Charles Baldwin SLAWSON

1840 - 1879  (39 years)

• Name	Charles Baldwin SLAWSON  [2]
  	WAUKESHA FREEMAN Waukesha, Wisconsin May 19, 1887, pg. 1 The Dead Soldiers names of Soldiers of the Union Army, buried at Waukesha, so far as has been ascertained. AT PRAIRIE HOME CEMETERY Capt. C.B. Slawson 28 Source Given by Joe Chester [1] WAUKESHA FREEMAN Waukesha, Wisconsin, August 21, 1879 DEATH OF CHAS. SLAWSON A Bright Young Life Cut Short by Suicide. On last Friday morning Waukesha was thrilled by the news that Mr. Charles Slawson, son of Mr. F. M. Slawson of this place, had committed suicide by shooting himself on a street of the city of St. Paul, where he was a resident, being foreman of the painting department in the railroad car shops. "Charley" was well known and highly esteemed by everybody here, and his death is deeply lamented by his friends at home. The body arrived at Waukesha on Saturday afternoon and the funeral took place on Sunday at his father's house, under conduct of Rev. C. W. Camp. We take the following account of the Coroner's inquest from the St. Paul "Pioneer Press" of last Saturday. Yesterday's developments added nothing material to the very extended account of the "Pioneer Press" of the Slawson suicide, and what did develop only verified it at all points. Precisely at 10 a.m. Coroner Stein commenced the inquest at the house, 79 Mississippi street, where the deceased had resided. The cottage is very pleasingly and comfortably furnished, and betokens in all its surroundings, a pleasant home. THE CORONER OPENED HIS COURT in the front room by impaneling the following as jurors: H.B. Larson, O. Larson, Joseph Gehr, E.M. Raymond, Alexander Johnson, and W.H. Monk. In the center of the floor of the apartment stood an ice casket, with some simple flowers upon it, in which the mortal remains of the once cheerful and respected Charles B. Slawson were lying. The lid covering the face of the body was opened by the coroner that the jury might view it, and was then closed, there being no necessity for a more minute inspection. The countenance was remarkably placid, the somewhat handsome features being entirely unmarred by any distortion, while the fatal wound, being at the back of the head, was completely hidden from sight, so that there was no visible reminder of his untimely and unseemly taking off. The front room connected by folding doors with another to its rear, and the latter with one to its east, and from the last there proceeded during the whole time the inquest was being held, the irrepressible sobs and moans of the suddenly-widowed and anguish-stricken wife. GUSTAVE JOHNSON was the first witness sworn, and testified that shortly after 4 o'clock on Thursday afternoon he was at work on the premises of Mr. S.S. Eaton, on the south-east corner of Wacouta and Ninth streets, where he is employed. he saw the deceased come down Ninth street, turn up Wacouta street and sit down upon the steps of the First Baptist church, after which the witness ceased to observe him. in a very few minutes Johnson heard the report of the shot in the direction of the church, toward which the witness turned and saw the deceased rolling over upon his right side upon the steps, but Johnson neither saw the shot actually fired nor the pistol in the hands of Slawson, and there was no one standing near the latter. Johnson immediately ran to the spot, arriving simultaneously with the two others. The pistol was t the feet of the wounded man, who never spoke at that time. DR. J. STEELE, the next witness, said he was, on the day and hour indicated, reading at his window in his residence, 127 East Tenth street, which is about in the direct rear of the First Baptist church, when he heard the report of a fire-arm, and thought it must be some one discharging gun preparatory to chicken hunting the next day. he took no notice of the fact until he was summoned about two minutes after by a girl, who informed him that a man had shot himself on the church steps. Thither he immediately proceeded and found the deceased rolled over upon his right side upon the first step. Under one of his feet was a revolver, near which was his right hand, the arm being extended. The man was speechless and paid no attention to the physician's inquiries, and he never afterward rallied. The witness probed the wound to about the length of an ordinary pencil, but did not find the bullet, which had probably expended itself on the opposite side of the brain. The wound was straight and clean, and the witness, of course, was satisfied it had caused death. After giving a description of the revolver - exactly corresponding with that of yesterday's "Pioneer Press" - the witness produced the straw hat worn by the deceased. the brim was burnt on the under side near the part which would be over the right ear when on the head, and the inside edge and leather lining were pierced, evidently by the ball, as if the rim had been bent upward when the shot was fired. MRS. SLAWSON WAS THEN LED IN by her sister, Mrs. E. Sanford Blake, and took the witness chair. She is a good looking woman, even though her features yesterday betrayed extreme anguish, and her condition bordered upon the hysterical. Her well-rounded figure rises to a little over the medium stature, and her entire presence was prepossessing, apart from the interest attaching to her as the nearest to the dead central figure in the ice chest. Overcoming her choking sobs she said her husband's name was Charles B. Slawson - she spelt the name as here given - and that her own was Mary, and the following conversation ensued between her and the coroner, who acted with great delicacy and courtesy: "Had you and your husband any trouble?" "My husband and I never had any trouble," she wailed, rather than spoke, and then broke down into a passionate and uncontrollable fit of weeping and sobbing that was heartrending to hear and witness. She at length became calmer under the soothings of her sister. "Do you know of any cause for the act?" "Oh, no! I do not," she moaned, and sank back into her sister's embrace, and was again assuaged. "Did he ever threaten to commit suicide?" "Never - only once that looked like it. He used to be dreadfully troubled with neuralgia, and when he was suffering once, he said, "I feel such a pain in the spot that I feel as if I could put a hole through it.'" Continuing, in answer to various inquiries, and in a more tranquil mood, she narrated that on Wednesday night he had been sleepless and restless from sickness, but he slept for four hours during Thursday, and arose feeling much refreshed and better. he had been troubled for some days with his feet, which had been