VA Richmond VA- LIVING Deaf/Nonverbal John Doe WhtMale found March 5 1910-died June 21,1951

[rainwaterstill]

Just added a few days ago to Namus: The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)


A LIVING John Doe was picked up in Richmond, VA on March 5, 1910. He had no identification. DEAF and UNABLE TO SPEAK, he was admitted to Eastern State Hospital in Williamsburg, where he spent the rest of his life. At the time of his death, his age was estimated to be between 55-75 years old.

Hazel Eyes
Age when found is unknown, age at death estimated 55-75 years old
Height 72 inches (6 feet)
"Pigmentation to middle of forearm, bilateral" is listed on Namus.
Graying/partially graying hair at the time of his death in 1951.
Weight 150 lbs

John Doe worked as a farm laborer for several decades while a hospital resident. On June 19, 1951, he was hit by a car and suffered head injuries. He died on June 21 , 1951 from his injuries.

There are no photos of John Doe on Namus, but his page states that at his death he
had a recognizable face.

He has never been identified.

 

[MadMcGoo]

41 years?! So sad. I remember a case strikingly similar.

CASE NUMBER - 496UMIL
http://www.doenetwork.org/cases/496umil.html
Someone had to have missed him.

 

[Coppertop15]

No info on what he looked like when they found him? I'd think that would be more helpful.

 

[MadMcGoo]

No info on what he looked like when they found him? I'd think that would be more helpful.

I agree.

 

[JayWill]

He probably had a better life and was looked after better in that hospital than wherever he came from.

 

[GoBuckeyes]

Just added a few days ago to Namus: The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)


A LIVING John Doe was picked up in Richmond, VA on March 5, 1910. He had no identification. DEAF and UNABLE TO SPEAK, he was admitted to Eastern State Hospital in Williamsburg, where he spent the rest of his life. At the time of his death, his age was estimated to be between 55-75 years old.

Hazel Eyes
Age when found is unknown, age at death estimated 55-75 years old
Height 72 inches (6 feet)
"Pigmentation to middle of forearm, bilateral" is listed on Namus.
Graying/partially graying hair at the time of his death in 1951.
Weight 150 lbs

John Doe worked as a farm laborer for several decades while a hospital resident. On June 19, 1951, he was hit by a car and suffered head injuries. He died on June 21 , 1951 from his injuries.

There are no photos of John Doe on Namus, but his page states that at his death he
had a recognizable face.

He has never been identified.

This is terribly tragic, many times over, too, for this man. First, he had to adjust to living in a hearing world. Then he had to adjust to being institutionalized and, presumably, having to grieve the loss of a family. That grieving was done without the ability to communicate with the hearing people around him. Then he thrives with the hand life dealt him, and he's run over by a car. Those wounds eventually took his life, but not until he gave death one last valiant fight!

I'm praying that this case is solved. He needs a name on his final resting place's marker. This one really makes my heart hurt.

 

[GoBuckeyes]

I'm ignorant about what this means, "bilateral pigmentation to both forearms." Could someone please explain to me what that means? Thank you.

 

[rainwaterstill]

This is terribly tragic, many times over, too, for this man. First, he had to adjust to living in a hearing world. Then he had to adjust to being institutionalized and, presumably, having to grieve the loss of a family. That grieving was done without the ability to communicate with the hearing people around him. Then he thrives with the hand life dealt him, and he's run over by a car. Those wounds eventually took his life, but not until he gave death one last valiant fight!

I'm praying that this case is solved. He needs a name on his final resting place's marker. This one really makes my heart hurt.

I am hoping that somewhere out there, a family member is trying to find out whatever happened to their Great Grandpa's brother who was deaf- mute, disappeared, and noone knows what happened to him. Or did a family member drive him to and then drop him off in Richmond because they had no idea how to take care of him in 1910?

 

[forthelost]

I'm ignorant about what this means, "bilateral pigmentation to both forearms." Could someone please explain to me what that means? Thank you.

He had dark spots on both of his upper arms.

I think both him and John Doe 24 should have genetic geneology run. I know they know where the latter is buried, but I don't know if they ever tried to get DNA from him.

 

[meanmaryjean]

I am hoping that somewhere out there, a family member is trying to find out whatever happened to their Great Grandpa's brother who was deaf- mute, disappeared, and noone knows what happened to him. Or did a family member drive him to and then drop him off in Richmond because they had no idea how to take care of him in 1910?

Very few people had cars in 1910. Perhaps put him on a train. Or maybe he just lived in the area, his family died or put him out and he was left to his own devices.

 

[fred&edna]

I would hope that someone (when he was first located) checked records at the Virginia School for the Deaf & Blind (located in Staunton, VA) to see if a new student didn't arrive as scheduled.

 

[not that girl]

He probably had a better life and was looked after better in that hospital than wherever he came from.

Possibly. Look up Willowbrook videos and Google state hospitals in the ‘40s-‘70s, conditions were pretty dire for many institutionalized people and many, many died due to overcrowding diseases and lack of care.

 

[fred&edna]

Although rare, could Klein-Waardenburg syndrome explain the pigmentation and deafness?? Maybe it would help (in some genetic way) finding relatives?

Type III (sometimes called Klein-Waardenburg syndrome) includes abnormalities of the arms and hands in addition to hearing loss and changes in pigmentation.

Waardenburg syndrome: MedlinePlus Genetics

 

[fred&edna]

According to this report from 1910, there were 205 deaf/mute males living in Virginia... there are other categories breaking this down (race, US born, etc). This does narrow the field a bit (although I'm sure not everyone replied to the census at that time), AND I'm not sure how anyone would begin using this without more info.

https://tile.loc.gov/storage-servic...usofdeafdumb00unit/censusofdeafdumb00unit.pdf

And, I wish I had access to these Eastern State Hospital records:

A Guide to the Records of Western State Hospital, 1825-2000 Western State Hospital, Records of 31030, 31353, 31704, 32451, 41253, 41283, 41404, 44812, 45553, 50576, 50989

 

[Beccalicious]

Bumping