The Oak Cemetery Investigation

[GreyWolfVT]

Roy shaking his head "Who would leave such a mess behind, no common courtesy at all some folks are just rude. We'll make sure to put books back ma'am. I'f you'd like a hand with that I'm happy to help."

same as Lionel just my phone.

[Bluehorse]

Roy, what is your cool stat? Go ahead and roll that for me with no bps.

[GreyWolfVT]

Cool: [4d6] = 10 G:[1d6] = 3

[Bluehorse]

Cool: [4d6] = 10 G:[1d6] = 3

Perfect

Roy notices a note that has been put into the trashcan reading: RESERVED, Roy O'Dowd.

There is a librarian working at putting books away from a stack of books in the middle of the floor.

[GreyWolfVT]

Roy "Say I think one of those was reserved for me. Roy O'Dowd that is me. Could I take the book?"

[Bluehorse]

The librarian looks at the book in her hand and then hands it over to Roy, looking puzzled but accommodating.

1. Fort Smith Census records 1850-1920
2. Fort Smith Census records 1930-1950
3. Fort Smith Census records 1950-1990 a-k
4. Fort Smith Census records 1990 l-z-2000
5. Fort Smith Census records 2000
6. News Articles 1875-1900
7. History of Fort Smith
8. Sebastian Co. Census 1850-1870
9. Crawford Co. Census 1900-1940
10. Indian Role Numbers 1890
11. History of the Arkansas River
12. Notable Names of Fort Smith
13. Fort Chaffee
14. Fort Coffee
15. The Trail of Tears
16. News Articles 1970-1990
17. Guest Register of the Goldman Hotel

First lets see how many she had put away already:
[1d100] = 89
17*.89=15

She hands you News Articles 1970-1990 and Guest Register of the Goldman Hotel is still on the floor.

[GreyWolfVT]

Roy "Thank you. Not sure who reserved those for me but I appreciate it." he reaches down and picks up Guest Register of the Goldman Hotel from the floor "Is it alright if I take this one too?"

[Bluehorse]

Roy "Thank you. Not sure who reserved those for me but I appreciate it." he reaches down and picks up Guest Register of the Goldman Hotel from the floor "Is it alright if I take this one too?"

The librarian nods. Not a problem, but reference books like these cannot be checked out, you can pay to make copies from the book though. she then leans in and whispers. But we tend to turn a blind eye to someone taking pictures with their phones as long as you are discrete about it.

[GreyWolfVT]

Roy nods his head "Very well I was hoping to sit and read through it a bit here if that is ok." he says and winds his way to hopefully a private table that has privacy guards up, something like what students might have when taking tests.

[Rex]

Mac

"Roy, do you want me to go through some of them? I lost me phone again so if I find anything I will let you know."

[GreyWolfVT]

Roy "Sure Mac if you wouldn't mind. We have to find a way to keep that phone of yours with you."

[Rex]

Mac

Mac chuckles, "Yea I seem to have a bad habit of losing the thing."

Mac will start going through everything.

Brains +1BP [4d6] = 10 Ghost [1d6] = 2

History specialty not included.

[GreyWolfVT]

Roy starts looking through stuff as well, and casually tries to snap pictures of important things with his phone.

Brains: [4d6] = 16 G: [1d6] = 5
Cool: [4d6] = 15 G:[1d6] = 2

[Urson]

Joker D'oh! Missed this- sorry!

Joker enters the library, smiling the smile of a man who just got home. He doesn't have any gear, just his phone.

With his usual single-mindedness, Joker heads directly for the microfiche/microfilm readers. He starts searching the local paper's archives, beginning with the most recent- Phoebe Adams- and working backward. He looks for cause of death, age, any descendants and relatives mentioned, and any mention of the woman during her lifetime.

[8d6] = 25 ghost [1d6] = 6 brains (+3 BP)

Each person on the list gets the same treatment.

[Bluehorse]

Mac will start going through everything.

Brains +1BP [4d6] = 10 Ghost [1d6] = 2

History specialty not included.

