Amityville Jotting's

New York, 1895

The new $30,000 brick school building at Amityville has been finished and will be turned over to the board of education in a few days.

Sister Columbia, financial manager of the Convent of the Sisters of St. Dominick at Amityville, was buried in the convent cemetery on Sunday last. Her death was due to pneumonia.

—The Long Island Farmer, Jamaica, N.Y., Jan. 18, 1895, unknown page number.

Harry Potter Dies of Pneumonia

Pennsylvania, 1916

Harry Potter, a native of this city, and well known here, died of pneumonia Wednesday at his home, 1414 La Clair street, Swissvale, following a short illness.

He was born in this city 57 years ago, and for 35 years, had been identified with the railway postal service. His father was the late John Potter. He had been an untiring and enthusiastic church and mission worker, and was teacher of class No. 1 of the Emory Methodist Episcopal Sunday school, and also a member of the church. He was also a member of the Mifflin Avenue M. E. Sunday school, Wilkinsburg, and lay preacher of the Pittsburgh conference. He was connected with the Trotter mission o£ Pittsburgh. During his residence in this city, he was an active worker in the Epworth M. E. church.

His widow, Mrs. Emily D. Potter, survives, with one son, Rev. James V. Potter, pastor of the Mount Morris Methodist Episcopal church; one daughter, Mrs. W. O. Bitzer, at home; also one brother, R. R. Potter, formerly a member of The News editorial staff, and two sisters, Mrs. B. B. Ramsey and Mrs. J. A. Cox.

His son, Rev. James V. Potter, is at present ill at the home, of the parents, suffering from diphtheria, which developed while he was visiting in their home.

The funeral services are to be held Friday afternoon at 2 o'clock at the Mifflin avenue M. E. church, and interment will be made in Pittsburgh.

—New Castle News, New Castle, PA, April 6, 1916, p. 2.

A Fatal Accident — Irvin Pottorff

Leon, Iowa area, no date, possibly before 1918

Irvin Pottorff Is Thrown From a Horse and Fatally Injured.

Irvin Pottorff, the 12-year-old son of Mr. and Mrs. William S. Pottorff, who reside about three miles northwest of Leon, was thrown from his horse Wednesday afternoon of last week and sustained injuries from the effects of which he died Friday morning at 1 o'clock. On Wednesday afternoon about 4 o'clock two boys, Irvin and Willie Rumley, mounted horses and rode into a pasture to drive the cows home for the evening milking. One of the horses stumbled and fell, throwing Irvin on a stump so as to strike his left side and back. The unconscious boy was taken home as soon as assistance could be secured. Dr. Layton was summoned and on examination he discovered that two of the boy's ribs were broken, one of them having penetrated the left lung. This brought on a severe attack of pneumonia which resulted in death early Friday morning.

Mr. and Mrs. Pottorff have four children and Irvin was their only son. He was not only very industrious but an intelligent and promising boy, the pride of the household. They have the sympathy of the entire communion in their sad affliction. The funeral was held Sunday morning at 10 o'clock and interment occurred in the S[*] cemetery.

*Note: There's a tiny piece missing right here. It starts with "S" and can't contain more than two to four letters. Since there doesn't appear to be any cemetery near Leon that has a brief name like that, it might be a direction, like SW or SE.

Forced to Sleep in Hen Coop, Is Charge

1920

Man, 68, Gave Nephew His Money, Received Abuse, He Says

MARYSVILLE, Cal. — Fearing that his nephew would drive him into the street and he would eventually become a public charge and die to be buried in a pauper's grave is the reason given by Manuel G. George, sheepherder, for filing suit in Judge Eugene P. McDaniel's court to compel Manuel E. George to return $500 which the old man transferred to the younger man's account in a local bank on promise that the latter would care for him.

The complaint recites that he is 68 years of age and that when he went to live with his nephew the latter's wife and children abused him and he was compelled to sleep in a filthy chicken coop, although in ill health.


Steals a Dying Man's Watch

PHILADELPHIA, Pa. — As Samuel Sterling lay dying of pneumonia, his mother and sisters screamed and wept and the attention of passersby was attracted. A number of persons entered the house and went upstairs to see what was wrong. One of the strangers, a stout man about 25 years of age, grabbed the dying man's watch from a bureau, ran from the house and made his escape.

Spelling Stuck the Jury

1914

Point of Information They Wanted Involved No Great Legal Knowledge, If Judge Had It

Here is one that was told at a tea given by Miss Geraldine Farrar, the singer, when one of the party referred to the judiciary and the peculiar cases that frequently come before the courts:

"Some time ago there was a homicide case in a western court in which there was considerable doubt as to the guilt of the accused. The trial judge seemed to share the popular belief.

" 'Gentlemen of the jury,' said he, in concluding his charge, 'if the evidence, in your minds, shows that pneumonia was the cause of the man's death, you cannot convict the prisoner.'

"Whereat the jury retired and in about ten minutes the constable returned and presented himself before the judge.

" 'Your honor.' he remarked, "the gentleman of the jury want some in- formation.'

" 'On what point of evidence?' asked the judge.

" 'None, judge,' was the rejoinder of the constable. 'They want to know how to spell "pneumonia,"' " — Philadelphia Telegraph.

Siamese Twins in Hospital; One Has Pneumonia

1936

NEW YORK, Nov, 18. — One Siamese twin has lobar pneumonia, while the other remains in perfect health in the New York hospital. They are occupying the same bed as they have done of necessity since they were born joined together, 26 years ago, in the Philippines.

The condition of Lucio Codina, who has pneumonia, was described here at the hospital as "critical" as a result of an eleven-day struggle with a developing chill which caused him — with his brother, Simplicio — to be brought to the hospital when they finally called in Dr. Benjamin Fabricant, who lives in the same house.

Since the brothers are joined only by a thick muscular coupling at the base of their spines, they do not share their ailments as do joined twins who have vital organs or blood circulation in common. They have spent their lives back to back, and it is in this position that they are confronting the present emergency.

They are attended by their wives, Natividad and Victorina, who are sisters. The Codino twins married them in Manila in 1929. To obtain the marriage license they had to appeal from the judgment of the license clerk who held that since the twins were not single they could not marry. The Philippine department of justice overruled the clerk.

Immediately thereafter, the quadruple newlyweds started on their honeymoon with a tour of appearances in theaters, vaudeville and motion picture houses through the United States and Canada.

—The Hammond Times, Hammond, IN, Nov. 18, 1936, p. 7.