red paper boat

This was a bit of a side quest. Cornelius Joseph Wholey was the brother of James Francis Wholey, who married Theresa Cecelia Basquil, a daughter of Denis Basquil and Ellen Carney. I wouldn’t normally have done much research on him, but I ran across an article in a Fall River newspaper that caught my interest.

Cornelius and Elizabeth M. Duggan (daughter of James Duggan and Mary Ready) married 11 Mar 1905 in Fall River, Massachusetts. Elizabeth died 9 Feb 1931 in Fall River. 

Cases Heard in District Court
Cornelius Wholley pleaded not guilty to a charge of assault and battery on his wife. Judge Benjamin Cook appeared for the government, Attorney T. F. Higgins for the defendant. After Mrs. Wholley had told her story, Mr. Higgins announced that he would offer no defense. The defendant was sentenced to 30 days in the House of Correction and this was ordered suspended for six months.
Source: The Evening Herald, 10 Sep 1921, p. 12, col. 4

That happened in 1921. I couldn’t find Cornelius in the 1920 census, and after that article he seemed to disappear from the face of the earth. But sometimes if you do a search at Ancestry for parents, you hit the jackpot. And I did, with a Los Angeles County death certificate. But to make absolute sure I had the right person, I tried tracing his path from 1921 to his death in 1952. I found him in the 1930 census, in Los Angeles, living with a wife named Mary and using the name Cornelius Anderson. As far as I can tell, he did not divorce his first wife, Elizabeth Duggan. I have no idea who Mary was, or if they actually married. If they did, Cornelius committed bigamy. More likely they just lived together and told everyone they were married.

1930 U.S. census, population schedule, Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, California, enumeration district (ED) 19-639, sheet 13B, p. 240 (stamped), dwelling 248, family 249, Cornelius Anderson; database and images, Ancestry (www.ancestry.com : accessed 19 Mar 2023); citing National Archives and Records Administration microfilm T626. Rec. Date: 25 Jan 2020. 1940 U.S. census, population schedule, Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, California, enumeration district (ED) 60-1195, sheet 17A, p. 8675 (stamped), household 377, Cornelius Wholey; database and images, Ancestry (www.ancestry.com : accessed 19 Mar 2023); citing National Archives and Records Administration microfilm T627, roll 00397. 1950 U.S. census, population schedule, Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, California, enumeration district (ED) 66-450, sheet 72, household 191, Cornelius J. Wholey; digital images, 1950 Census (1950census.archives.gov : accessed 20 Mar 2023); citing National Archives and Records Administration microfilm T628, roll 3672.

In 1940 his two surviving children, Etta and James, were living with him, which makes sense since their mother had died in 1932. Whether they knew all along where he was, I don’t know. And did they know he’d been using the name Anderson? He was back to using Wholey in 1930. Mary disappeared, though, and she’s pretty much untraceable. 

In 1950 he is living alone, at the same address that’s on his death certificate. His son, James, is the informant.

I still have a million questions. Did he leave Fall River to avoid jail? Did he serve his sentence then leave? But if he served his sentence, then why the name change? A funny side note is that I traced Cornelius through several years of Los Angeles city directories, and he was listed for several years under both Anderson and Wholey, at the same address, with the same occupation.

This is not a happy story. Thomas was the son of Denis Basquil and Ellen Carney, and like all but their oldest son, he was born in England. Thomas worked as a house and sign painter, as did his oldest brother, John. He struggled with alcoholism and never married. When he died, everyone, including his family, thought he was drunk. And I’d guess alcohol played a part, but his death certificate only lists heart disease as the cause of death.

At Flint
Thomas Basquil, aged 36, and [unmarried], was found dead at his father’s door, at 305 Davis street, early Sunday morning. Dr. Buck, the medical examiner, pronounced death due to alcoholism. Basquil had been drinking heavily, Saturday evening, and was last seen alive at 3:15 Sunday morning, by Patrick Toolan, who saw him sitting on his father’s doorsteps apparently intoxicated. Toolan did not speak to [him], as he was apparently asleep. At 4:45, Basquil’s father, Dennis Basquil, heard a fall at his door, and on investigating, found Thomas apparently drunk, lying in the hallway. Thomas had not lived at home for some time, because of his drinking habits, and his father on perceiving his condition, locked the door and went to bed. At 6:30 a.m., Dennis passed Thomas in the hall as he left the house on his way to church, but thinking that he was sleeping off his intoxication, did not endeavor to awaken him. Later, Alice Basquil, as sister of the deceased, saw the body at the door and endeavored to arouse him, and was horrified to find that he was apparently dead. Thomas was taken into the house and a physician summoned, but life was extinct. The medical examiner found no marks of violence except some superficial bruises caused by the fall, and he pronounced death due to alcoholism. Basquil had not lived at home for some time, as his drinking habits had caused a [quarrel] between himself and his parents. He had been boarding with his sister, Mrs. John Horan, at 39 Linden street.
Source: Fall River Evening News, 15 Jun 1903, p. 2, col. 2

