Family Genealogy - John Theobold Wattel Death
(Also known as Jean Thiebaud Wadel)
The death of John Theobold WATTEL was a tragic and untimely event in the lives of his family.; Sadly John was only 49 years old at the time of his death, the father of 10 children, the youngest child less than 2 years of age when he died.
One of his great granddaughters told me personally that the family believed that he had been murdered despite the official ruling of his death. Additionally, Catherine A. MILLER, in her book Our Ancestry In Early Rochester, on page 33, stated, “I have been told that one day he sold many things at the public market and then with a very large sum of money in his possession, he was murdered.”
While the account below leaves room for doubt, there is no way to prove or disprove the family belief based on the evidence presented in the newspaper account of his death.
Although his death was ruled accidental, owing to the time of day – between six and seven on a late October evening, it is conceivable that the family story could be true. Assailants could have overcome John WATTEL under the cover of darkness, quickly taken his money and pushed him into the Canal. The boatmen did not see what had occurred, only heard a cry and the splash. With these facts in mind in an age when Forensic Science has become so well known, it is possible that the lack of knowledge of the scientists and doctors of John’s day allowed for certain facts to be overlooked.
It is of course entirely possible that John could have slipped or even become ill and, losing his balance fell into the Canal. As researchers we must keep in mind that in the days of our ancestors, few people knew how to swim, so even if John had been pushed into the canal, or if he fell in of his own accord, it is more than likely that he would have been unable to save himself.A drowning, therefore, were not an uncommon occurrence. Quite possibly if this had occurred in daylight when there were more people about, someone may have been able to save John.
Modern forensic evidence probably could have solved the mystery behind his death, but it was so long ago we can only suppose what may have happened.
The following article was published in the Rochester Union And Advertiser on Wednesday, 21 October 1857.
DROWNED IN THE CANAL—An elderly man named John WADDLE, who resided on Brown Street, near the Western Depot, was accidentally drowned in the Erie Canal between six and seven o’clock last evening. Mr. W. left home about four o’clock to come down to the city, and was not of heard of by his family until after being taken from the water. Coroner STONE held an inquest and elicited the facts in the case. Some boatmen being on the heel-path of the Erie Canal near it’s junction with the Genesee Valley, heard something fall into the water from the towing path opposite, and heard a cry. -- They took a pole and ran to the nearest bridge, crossed the Canal and came to the spot from whence the alarm proceeded. In a few minutes they drew up the body of Mr. WADDLE. He had been in the water about fifteen minutes. Dr. SHIPMAN came and resorted to all the usual means for resuscitation, but without avail.
The jury returned a verdict of accidental drowning. Soon after the inquest was concluded a brother of the deceased arrived from Texas to visit him. They had not met in 27 years. The brother was much excited, and somehow got an impression that death proceeded from assault and violence rather then drowning. The skin upon the chest showed abrasion, which he attributed to other than the probable cause – rubbing the body to resuscitate. By the urgent solicitation of friends Coroner STONE consented to order a post mortem examination this morning. Dr. MCKAY operated. He found no other apparent cause for death than drowning of which all the usual signs were abundantly manifested.
Deceased was a native of France, 49 years of age. He leaves a wife and ten children, the eldest grown to manhood. He was a man of considerable property and a cooper by occupation.
A second death notice, published in the Rochester Daily Democrat on Thursday, 22 October 1857, explains the official verdict:
DROWNED IN THE CANAL - On Tuesday evening last, John WADDLE, a Frenchman, aged 49 years, was drowned near the junction of the Erie and Genesee Valley Canals.; Coroner STONE held an inquest this morning. Verdict of the jury, accidental drowning. By request of the family, a post-mortem examination was held by Dr. MCKAY, in consequence of the discovery of some bruises, but the verdict was as above stated.