Albert's cremated remains were never taken after his death and are still available at the Oregon State Hospital to be claimed by anyone who is related. More information is available at http://www.oregon.gov/oha/amh/osh/pages/cremains.aspx A book by David Maisel and a documentary by Ondi Timoner & Robert James, both entitled "Library of Dust" also provide more information.
We're looking for living relatives, if you have info, please contact me.
Albert was born in Portland, Oregon in 1900 to Harry Beal and Kate Cook. Harry was born in Oregon in 1871 the son of English immigrants, and Kate was born in Iowa in 1874. They were married about 1894 and had at least 7 children with one having died before 1910. Albert's siblings (all born in Oregon) included: Hazel (born in 1895), Harry (in 1897), Kate (about 1908), Milton (about 1910). Another brother died in 1912 when he was 10 days old.
During the 1900 census taken on June 6th, just days before Albert was born, his parents and two older siblings lived in Portland, Oregon. His father was a gunsmith and the proprietor of a gun store. The family was affluent enough to have a live-in servant.
At the time of the 1910 census Albert was 10 years old, attending school and living with his family in Portland where his father still owned the gun store.
Albert's father died in 1916 after having a stroke years earlier. During the 1920 census Albert was living with his mother and 4 siblings in Portland. Brother Harry was employed as a salesman of sporting goods and Albert sold dry goods. In 1910 it was reported his sister Hazel could read and write, but in 1920 when she was 26 the census said she could not.
Albert's mother died in 1921, leaving an estate worth $31,500. Brother Harry, Jr. died at the age of 26 in 1923. Sister Hazel died on 1/13/1925 as a ward of the State Institution for the Feebleminded in Salem.
During the census of 1930 Albert and his other siblings were spread out in various residences in the Portland area. Albert was living in a large lodging "hotel" and was employed doing clerical work. Brother Milton was a patrolman for the forest service in Oregon. Sister Katie was 22 and a nursing supervisor in a Portland hospital. On 12/6/1933, sister Katie married Thomas Louttit and moved to Seattle. In 1940, sister Kate was also living at the Oregon State Hospital, listed as married, but her husband stated he was divorced.
In early 1934 Albert was eating in soup kitchens and wherever he could find a meal. He committed several armed robberies, obtaining small amounts of cash and acquiring the name "Baby-Faced Robber." He was arrested on 6/1/1934.
On 10/10/1934, Albert was admitted to the Oregon State Hospital, a residential facility in Salem, Oregon for the treatment of people with mental illness. He appeared in the 1940 census as a patient at the institution.
Albert died at 1:25 PM on 11/19/1942 after an accidental "acute sodium fluoride poisoning" the evening before. He was one of 47 poisoning victims that evening at the State Hospital.
The following are portions of an article by Kathleen Carlson Clement:
"One of the most tragic incidents in Salem's history was the poisoning of nearly 500 patients and staff at the Oregon State Hospital, on the evening of 11/18/1942. Many who ate the scrambled eggs served for dinner that evening would later claim that they had tasted funny... Within five minutes of consuming them, the diners began to sicken, experiencing violent stomach cramps, vomiting, leg cramps, and respiratory paralysis.... The first death came within an hour; by midnight, there were 32; by 4 a.m., 40. Local doctors rushed to the hospital to help out staff doctors. Eventually 47 people would die; in all, 467 were sickened. Though five wards had been served the suspect eggs, all the deaths occurred in four; in the fifth, an attendant had tried the eggs, found them odd tasting, and ordered her charges not to eat them... The day after the poisoning... pathologists determined that the sickness and death had been caused by sodium fluoride, an ingredient in cockroach poison... State Police launched an investigation, and began interviewing staff and patients at the hospital....several days after the poisonings, two cooks at the hospital admitted they knew what happened... they realized soon after the symptoms had struck, but had not come forward for fear of being charged. (The head cook) took responsibility, saying he had been the one to send a patient trustee... to the cellar to get dry milk powder for the scrambled eggs... (The trustee) returned with a tin half-full of powder, an estimated six pounds of which were mixed into the scrambled eggs.... When people had begun getting ill, the cook question the trustee about where he'd found the powder, and discovered he had brought roach poison. District Attorney ... ordered both cooks arrested. A grand jury declined to indict them; the patient... was never charged."
Articles in the newspapers detailed the incident and listed the victims. Albert's body was never claimed and it was cremated about 3 weeks later.
There is a Milton that died in Los Angeles in 1987 (FAG memorial # 98869580), but the mother's maiden name is differebt, so this may not be him.