History would count here but even with the minimal +5 you are more than good to go.

Mac is able to find an article about Jack Belt and his car accident. There is the one that Sam found earlier:

Times Record dated July 6th 1989.
Jack Belt:
Police have released the name of the man who died after being involved in a car accident two days ago as Jack Belt, 25 of Fort Smith. Belt was driving at high speeds when he ran a red light and was hit by a semi-truck on the corner of Midland and Division Avenues. The driver of the truck was uninjured, but unavailable for an interview. Police say drugs and alcohol were involved.

The right after that he find another article that released some more information on the incident itself as well as more information on Jack Belt himself:

Police Report
Date: July 4th, 1989
Incident: Car Accident. 2 vehicles: 1 Semi Truck driven by John MacGuffin (54) and 1 Ford Mustang driven by Jack Belt, (25). Collision at high speed at the intersection of Midland and Division. Mustang was driving at an exceptionally high speed. Previous reports called in about a car matching the description of Belt's car driving recklessly in the north side of town. The collision happened at the intersection. Jack Belt was found badly injured on the scene and was transported to Spark's Hospital where he later died from injuries.Investigation: Detectives on the scene concluded Belt was traveling westbound in access of 100mph when he failed to stop for the traffic light and was met by the semi-truck driven southbound by MacGuffin. MacGuffin was not cited.
Conclussion of Report: MacGuffin was found not at fault. Belt's high speed and reckless driving was the cause of the accident. Belt died of injuries as a result of the crash. No citations issued.

Times Record Release: July 8th, 1989:
Belt, Jack
3 counts of drug possession charges.
1 DWI
5 counts of Disturbing the peace.
3 counts of disorderly conduct.
6 counts of speeding.
2 counts of reckless driving.
1 count of driving on a suspended license.

Obitcuary: Narcissa Eglantine
Left this world Saturday May 6. She was survived by her extensive family: Her daughters: Narcissa, Phoebe Talmonia Carson, Molly Eglantine, Jeanette Eglantine, Therese Eglantine, Maude Eglantine, and her son Martin Eglantine. Her Grandchildren: Orinthia May Adams, and Phoebe Zenobia Adams. She was preceded in death by her first husband Thomas Talmonia, and her parents Samuel Blackwell ADAMS and Mary BLACKWELL, and her sister Mary A. Duncan. The funeral will be held Saturday, May 14 at 3pm at Oak Cemetery on a family plot. Mourners are asked to wear black.

Editorial: Dated May 9th, 1961.
The stories of the Blackwell Witches have been around for decades. Even if no official "Proof" exists, most Fort Smithian's will agree that these are unwholesome people that should not be allowed a Christian burial in and among our good people in Oak Cemetery, or any cemetery for that matter! They should be forced out of town to dispose of her body, and their like should also be removed from out places of burial. It is disrespectful to both the living and the dead, not to mention the Almighty himself!
-Father Samuel Belmont,
Church of the Living God.

[Rex]

Mac

"Here is some interesting information."

He shares the above with everyone there.

I don't have time to look it over right now so will tonight when I get home from work, but wanted to give everyone a chance to post on it if they want.

[Bluehorse]

Roy starts looking through stuff as well, and casually tries to snap pictures of important things with his phone.

Brains: [4d6] = 16 G: [1d6] = 5
Cool: [4d6] = 15 G:[1d6] = 2

Roy is able to decern that the Goldman Hotel's address is near the Firehouse on Garrison Ave. near the Church at the top of the street. There were plenty of notable figures ranging from presidents to gangsters. It was a popular place! A true 5-star hotel of its time.

A small entry mentions:
Among the celebrities who stayed in Goldman over the course of its life were: at almost nine feet in height, Robert Waldo, the tallest man in the world; humorist Will Rogers; film stars Rosalind Russell and Susan Hayward; baseball greats Mickey Mantle and Dizzy Dean; Van Buren native and comedian Bob Burns; and female golfer Babe Dedricksen.

