George R. Whaples: TRIES TO SET FIRE TO HIS PRISON

I came across a newspaper clipping about Bob's great great uncle George Reuben WHAPLES. This article intrigued me somewhat and I wanted to share what I have found. 

I wouldn't call George the "black sheep" in the family, but that clipping from the Chicago Daily Tribune (1872-1922) proved to give me a second thought. This article caught my eye as I was cruising through the online information. It was a little over 123 years ago on January 10, 1896 ... TRIES TO SET FIRE TO HIS PRISON.

A similar electric car coming into Oak Park. Photo found on
Oak Park River Forest Historical Museum website.

Great great uncle George was "drunk and disorderly" on a "west-bound Cicero and Proviso electric car"; the police officer walked him to the police station. On the way George took it to another level and  "whipped out a long knife and made a thrust at him [the officer], severely cutting his right hand, the little finger being nearly severed. Whaples, raving and kicking, was finally placed in a cell and the door closed."

George's prison caper continued..."he was working industriously trying to pry the bars from the window with a chair." It's interesting what he did next... the chair was "broken into splinters and he piled the pieces, with some newspapers, on the floor and set fire to the pile."

George cried out to attract attention. "A stream of ice-cold water was turned on the fire and Whaples. The former was extinguished. The latter was sobered." I am glad both were saved. The charges before the Justice of Peace was for "assault with a deadly weapon and disorderly conduct." Not good for George. He was suppose to appear before Justice Smith that same day.

I have no idea if he was convicted or if any what his sentence was. I think if he were sentenced it wasn't for long. I have not been able to find anything more on this subject. I have written letters of inquiry, searched the internet, and local historical society to no avail. If the information comes my way, I will update this posting.

Too much to drink can cause problems for anyone. Bob said he "couldn't be in my family!"  Yet he is Bob's great grandfather Judson's brother.

ABOUT GEORGE
George was the son of Bob's great great grandparents Reuben and Margaret Jane [Spitzer] WHAPLES. He was born 30 Sep 1850 [Oak Ridge, Cicero Township now Oak Park]; the sixth of nine children. 

George Reuben Whaples died 25 Feb 1917 in Oak Park. He is buried in Forest Home Cemetery, Forest Park, Illinois [Find A Grave Memorial #55129903]. 

Obituary: — Oak Leaves (Oak Park, IL), 3 Mar 1917, pg. 17

PIONEER IS GONE

George R. Whaples, Born Here in 1850—Related to Prominent Families of the Community

George R. Whaples, a pioneer resident of Oak Park, entered into rest last Sunday morning at Oak Park hospital. He was born in Oak Ridge (now Oak Park) September 30, 1850, and, excepting the few years that he resided in Kansas, his whole life was spent here.

Two daughters, Mrs. Frederick S. Nye of Oak Park, and Mrs. C. W. McCullagh of North Yakima, Wash., survive him. He was a son of Reuben Whaples and Margaret Jane Whaples, who were the second settlers here; and a brother of Judson L. Whaples, Mrs. J. W. Tope, Mrs. Delos Hull, Mrs. W. F. Furbeck, Mrs. J. W. Kettlestrings, Mrs. James Spickerman and the late Mrs. T. M. Hull.

Funeral services were held at the residence of his sister, Mrs. J. W. Tope, 927 Lake, on Tuesday afternoon, Dr. William E. Barton of the First Congregational church officiating.

The music consisted of two beautiful songs rendered by Ernest Peacock of the Chicago Mendelssohn club. Interment was at Forest Home.

[Note: Dr. William E. Barton was a Congregationalist minister and historian of Abraham Lincoln. He was the cousin to Clara Barton founder of the Red Cross. For more info: Oberlin College Special Collections]

At least by early 1875, George went out to Kansas and did some farming. I found him on the Kansas State Census:

Kansas State Historical Society; Topeka, Kansas; 1875 Kansas Territory Census; 1 Mar 1875 Howard Township, Labette County, Kansas   Post Office: Parker, Kansas Geo R Whaples   25   b. 1850  farmerJohn Gnarling   21

On 1 Oct 1876 in Labette Co., Kansas George married Amanda J. ELLIOT, age 17. She was born about 1859 to Alfred and Lydia (Johnson) Elliott possibly Clark County, Illinois where I found the family in 1860 census. She passed away in 1882 at the age of 23. 

In six years of marriage, George and Amanda had three daughters; first daughter Margaret Belle was born in Edna, Labette County, Kansas Oct. 1877 and the two other girls, Grace b. about 1879 and Mary Louise b. about 1881 were both born in Oak Park, Illinois. 

In 1882 George bought 160 acres of land in Labette County, Kansas. That's the year Amanda died. I'm not sure if he returned to Oak Park shortly after her funeral or not.

From what I know, after Amanda died, George didn't remarry. He came back to Oak Park and was a contractor of various kinds. I don't know what he did with the land, but I would think he sold it.

The July 27, 1890 Chicago Daily Tribune (1872-1922) had a "News and Gossip" column called OUTSIDE THE OLD LIMITS and one of area towns written about was Oak Park; it said "Building operations have been energetically pushed here. Among the new structures are Mr. Katenbach's two-story and basement hardware store and flats on Lake street, George Whaples' two-story and basement brick business block on Oak Park avenue."  

So Bob and I went to the Oak Park River Forest History museum to find out some more about where George had his building. We found nothing there in the short time we had, but online I found something interesting... a listing of all the buildings, owners, architects, addresses, and a short description of the property/building. We found out that George lived on Kenilworth Ave. and his brother, Bob's great grandfather, Judson lived on S. Maple [that's another look-up for later]. George's building was a "store"; the architect William J. Van Keuren; description: double store, adjoining Goelitz block, flats above.

We don't know exactly where this building was, but we do know it has to be just south of Lake St. on Oak Park Ave. There are many older store buildings on the "Avenue" which could have been his.

George lived in various places in Oak Park over the years he was back in town. 

According to the Oak Park Vindicator, Friday, December 2, 1898, George "spent Thanksgiving at home. He returned to his business on the road in Iowa next day."

I found George in the 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880, 1910 US Census for Oak Park, and the 1875 Kansas Territory Census. I have yet to find him in the 1900 US census enumerated June 1, 1900, not for the lack of trying. I think he may have been out of touch –– "on the road" maybe.

According the the Oak Park Reporter Thursday, December 13, 1900, George "started Monday on a trip to the Pacific coast cities." My first thought was what cities? Then I remembered his daughter Grace had moved to Hood River, Oregon, but she was still in Oak Park for the birth of her daughter Margaret. He might have gone out there to look at land for his daughter and son-in-law to purchase. Then I checked who else in the family might have lived out there...Gilford Dudley WOODWORTH, Jr. son of Bob's 3x great uncle Gilford Dudley, the brother of Bob's 3x great grandfather John Burton Woodworth. That is a possibility of the reason he went out there.

So much for great great uncle George. I have spent too much time searching. It is time for me to move on and get going on posting more on others in my family and Bob's. If there is anyone out there who can add to this, please don't hesitate to contact me.