Coroner's Conundrum: Pete Hoffman & The Eastland Disaster

Welcome to Flower in the River Podcast, Episode 47: Coroner's Conundrum: Pete Hoffman & The Eastland Disaster

In this episode, we explore more coincidences that intriguingly knit together the fabric of our stories and histories. Join me as we uncover the unexpected intersections of past and present, proving that history is not just around us but occasionally aligns in the most fascinating ways.

Zeitgeist News or Coincidence Corner?

• Discover the synchronicity between our past episode on the Ghosts of Versailles and another podcast's similar journey.

Spotlight on The Neo-Futurist Theater's Puppetry Show:

• Hear about the recent serendipity involving the story of Margaret Condon, a pivotal figure from our last episode, now being featured in a puppet show by The Neo-Futurists Theater in Chicago.
• "Switchboard: Missed Connections from the S.S. Eastland" brings history to life through the art of puppetry, focusing on the Eastland Disaster's unsung heroes, including Margaret Condon.
• Reflecting on the power of puppetry in storytelling and its profound impact on community engagement and historical narratives.

The Unfolding Narrative:

• This week, we introduce a colorful, complex, and controversial figure from the time of the Eastland Disaster – Peter M. Hoffman, the coroner whose life's work intersected with tragedy, innovation, and a hint of scandal.
• From his early life and career to his role in the aftermath of the Eastland Disaster, uncover the multifaceted story of Peter M. Hoffman.
• Investigate the evolution of the coroner's role in the early 20th century and how Hoffman's contributions to forensic science marked a turning point in criminal investigations.

Personal Ties and Historical Threads:

• A personal connection to Peter M. Hoffman reveals itself in an unexpected family discovery, linking my step-grandfather's history with the coroner's signature.
• Navigating through the complexities of genealogy, we confront the brick walls and fortresses that challenge our understanding of family histories.

Looking Ahead:

• As we ponder the coincidences that guide our explorations, we invite you to reflect on the mysterious ways in which history intertwines with our present.
• Stay tuned for more stories of intrigue, history, and the unexpected connections that remind us we're all part of a larger narrative.

Quote of the Episode:
"Coincidence is a Messenger Sent by Truth." – Jacqueline Winspear

Music:
Artlist

Links:

• Neo-Futurist Theater: SWITCHBOARD
• The Front Page (1931) 

• Book website: https://www.flowerintheriver.com/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/natalie-z-87092b15/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zettnatalie/
• YouTube: Flower in the River - A Family Tale Finally Told - YouTube
• Medium: Natalie Zett – Medium
• The opening/closing song is Twilight by 8opus

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:07

Hello, I'm Natalie Zett and welcome to Flower in the River. This podcast, inspired by my book of the same name, explores the 1915 Eastland disaster in Chicago and its enduring impact, particularly on my family's history. We'll explore the intertwining narratives of others impacted by this tragedy as well, and we'll dive into writing and genealogy and uncover the surprising supernatural elements that surface in family history research. Come along with me on this journey of discovery. Welcome to episode 47 of Flower in the River podcast and I hope you had a good week and thanks again for joining me on this journey. I'm opening this episode with Zeitgeist News only because that sounds a lot better than Coincidence Corner, which is really what this is about. Let me explain. A couple of weeks ago, I shared that after I published my podcast where I briefly mentioned the Ghosts of Versailles story, another podcast also covered the same story at nearly the same time. I didn't know they were going to do this and I'm sure they had no idea I was doing mine. They probably don't even know who. I am right, it just happened. Same time, same subject and now this week another synchronicity, coincidence, etc. Tommy Henry, host of the Chicago History podcast, which I hope you're listening to if you love Chicago. Tommy sent me a link to a story about a theater company that right now and I'm talking to you on February 3rd 2024, right now a theater company is presenting a puppet show featuring Margaret Condon, the Western Electric Switchboard Operator, whose story I featured in my last episode. Wow, so a little backstory about that in case you missed it. I found the stories of both Margaret Condon and Helen Rapa in the Western Electric News from August 1915, a couple of weeks ago. I thought it was a great story about two women who provided critical support during the Eastland disaster. I did not know that the Neo-Futurist Theater Company in Chicago was simultaneously getting ready to mount a show called Switchboard missed connections from the SS Eastland, a puppetry show by Annie Cher and Sivan or Syvin Specter. The show quote features large puppets representing key historical figures Margaret Condon, a switchboard operator who witnessed the disaster and spent 34 hours assisting with communication, and Leander Layton, an investor in the ill-fated ship.