much swollen, and as he pulled on his boots, he expressed his satisfaction at the swelling having abated. He left the house between two and three o'clock on thursday afternoon, with the intention as he said, of paying his monthly bills, he having received his pay on Wednesday. Mrs. Slawson was then supported out of the room, but never ceased her lamentations. THE VERDICT of the jury was speedily arrived at, and was as follows: "That the deceased came to his death by means of a pistol shot fired by his own hand on the 14th day of August, 1879, between the hours of 4 and 5 o'clock, p.m." This closed the coroner's inquest, but the representative of the "Pioneer Press" continued his, and with this intention, lingered in the room, after the coroner and his attendants had departed. Two ladies were in the house, MRS. H.S. POMEROY AND MRS. E. SANFORD BLAKE, who were willing participants in an interview. Mrs. Blake is, as above stated, a sister of Mrs. Slawson, and both were especially desirous of having it stated that there was no trouble in the Slawson household. Mr. and Mrs. Slawson were married thirteen years ago near Sparta, Wis., and their married life had been one of extreme happiness throughout that period. As an evidence of this it was averred that at one time, it was Mrs. Slawson's intention to have visited to the home of her parents in Wisconsin, but had foregone that pleasure most cheerfully on account of an attack of sickness prostrating her husband. Mrs. HS. Pomeroy - she was particular regarding the initials - had known then in Milwaukee before their marriage and was quite conclusive in her statements respecting the felicity in the Slawson family, of which she spoke as one having witnessed it since their arrival in St. Paul. "Mrs. Slawson," said she, "has trouble enough without mixing up slanders with it." Both agreed further in averring the only shadow that ever crossed the threshold was the occasional fits of intemperance to which Slawson was addicted. One trifling additional fact was obtained from the widow though Mrs. Blake. The deceased had "laid off" for two days previous to his payment on Wednesday. BIOGRAPHICAL The unfortunate Charles B. Slawson was a native of Orange County, New York, whence he removed with his parents, who survive him, to Waukesha, Wis. He continued his residence in that state until six years ago, when he came to St. Paul, having in 1866 married near Sparta, Wis. On his arrival here he immediately obtained employment in the then St. Paul & Pacific railroad shops as a painter, and served as a journeyman for one year. Being an adept at his business he was then promoted to the foremanship of the painting department, and retained that position to the day of his suicide. Whatever may have been his failings, he gained and held the universal esteem of all who knew him. He was quite an active politician, and wielded considerable influence, especially among his fellow workman in the car-shops. Although entertaining strong Republican convictions, he was independent enough to advocate and support the candidacy of men of opposite political views to his own when convinced of their integrity and fitness for official station. He was especially esteemed by the Druids, in which order he held high rank, being the district deputy grand arch of Marco Bonzaris grove, No. 10, of St. Paul. Mr. Slawson died poor, and left no will or other document for posthumous perusal. He was, however, insured for $1,000 in the Druids, and the only money he was known to possess at the time of his death was $15.85 in his pockets. The deceased, before shooting himself, as traced yesterday by the reporter, seems to have left Hanft's barber shop by Broadway to Seventh street, passing west along the latter. he was noticed by Mr. Millham, newsdealer, 163 East Seventh street, going up that thoroughfare at an unusually rapid rate, and with his face slightly flushed. At the coroner of Sibley and Seventh he entered the store of J.G. Taylor, where he BORROWED THE PISTOL with which he shot himself. Mr. Taylor was not in at the time, but his clerk, A.M. Waite, was there. Slawson asked for the loan of a revolver, requesting the one he had borrowed some months ago, when as he then stated he was going on St. Anthony Hill and wanted it in case of an emergency. he was informed that pistol was at Mr. Taylor's house, but that Mrs. Taylor would give it to him. He objected to ask her for it as he was a stranger, and the clerk, knowing him well, and that he had borrowed the firearm before, loaded up the "Conqueror" revolver with five short, thirty-two calibre cartridges, although the pistol was adapted to long ones. Thus charged, the weapon was handed to Slawson, who evinced no excitement or intoxication. A few doors above, he visited J.F. Pannell's store, and paid there some borrowed money. Mr. Pannell though Slawson excited, or as if he was just getting over a spree and asked what was the matter, to which Slawson answered he had been unwell. Thence he went to Manning's, as detailed yesterday, and thence to the church steps and to his death. THE OBSEQUIES were in charge of the Druids, Mr. Charles C. Wilson, the secretary of the deceased's grove, having special personal superintendence of them. At seven o'clock in the evening of yesterday, quite a gathering assembled at the house, where Chaplain Robert Smith conducted a simply service of touching prayer. The body was enclosed in an elegant silver- mounted rosewood casket, which was decked with flowers. The Druids provided this handsome last tenement, as well as provided for the widow's transportation to Waukesha, Wis., and return, and that of the body to the same place. She was also advanced money from the same charitable source. In fact, though under the rules of the order they were only required to furnish $50 for funeral expenses, the Druids far exceeded, and simply did all things well. The following brethren of the association acted as pallbearers: W.P. Murray, C.M. Bell, james C. Morrison, Chas. N. Parker, Jr., E.P. Basford and R.J. Thomas. The body was conveyed to the depot of the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul railroad and left on the 8:05 p.m. train for Waukesha, accompanied by the widow and a brother of the deceased, who had arrived by the noon train yesterday. Source: Joe Chester [1]
  Birth	23 Jan 1840	Waukesha, Waukesha, Wisconsin, USA   [2, 3]
  Gender	Male
  Census	1870	Living in Milwaukee, Milwaukee Co., Wisconsin   [4]
  Death	14 Aug 1879	St Paul, Hennepin, Minnesota, USA   [2]
  Burial	Prairie Home Cemetery, Waukesha, Waukesha Co., Wisconsin   [3]
  Person ID	I50997	Main Tree
  Last Modified	24 Feb 2015

