IL IL - Walter Donley, Peoria, 1 June 1943

[STANDREID]

Thanks Rosie. Yes, I remember that the man who was likely her brother didn't want to think about it when he was first notified. Apparently the state didn't want to be bothered by the problem while she was alive either. It seems that most people are only interested in doing just enough in their jobs to keep from getting fired and nothing more.

 

[WholeLottaRosie]

Stan, you are SO right!

Just finished the book - very sad. Apparently brother at first thought if she was id'd, IL would come after her next of kin for cost of keeping her for all that time. And IL thought next of kin would sue for not finding them. But, brother came around and died before he could inspect files. However, after reading the book and all, from the very end ,I am convinced. Although I think she is still buried under the Mary Doefour stone in IL. Very sad.

But there are more Mary Does in IL. I started a thread in the Unidentified here, two of them actually. http://www.websleuths.com/forums/showthread.php?t=177403

and this one

http://www.websleuths.com/forums/showthread.php?p=8138225#post8138225

 

[STANDREID]

Hopefully we're not just warehousing people who can't take care of themselves anymore.

 

[coco36]

This is really interesting! It reminds me of the case of Judge Joseph Crater who disappeared in 1930, although there is more information available about him.

Not sure if this is at all useful, but from ancestry.ca I found:
Year: 1940; Census Place: Peoria,Peoria,Illinois; Roll: T627_918; Page: 10A; Enumeration District: 104-56
House number 300 W Armstrong

Walter Donley Sr. age 85
John Donley, age 42
Walter Donley Jr., age 40 est. birth year 1900
Lawyer, private practice
Marjorie, daughter-in-law, age 39
Diane, granddaughter, age 11

I'll be interested in seeing what else you learn!

 

[STANDREID]

Thanks for that additional information Coco.

 

[STANDREID]

I wonder if Diane could still be living at 83.

 

[STANDREID]

It reminds me of the case of Judge Joseph Crater who disappeared in 1930, although there is more information available about him.

Yes even though I live here, I heard about Crater before I heard of this guy.

 

[Marilynilpa]

Yes even though I live here, I heard about Crater before I heard of this guy.

Judge Crater's disappearance is legendary, isn't it. The last time I was in NYC I took a walking tour of Judge Crater's old haunts (no pun intended). It was quite interesting.

 

[momtolil]

Regarding Rick Baker, he was a popular local writer who wrote a book in which he identified a woman who'd lived almost all her life in a mental asylum and then passed away without anyone ever knowing who she was. She was only known as Mary Doe Four and had apparently been traumatized by a rape when she was found. It wasn't too long after Mr. Baker wrote that 1980 article (1987) that he was killed in a traffic accident.

Wow Standried. I know this is of subject but I just looked up Mary Doe Four's story. What a sad fate she endured. I can't believe what they did to her. So so sad. I hope she was finally able to find some peace and her stolen sanity in death. I'll be thinking about her for a while.

 

[STANDREID]

Yes, too bad Baker didn't hear about Mary while she was still living.

 

[STANDREID]

I believe Mr. Baker's widow, Terry Bibo, still writes for the Peoria Journal Star newspaper.

 

[STANDREID]

I've discontinued my subscription to that paper so I have sort of lost track.

 

[STANDREID]

I believe Mr. Baker's widow, Terry Bibo, still writes for the Peoria Journal Star newspaper.

I contacted Ms. Bibo several years ago with information regarding the unsolved massacre (Henry Lee Moore has been mentioned as a possible suspect) of the Dewson family in Monmouth, IL during October of 1911. She said she would put it in her column on the 100th anniversary of the crime if she was still working at the paper at that time. Since I'd discontinued my subscription by then, I don't know if the story was published.

 

[STANDREID]

I remember that the man who was likely her brother didn't want to think about it when he was first notified.

As I recall, the man who was probably Mary Doe Four's brother was in very poor health when he was first contacted about her and just kind of didn't want to deal with the whole business in his last few days.

 

[STANDREID]

Yes, there is a warehouse district near the river. The river is not particularly rapid in my judgment - I don't know its flow rate. There is a lock and dam about 3 miles farther downstream but if the wickets were down then that's like no dam is there. I suppose he could have been boxed up in one of the warehouses and shipped to who-knows-where.

I just found out that the river was at an all time record depth of 28.8' just 9 days before Donley disappeared so it was probably at about 27' on June 1. Flood stage is 18'. The wickets almost certainly would have been down under these conditions and, if they weren't, their tops would have likely been submerged.

 

[Eridanus]

Standreid, did you ever get to Ancestry.com? I've got a membership and could help you if you haven't.

 

[STANDREID]

Standreid, did you ever get to Ancestry.com? I've got a membership and could help you if you haven't.

No I haven't - any help would be appreciated if you get the time.

 

[Eridanus]

I looked up Claudin's WWI and WWII draft cards on Ancestry.com. Here's what I got:

1917-1918
No. 3 Terminal Bartondale? (terrible handwriting)
Peoria, IL

WWII era:
110 S. Bourland
Peoria

Hope this helps.

 

[STANDREID]

Thanks much! I think that Bourland address is a business area now - possibly a service station.

 

[MrsTigglesworth]

Hi Folks! Nice to meet you all

I'd love to join in on the search for what happened to Walter! I found a little bit on Ancestry and will recap in this post and then more about the criminal records in the next post. Let me know if there is anything in particular that needs looked up and I will try

WD Sr. was in Peoria since around 1893 living on Armstrong Ave since around 1900/1903. WD Jr was living with him most of the time except for the 1930 census when he was living with his wife MD and daughter with a family from Ohio. (BC and EC). Even in the 1940 census, just released, he is shown with his Father, brother, wife, daughter and maid. He is also listed with them in 1942 at the Armstrong address in city directories.

His official date of birth from draft registration cards (both) is Oct 15, 1896
Most records show it closer to 1898/1899
He worked at 1144 Jefferson Blvd, Peoria in 1942 (from draft card)
He married M probably around 1827 or so

The tree that says he is related to a Carrithers is referring to the 1920 census. From that tree, WD's sister had a son in law with that name and he is living with the Donley family in 1920.

All references are my interpretation from historical records which are pretty reliable, but subject to human error.