Albert's cremated remains were never taken after his death and are still available at the Oregon State Hospital to be claimed by anyone who is related. More information is available at http://www.oregon.gov/oha/amh/osh/pages/cremains.aspx A book by David Maisel and a documentary by Ondi Timoner & Robert James, both entitled "Library of Dust" also provide more information.
We're looking for living relatives, if you have info, please contact me.
Albert was born in Portland, Oregon in 1900 to Harry Beal and Kate Cook. Harry was born in Oregon in 1871 the son of English immigrants, and Kate was born in Iowa in 1874. They were married about 1894 and had at least 7 children with one having died before 1910. Albert's siblings (all born in Oregon) included: Hazel (born in 1895), Harry (in 1897), Kate (about 1908), Milton (about 1910). Another brother died in 1912 when he was 10 days old.
During the 1900 census taken on June 6th, just days before Albert was born, his parents and two older siblings lived in Portland, Oregon. His father was a gunsmith and the proprietor of a gun store. The family was affluent enough to have a live-in servant.
At the time of the 1910 census Albert was 10 years old, attending school and living with his family in Portland where his father still owned the gun store.
Albert's father died in 1916 after having a stroke years earlier. During the 1920 census Albert was living with his mother and 4 siblings in Portland. Brother Harry was employed as a salesman of sporting goods and Albert sold dry goods. In 1910 it was reported his sister Hazel could read and write, but in 1920 when she was 26 the census said she could not.
Albert's mother died in 1921, leaving an estate worth $31,500. Brother Harry, Jr. died at the age of 26 in 1923. Sister Hazel died on 1/13/1925 as a ward of the State Institution for the Feebleminded in Salem.
During the census of 1930 Albert and his other siblings were spread out in various residences in the Portland area. Albert was living in a large lodging "hotel" and was employed doing clerical work. Brother Milton was a patrolman for the forest service in Oregon. Sister Katie was 22 and a nursing supervisor in a Portland hospital. On 12/6/1933, sister Katie married Thomas Louttit and moved to Seattle. In 1940, sister Kate was also living at the Oregon State Hospital, listed as married, but her husband stated he was divorced.
In early 1934 Albert was eating in soup kitchens and wherever he could find a meal. He committed several armed robberies, obtaining small amounts of cash and acquiring the name "Baby-Faced Robber." He was arrested on 6/1/1934.
On 10/10/1934, Albert was admitted to the Oregon State Hospital, a residential facility in Salem, Oregon for the treatment of people with mental illness. He appeared in the 1940 census as a patient at the institution.
Albert died at 1:25 PM on 11/19/1942 after an accidental "acute sodium fluoride poisoning" the evening before. He was one of 47 poisoning victims that evening at the State Hospital.
The following are portions of an article by Kathleen Carlson Clement:
"One of the most tragic incidents in Salem's history was the poisoning of nearly 500 patients and staff at the Oregon State Hospital, on the evening of 11/18/1942. Many who ate the scrambled eggs served for dinner that evening would later claim that they had tasted funny... Within five minutes of consuming them, the diners began to sicken, experiencing violent stomach cramps, vomiting, leg cramps, and respiratory paralysis.... The first death came within an hour; by midnight, there were 32; by 4 a.m., 40. Local doctors rushed to the hospital to help out staff doctors. Eventually 47 people would die; in all, 467 were sickened. Though five wards had been served the suspect eggs, all the deaths occurred in four; in the fifth, an attendant had tried the eggs, found them odd tasting, and ordered her charges not to eat them... The day after the poisoning... pathologists determined that the sickness and death had been caused by sodium fluoride, an ingredient in cockroach poison... State Police launched an investigation, and began interviewing staff and patients at the hospital....several days after the poisonings, two cooks at the hospital admitted they knew what happened... they realized soon after the symptoms had struck, but had not come forward for fear of being charged. (The head cook) took responsibility, saying he had been the one to send a patient trustee... to the cellar to get dry milk powder for the scrambled eggs... (The trustee) returned with a tin half-full of powder, an estimated six pounds of which were mixed into the scrambled eggs.... When people had begun getting ill, the cook question the trustee about where he'd found the powder, and discovered he had brought roach poison. District Attorney ... ordered both cooks arrested. A grand jury declined to indict them; the patient... was never charged."
Articles in the newspapers detailed the incident and listed the victims. Albert's body was never claimed and it was cremated about 3 weeks later.
There is a Milton that died in Los Angeles in 1987 (FAG memorial # 98869580), but the mother's maiden name is differebt, so this may not be him.
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