Aberdeen Evening News Friday, Mar 18, 1927
GEORGE HALE FOUND DEAD FROM HEART FAILURE THIS MORNING
Rooming House Proprietor finds Body in Room; Unable to Locate Relatives
George Hale, 45, a laborer, was found dead in his room in the Martin rooming house over the Economy Grocery store at 16 South Main Street at 8 o’clock this morning by Martin Gross, proprietor of the rooming house, when he failed to appear at his usual hour on his way to work. According to the authorities, who were called immediately after the discovers of the body, he had evidently been dead for several hours.
Due to the absence of Coroner Dr. George E. Countryman from the city the exact cause of his death was not determined this morning although there were no visible marks of foul plan and Chief of Police Roy Shaffer declared that death was probably due to a heart attack. An inquest will be held as soon as Coroner Contryman returns, which will probably be sometime late today.
The body was found lying face down in the center of the room which he has occupied for sometime. He was last seen at about 10 o’clock Thursday night by several of his friends on a downtown street and according to other roomers in the Martin rooming house he was heard moving about in his room shortly after midnight. According to these results of the investigations of the police it is thought that he must have died some time shortly after midnight.
Up until noon today the police had been unable to locate any relatives of the dead man and it is thought that he had no near relatives in the city. According to the authorities the deceased has been in the city for a number of years and until his death was engaged in the digging of wells. He was also engaged in the roofing business in the city during the past few months. With the arrival of Coronoer Countryman this afternoon, an inquest will be held and the exact cause of his death determined.
~Transcribed by volunteer researcher, Kathy Smith