Speaker 1: 3:29

Now, if you're thinking, what the heck aren't puppets for kids? Oh no, it's a very powerful way to present stories. This production, at least the sound of this production, stirs a personal chord for me. Besides the coincidence factor, back when I was part of a theater company, we often helped out other theater companies, such as In the Heart of the Beast Puppet and Mask Theater in Minneapolis. That place is world-renowned, by the way, and their work with puppets, masks and visual arts breaks the conventional boundaries of storytelling. Their performances are visually stunning, packed with emotion and meaning, and they're very involved in our community and are known for their famous May Day Parade and Festival productions. While I don't know the Neo-Futurist Theater they're located in Chicago the fact that this Eastland Disaster puppet show is sold out tells you something. It must really be wonderful and I wish them well. And my only regret is that I'm not geographically close enough to see this production, but I will put a link in the show notes for you.

Speaker 1: 4:50

Now I'm wondering what's going to happen after I drop this week's episode. Quote Coincidence is a messenger sent by truth, jacqueline Winspear. And this is from the Maisie Dobbs series of books, which many people know. Ever since I got involved with family history my family and other families histories, that is when I begin researching. With very few exceptions, it's been a series of coincidences, synchronicities, serendipity, etc. I've spoken about this previously and I've shared with you the stories that were collected by another well-known person in the genealogy circles, hank Jones, where he just writes about thousands of these stories that genealogists find themselves where things just start exploding as they're doing their research. Well, until I experienced this firsthand, I didn't think too much about these types of things. Now I've come to expect that these things will happen as I do my research, and I try to stay steady, even if some of these are well unnerving as they can be. This quote by Jacqueline Winspear has a poetic touch, doesn't it? It's like saying that the universe has its way of nudging us towards the realizations or paths that were meant to follow. When something seems coincidental, it might very well be a subtle hint from reality itself, urging us to look deeper into what's happening around us or what's happening within us.

Speaker 1: 6:31

As a continuation of our journey, I'd like to share with you a particularly compelling chapter from the ongoing exploration, this week's story. As I continued this world-building exercise to try to reconstruct what life might have been for people during and after the Eastland disaster, this week's story came as another delightful surprise. I believe that one's intention can be very powerful because it provides focus, and my intention is to collect and share the stories that I find of people and communities in various publications from that era. When I started this way back in November, I really didn't think I would have that many stories for you, but I'm actually stunned that so many stories have been not told or undertold and I'm trying to bring those to the light of day so you can hear about these people. And again, right now I have a huge backlog of stories, but I am committed to weaving them together and, as much as possible, letting the people, the witnesses, tell their own stories. And as I do these, you understand, I hope by now that these are not full-blown bios. They are simply sketches. They are no means exhaustive. They are starting points, okay, and invitations for any of you as much as for myself, to dive deeper into the waters of the past. It's my aim to let these historical figures speak for themselves as much as I can make that happen, and only stepping into bridge gaps or to add context where necessary.

Speaker 1: 8:24

I have said, and I probably need to say it again, that no one owns this story. I certainly have a lot of family connections to it and I take care of my own family's legacy, but in terms of the overall story of the Eastland disaster, in terms of defining it and limiting it and labeling it. Not a chance, because, as I've learned in my own genealogical adventures, you're only one document away from having your entire pet theory blown up. It's not a bad thing because, going back to that quote from Jack Willen Winspear, the coincidences that we experience, they do seem to be the messengers that are sent by truth, and all of us who responsibly engage in this type of genealogical or historical investigation, we want to get to the truth, we don't want to repeat other people's biases, and sometimes that's really challenging. But I do feel that if you're willing to dig and willing to sweat a little bit because it is not easy that eventually, if you don't get to the entire truth of something, you get to a more clear vision of what happened and who many of these people were Speaking of, which today's profile is intriguing, colorful, complex and very controversial. So bear with me on all of this. The story is of the coroner at the time of the Eastland disaster, peter M Hoffman, a man whose duty intersected with the lives of those lost and those left behind to mourn. Let me back up and tell you how Peter Hoffman kept popping up on my screen earlier this week and how I kept trying to dodge him until well, he won Anyway. Coroner's report.