  
  

  Father	Frederick Fitch SLAWSON,   b. 9 Apr 1817, New York, USA d. 13 Jan 1901, Waukesha, Wisconsin (Age 83 years)
  Relationship	Birth
  Mother	Sarah Jane LOCKWOOD,   b. 7 Jul 1814, New York, USA d. Aug 1904, Waukesha, Waukeska Co., Wisconsin (Age 90 years)
  Relationship	Birth
  Marriage	1837	New Windsor, Orange, New York, USA   [2, 5]
  Family ID	F24251	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family	Mary PHILLIPS,   b. abt. 1848
  Marriage	1865  [2]
  Family ID	F24612	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

• Event Map

  Census - 1870 - Living in Milwaukee, Milwaukee Co., Wisconsin  = Link to Google Earth

  
  

• Headstones

  Charles B. Slawson Headstone Charles is the son of Frederick Slawson and Sarah Jane Lockwood. He is buried in the Prairie Home Cemetery in Waukesha, Waukesha Co., Wisconsin. Created by: KJS Photo Added by: KJS

  
  

• Sources

  [S4617] Information From Joe Chester dtd feb 2012. [S03336] Slason-Slauson-Slawson-Slosson Family by George C. Slawson dated 1946. [S02329] Find A Grave Website. [S6936] 1870 Census Milwaukee, Milwaukee County, Wisconsin. [S03909] 1900 Census Waukesha, Waukesha County, Wisconsin.