East End Echoes
Thomas Basquil, 36 years of age, was found dead in the entry leading to his father’s home at 205 Davis street, yesterday morning. Alcoholism was the cause of death certified by Medical Examiner Buck, and some sad feature attended the case. The deceased was unmarried and lived with his married sister, Mrs. John Horan of 36 Linden street. He was a son of Dennis and Ellen Basquil. The police report of the affair says that Officer Skelly was summoned to the house shortly after 6:30 o’clock. His report is to the effect that during the early hours of the morning a person was heard to fall in the entry. Mr. Basquil stated that he had an idea that it was his son but surmising the circumstances did not go out to him. When the father went out to attend church service he saw his son lying at his door and fully believing that he was not in his normal condition allowed him to remain. A few minutes later a sister of Basquil’s came down stairs from her room in the attic. She saw her brother lying in a heap and she judged from his looks that he was dead. Officer Skelly was immediately summoned and he found that the girl had judged correctly. Medical Examiner Buck was summoned and stated the cause of death as given above.
Source: Fall River Daily Globe, 15 Jun 1903, p. 7, col. 3

Died in Doorway
Thomas Basquil Sought His Father’s Home and Died There.
Thomas Basquil, 36 years of age and unmarried, was found dead early yesterday morning at the door of his father’s residence at 305 Davis street.  Basquil has not lived at home for some time for various reasons and has been boarding at the home of Mrs. John Horan, 39 Linden street.  He came to his father’s house yesterday morning and his father heard him fall at the door.  He looked out and, thinking the man was asleep in a drunken stupor, let him stay there.  Later when he went out to church Basquil was still there.  He passed along and left his son in the entry.  When Alice Basquil, who sleeps on an upper floor, came down stairs she found her brother on the floor and an examination by the family convinced them that he was dead.  Officer Michael R. Skelley was called in and he in turn called Dr. Buck.  Alcoholism was given as the cause. 
Source: Fall River Daily Herald, 15 Jun 1903, p. 6, col. 3

Our Folks and Other Folks
Mr. Dennis Basquil is to sail Wednesday, Nov. 9, in the Canada from Boston for Liverpool, where he will visit friends.
Source: Fall River Evening News, 3 Nov 1899, p. 3, col. 2

Denis actually traveled back to England several times. That surprised me, as he was quite poor. I wonder if he visited his family in Ireland at the same time? I found the 1899 manifest for his trip to England, but have not found his return manifest, so I don’t know how long he stayed.

This is another article on the fire he nearly died in. I’ve come across other people who died or almost died in a similar way. This would have been long before we began treating upholstery fabrics with fire retardant chemicals.

OVERCOME BY SMOKE AND NEAR TO DEATH
AGED DENNIS BASQUIL BRAVELY RESCUED BY OFFICER SMYTH AND J. F. CLIFFORD.
Fell Asleep with Lighted Pipe in His Mouth and Couch Took Fire — Alert Patrolman and Groceryman Come to His Aid.
Patrolman James Smyth, of the central station day squad, with the assistance of John F. Clifford, keeper of a grocery store at 630 Bedford street, made a most thrilling rescue, Saturday morning, of an elderly man who had been rendered unconscious by smoke in his tenement on Orange street. Dennis Basquil, aged 60 years, who lives alone in an attic tenement at 20 Orange street, had fallen asleep on a couch while smoking, and the couch catching fire had well nigh suffocated him when discovered and pulled to the open air after a first attempt to enter the room had proved unsuccessful. The patrolman’s knowledge of the old man’s habits and an acquaintance with his habit of sleeping on the couch had considerable to do with the rescue.
Patrolman Smyth and Mr. Clifford were standing on the corner of Bedford and Orange streets when smoke was noticed issuing from the windows of the attic occupied by Basquil. Knowing something was amiss in the attic, the two men hastened to investigate and found the door fastened. After trying the door the two men knocked loudly and then called. They got no response; still were confident that Basquil was within and they put their shoulders to the door.
It took the combined strength of the two men to burst the door. The volume of smoke which rolled out with the opening of the door drove the men back, but only for an instant, they being practically certain that Basquil was within. Twice they crawled into the room, but were forced to retreat.
Other occupants of the building attracted by the commotion wanted to give a fire alarm, but the officer said there were no flames in sight, and that he was certain he could get into the rooms in a short time, and on the third effort the two men made they managed to crawl across the room to the couch usually occupied by Basquil. He was found on the floor alongside the couch, and when he did not respond to a shaking he was dragged into the hallway and carried into the yard. While a messenger hastened to the nearby drug store of J. F. Sullivan for medical aid, Officer Smyth and Mr. Clifford hastened back into the attic to make further investigation into the fire. The latter proved only a smouldering of the couch on which the elderly man had been found, and all danger was quickly overcome with the use of a couple of pails of water. Basquil had in the meantime responded to medical treatment administered by John A. Gunning, a drug clerk, and but for a slight nausea he was apparently none the worse for his narrow escape.
Patrolman Smyth and Mr. Clifford received no end of praise for the daring rescue, but both appeared very modest, only saying they were glad that they arrived in time to save the old man’s life. They were both pretty well used up after the affair was all over, having inhaled considerable smoke.
When Basquil was able to talk later he told that he recalled having lain down on the couch with his pipe in his mouth and that he probably fell asleep and dropped his pipe.
Source: The Fall River Evening News, 24 Feb 1908, p. 8, col. 3