Speaker 1: 10:29

While browsing the Chicago Genealogy Society's website Total Gold Mine, by the way I found this article in the 2016 Chicago Genealogist magazine. It was written by a woman called Ann Smith, who discovered a fascinating tidbit about her own family history. After her granddad died, ann was looking through family letters and other belongings and located an item that looked like a sheriff's badge. Fortunately, she had an uncle who was one of the family historians, and her uncle shared this story about the history of that badge. Her quiet and unassuming granddad, lloyd C Smith, turned out to be a hero. The commendation letter to her grandfather and the silver medal star received from the coroner's office show an image of the Eastland on its side and the inscription for valued services rendered to the coroner.

Speaker 1: 11:37

Eastland Disaster 1915. Now I'm going to read the commendation letter from the coroner that was given to Ann Smith's grandfather. Dear sir, during the trying hours of the Eastland disaster, there were many of our esteemed citizens who rendered valuable service in rescuing the lives of the Eastland passengers and assisting in taking care of the dead and aided in the identification thereof. From the beginning of time, man never engaged in a more noble purpose than that of prolonging, protecting and rescuing the lives of his fellow. I have no way of compensating the hundreds of good citizens who rendered service except to thank them from the bottom of my heart. I, however, take the liberty of presenting you with a little star bearing a cut of the passenger steamship Eastland and an inscription reading valued service rendered. I trust that you will accept this little token, not for its intrinsic value or worth, but for the memory of this terrible of all disasters, which should teach us the lesson of safety first and of extending to our fellow man kindness, courtesy and consideration. Very respectfully yours, peter M Hoffman.

Speaker 1: 13:15

Coroner, I did reach out to the author of this article and invited her on the podcast. I hope I reached her for one thing and I really hope she'll say yes, because what a story. And since it really is her story, I will stop here, but keep your fingers crossed. Okay, if you notice, in that note, there was a mention of safety first and Peter Hoffman had quite the campaign about public safety and he actually changed a lot of things that, well, were necessary to keep people safe on the streets. And as for the stars the metal star that Anne's grandfather received the idea of law enforcement officials bestowing a badge or similar item to civilians as a sign of gratitude or recognition probably started informally. It's similar to the tradition of honorary badges that have been given out by police departments, which I think that's been around since the early 20th century. But this finding brought Peter Hoffman back on my radar. I knew he was the coroner during the Eastland disaster but honestly I didn't know that much about him.

Speaker 1: 14:41

Peter M Hoffman, born near Displains, illinois, around 1862, I should say right now Displains, it's a suburb of Chicago. So Peter had at least two brothers. According to the 1870 census, his dad, who immigrated from Germany, was a farmer and his mom, who immigrated from France, was caring for the household. From these very humble beginnings, hoffman ended up as a notable figure in early 20th century Chicago politics, and that is no small feat. And there's a lot of mythology built up around him too, but I've tried to sort and sift that out in my research. Before venturing into politics, hoffman worked as a grocer and a railroad clerk. His political career spanned various roles, including serving as a member of the Cook County Board of Commissioners from 1898 to 1904, being elected as Cook County Coroner in 1904, a position he held until 1922 and later as Cook County Sheriff from 1922 to 1926. And in 1916, there was a movement to get Hoffman to run for governor and I'm not sure what happened with that.

Speaker 1: 16:13

And here's an important point to consider before we move on Coroners if we watch police procedural dramas, as many of us do, coroners of the early 20th century were not always medical people. I was surprised about that as well. Coroners were often elected officials and not all jurisdictions required a coroner to have medical training. I know I know their role was more administrative and legal, overseeing the investigation into the cause of death, rather than conducting the medical examination themselves. It was their job to determine the manner of death, like natural causes, accident, homicide or suicide, sometimes based on the findings of a physician, if one was involved, or other investigators. The staff under a coroner could have included physicians, but that wasn't always the case and that is important and that could have led to less accurate determinations. This system has led to many historical records being somewhat unreliable by modern standards. It's important to keep this in mind when you're researching your family history, as it can color the interpretation of events and causes of death in those records. This was the case with Peter Hoffman. He was not a medical person. However, he was very innovative and I think he tried to do a good job. As the Cook County Coroner Hoffman was known for his aggressive prosecution of certain types of homicide cases and for establishing the United States' first quote-unquote chemical laboratory. He hired the best he found experienced pathologists and chemists, and this was really innovative for that time. He also played a significant role in the aftermath of the Eastland disaster, swiftly organizing a jury to determine accountability and securing a central morgue for the victims. He factors prominently in the Eastland disaster story and this is from the Chicago Daily Tribune July 26, 1915. Music Headline Coroner and Men on Job.

