October 2017 | Haunted Rockford

Mystery At The Chick Hotel

Originally published in The Rock River Times.

Thomas Chick was worried. He owned the Chick Hotel for over 14 years by 1902 and knew trouble when he saw it. It was just a feeling he had about the couple that checked into the hotel in the middle of June. They had been staying at the hotel for over three weeks and the only oddness Thomas had witnessed was that Mrs. Holt always carried a small metal box with her. But there was something about the two that Thomas did not like.

Thomas and his wife Lena had discussed the couple several times over the three weeks. Lena had chatted with Mrs. Holt many times while serving meals. She agreed with her husband that there was something odd about the couple.

Thomas was not surprised when the couple came to him in early July and stated that they did not have the cash to pay the $45 bill. Mr. Holt offered to write a check and give Thomas $20 toward the balance. The couple would settle up once they returned from a trip to Colorado. They explained that a dear friend of Mrs. Holt was very ill and they needed to travel to Colorado to visit. The money would pay their passage to Colorado and they would return to settle the balance of their bill.

Thomas refused the offer and stated he would need the entire bill paid. Holt then offered to leave their luggage behind as collateral. Thomas felt compassion for the desperate couple and their situation but his instincts told him they were not to be trusted. He again refused their offer and the couple returned to their room. Thomas noticed when they exited the hotel but was not alarmed because they carried no luggage.

A few days later, Thomas realized he had not seen the couple for some time. He questioned Lena, and his wife agreed that she had not seen the couple either. Thomas alerted the authorities. The police questioned the other guests and were told that Mrs. Holt had left on the train but Mr. Holt was still in town.

The authorities decided to search the room the Holts had rented. They were surprised to find all of the couple’s belongings placed neatly in the closet. Their surprise grew when they discovered the small metal box that Mrs. Holt always carried with her.

The permission to open the box had also been granted and a policeman was preparing to pry the lid from the top when another officer stopped him. He had noticed some small writing on the box. Their curiosity only deepened when they read, “Graceland Crematory, Chicago, Illinois”. There was also the name “Charles B. Sowerby” and the date, “June 18, 1900”.

The police decided not to open the box. They now had more questions than answers and doubled their efforts to locate the couple. They contacted the authorities in Aurora, Colorado and asked them to detain Mrs. Holt when she arrived on the train. She was met there by the authorities and escorted to the jail. Mr. Holt was found still in Rockford. He was brought to the jail to be questioned.

Chief Bargren questioned T. H. Holt and learned the whole story. The couple was not married as they had claimed and, in fact, Mrs. Holt was really Mrs. Harriet Sowerby. Holt wanted to marry Mrs. Sowerby but could not. Mrs. Sowerby had been married to the man whose ashes were found in their room. Her husband, Charles Sowerby, died two years previously and was the heir of a large estate in England. Mrs. Sowerby was now heir to that estate but would lose the inheritance if she married again.

Mrs. Harriet Sowerby, alias Holt, was able to draw some money from her inheritance while in Colorado. Harriet returned to Rockford where she was reunited with both her professed husband and her real husband’s ashes. Further research revealed that Harriet moved to Denver and remained Mrs. Harriet Sowerby at least until 1939 when the records ceased.

When Chief Bargren inquired why Harriet carried her late husband’s ashes, Mrs. Sowerby stated that Charles had been a good husband and she loved him. There was no mention about Holt’s reaction to this revelation.

An Early Murder In Rockford’s Past

Originally published in The Rock River Times.

When the word spread that William Moore and Terrence Donnerie were involved in another scuffle, no one in Rockford was surprised. The men had several altercations in the past that had been witnessed by many of their acquaintances. William and Terrence knew each other from working at the American House, a local inn that included a tavern. Terrence worked as a bartender and William’s father ran the local establishment in August 1853.

Terrence Donnerie also worked at another hotel in Rockford called the Rock River House. It was while Terrence was at the Rock River House on August 22, 1853 that he spoke of his hatred of William Moore. People who witnessed this tirade would later testify that Terrence became quite enraged.

As for William, he also startled people with his declarations of hatred for Terrence. During one particularly nasty rant, he was seen waving a club and shouting that, “he would knock the Irishman’s head off.”

It was 7 p.m. on August 23, 1853 when William kept his promise. Terrence had been seen drinking most of the day and was clearly intoxicated. He was nursing a drink when William came in. Terrence turned and met his stare. The two men locked eyes when Terrence, in an act of disdain for William, slowly turned his back toward him. It would prove to be a fatal mistake. William sprang into action and used the club in his hand to bash Terrence’s head.

William struck Terrence again as he fell. There was one final strike when Terrence hit the floor. William stood over Terrence for just a moment before turning and walking out the door. William returned shortly this time without the club. People who witnessed his return assumed he had hidden the club.

Terrence regained consciousness and staggered to his feet. One of the witnesses helped him home and called a doctor. The doctor visited Terrence at home that evening but the man refused to let the doctor examine him. According to the doctor, Terrence was agitated and bent on revenge.

There would be no further attack, however. The damage to Terrence’s head was too great and he fell into a coma during the night. Dr. Charles Clark was summoned in the early hours of August 24. Terrence’s breathing was strained and his left pupil was dilated. Dr. Clark realized that only drastic measures would save Terrence and he decided to attempt trephination. This was a technique used by doctors where a hole is cut into the skull to expose the brain. Dr.Clark found pieces of skull embedded in the brain from the severe beating. He removed those that he could reach safely. It was to no avail, however, and Terrence died at 9 a.m.

At the Coroner’s Inquest, William Moore pled not guilty. Witnesses were called to testify about the men’s hatred for each other. There were also many people who had witnessed the final altercation and came forward to testify.

The actual trial was conducted in late November 1853. The State’s Attorney was William Brown and the main defense lawyer was Jason Marsh. Most of the townspeople felt that the outcome was a foregone conclusion. William Moore’s threats had been heard by many men and even more had seen the brutal attack.

The courtroom was packed beyond capacity for the entire trial. Both the prosecutor and the defense attorneys did a remarkable job according to the newspapers of the day. The defense stated that no murder had been committed and this was a case of self defense on the part of William. The prosecution, of course, had plenty of evidence to exhibit and witnesses to testify to the contrary.

The evidence was presented and the case went to the jury late in the evening. The court reconvened at 11 a.m. the next day with the announcement of a verdict. The jury found William guilty of manslaughter and he was sentenced to one year in the penitentiary with six of the days to be in solitary confinement. The verdict and especially the light sentence outraged and shocked everyone in the courtroom. That outrage grew as news of the verdict spread throughout the city.

Within a few days, the businessmen of Rockford called for a special meeting at the City Hall. The meeting was titled an Indignation Meeting. The goal was to express their opinion about the verdict and sentence of William Moore. They drafted a list of resolutions to show that they considered the verdict as an “outrage to the people and a disgrace the county”. The meeting was covered extensively in the newspapers but did not change the verdict.

After William Moore served his time, he enlisted in the Michigan 6th Infantry during the Civil War where he served with honor. He died in Evanston, Illinois in 1913.