notion to go home?
A. I think it was the argument about the baby and she was not feeling well.
Q. Did you ever have any trouble before?
A. No.
Q. Did she ever threaten to take her life?
A. No sir. She told me she would be at her Mother's on Saturday and I was expection (sic) to meet her. She was all right when we parted.
Q. Did you readdress this letter?
A. Yes, sir, it was her mail and I did not want to open it.
Q. What day was that?
A. I think it was Tuesday.
Q. How did she get here?
A. Well I think by train as near as I can tell. I expected her to walk in and get the train, but I don't know how she came in.
Q. You don't know what caused her death?
A. Not a thing.
Inscription
Lillian Kramer
Nee Groat
1894 - 1917
Family Members
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