With some cross-referencing on his phone, he is able to also find: https://www.fortsmithhistory.org/archive/goldman.html

From there he is also able to learn that the hotel was demolished in 1994, making room for a parking lot. There is also now a small floral shop on the south end of the old property as well as a small park with a cornerstone from the hotel still there.


==========
No worries Mac! I am playing catch up too!

[Bluehorse]

With his usual single-mindedness, Joker heads directly for the microfiche/microfilm readers. He starts searching the local paper's archives, beginning with the most recent- Phoebe Adams- and working backward. He looks for cause of death, age, any descendants and relatives mentioned, and any mention of the woman during her lifetime.

[8d6] = 25 ghost [1d6] = 6 brains (+3 BP)

Each person on the list gets the same treatment.

Phoebe Zenobia Adams (1951–2002)
Age 51. She passed away due to complications of Pneumonia.
Fort Smith Native.
Survived by her daughter Gloria Mary Joniet and her granddaughter Jeniveve Joniet of Van Buren. She was preceded in death by her 5 sisters and her brother.

Orinthia May Adams (1963–1987)
Age 24. She passed due to what the police called "Suspicious Circumstances" but there was no hard proof as to what she died of. She was found with a knife in her hand at The Heaven Runestone State Park. There were no signs of struggle other than the position of the body when it was found. There was no blood on the scene and no signs of injury to the body on initial inspection or autopsy. The cause of death was ruled as heart failure *With reservations*.
Orinthia appears to have had no children. She was survived by her sister Phoebe.

Phoebe Talmonia Carson (1976)
Age: 19. Found in a ditch off Zero Street by Ben Garen Park. Cause of death was ruled a homicide by Fort Smith Police and backed up by the Coroner's report. Phoebe was slashed multiple times with a sharp object and the body presumably dumped where it was later found by a passer by.
She was survived by her new Husband Richard Carson. Carson was held for 2 days on suspicion of murdering his new wife, but no charges were officially made leading to his eventual release.

Narcissa Adams
Died on August 24, 1973. Age: 28. Rumors abound! One of the notorious BLACKWELL WITCHES! found hung in a local park! Authorities were called the Creekmore Park this morning at approx. 3am when the body was discovered hanging from a tree in the park. The BLACKWELL descendants have been involved in multiple counts of loitering in parks and cemeteries over the past decades, and have even TRESPASSED on private property within the city and surrounding areas. Police are baffled and suspect suicide, but they do not know how she could have done it since the rope was tied almost 30 feet high and there was no means discovered to how she could have assisted herself as there were no ladders and the body was hanging a full 20 feet of the ground.

Narcissa Eglantine
May 6, 1961 at the age of 57 was discovered in her home by relatives. Coroner report was that she died of congestive heart failure. She is survived by One son and five daughters. She was preceded in death by 2 husbands, Claude Parker in 1945 (WWII) and Gene Woodrow W. Salem in 1959. She was preceded in death by her sister Mary and her parents Samuel Blackwell ADAMS and Mary BLACKWELL.

Mary Blackwell Adams, Died on October 22, 1959 (52) Found in the washed up on the banks of the Poteau River. Cause of death was ruled as Drowning.

Samuel Blackwell ADAMS was found dead along with his wife Mary BLACKWELL. Police ruled it was foul play, as both were found at the dinnertable after having been poisoned. The food at the table was found to have traces of several toxic herbs. Coroner's report was inconclusive, saying that though the toxicology was above normal limits, it would normally not be enough to kill two otherwise healthy adults. They are survived by their Daughter Mary.

Mary Duncan: No official death date. Reported missing December 2, 1908. Legally presumed dead in 1928. She is survived by her family and friends the Blackwells, Adams, Eglantines, and Salems.

[Urson]

Joker
Joker takes copious notes, as already mentioned. When he can (probably next day, after compiling the data) he'll share a file to the others with all the stuff he finds.

I'm sure there's other stuff to look at and trails to chase, once I digest this bunch of facts.

[GreyWolfVT]

Roy takes pictures with his phone of the important bits. "I found some good stuff as well."