Speaker 1: 18:46

Coroner Pete Hoffman and his men worked indefatigably to meet the exigencies of Chicago's greatest disasters. They turned the Second Regiment Armory into a morgue and cared for nearly 1,000 bodies For several hours. The embalming was done in one corner of the hall without any barrier between the workers and those who were searching for their loved ones. To meet this difficulty, huge tarpon were brought in from the fire station across the street and raised about the corner where the work was going on. Quote I'm so busy trying to meet immediate need that I haven't had time for anything else, said Coroner Hoffman during the morning, when the work was heaviest? The problem of caring for these bodies and helping these poor people find their relatives and friends is one we should look after now. But you can be sure that we shall have the most rigid investigation. He added emphatically the Day Before the day before Chicago Tribune, july 25, 1915, coroner admits tragic throng to huge morgue. Quote in the name of God, I ask you to go away and let those seeking for relatives and friends come in and identify their dead. With these words, coroner Peter Hoffman addressed the thousands who stood outside the Second Regiment Armory last night shortly before 11 o'clock. And then the doors were thrown open. Twenty at a time, the anxious seekers were admitted to the Great Death Chamber In less than a minute. The line of those waiting their turn was stretched the length of an entire block and as the night passed, the line grew longer and longer.

Speaker 1: 20:49

While those on the outside waited their turn, tragic scenes in endless numbers were enacted within the walls of the massive emergency morgue. Mothers, sisters and daughters walked by slowly between the long lines of dead, hoping, yet not hoping. Time and again, a single scream told of the discovery of some loved one, while often there was only a suppressed, choking, heartbreaking sob. As the mother collapsed beside the body of her child, strong men, hardened to tragedy, broke down and fled, weeping from the building, unable to bear up under this greatest tragedy of all, other men finding a wife, mother or sister among the dead collapsed like women and had to be helped from the hall by others less affected than themselves. Still others moved about the Great Morgue as though in a trance. Here and there, an hysterical laugh told of some mind strained beyond the breaking point. As with other appalling disasters, men, women and children moved about, forgetting now and then who they were and why they had come. Tragedy was written on every face, tragedy that defies description.

Speaker 1: 22:26

As mentioned, peter Hoffman's career was not without controversy. In 1922, hoffman was elected Cook County Sheriff. Having run on a reform platform, he pledged to clean up the administration of the Cook County Jail. Hoffman faced several corruption charges and was convicted for contempt of court during his term as the county sheriff. This conviction, along with a scandal involving favoritism towards certain Irish street gang members who were inmates at the Cook County Jail, marked the end of his political career. Mind you that this was during prohibitions, so that might have been a contributing factor to all of this. He retired from politics in 1926 following these events. After his political career, hoffman worked in the construction service of the Forest Preserve District of Cook County and later ran an automobile sales agency. He passed away on July 30, 1948 in Evanston, illinois, at the age of 85. Hoffman's tenure as coroner was during a time when Chicago's law enforcement and judicial system were struggling with inefficiency and corruption. His approach to law enforcement and his contributions to the forensic science field were significant for the era. Despite the controversies he faced later in life, peter Hoffman has this fabulous, larger-than-life persona, but he also seemed to do a lot of good.

Speaker 1: 24:09

There's a 1928 play and it was later adapted into several film versions. It was called the Front Page and it was written by former Chicago reporters Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur, and it features a not-so-flattering character called Sheriff Hartman that is supposedly based on Hoffman. We just watched the 1931 film last night because I think it's just gone into public domain, so it is available on YouTube. It does not present a very flattering picture of Geter Hoffman. That said, it still is an interesting film to watch because it's so close. It was made so close to the time where a lot of this was taking place, so it was, at that point, current. So here's the thing If you decide to watch the 1931 version of the front page, please be aware that it is, by our standards, tremendously politically incorrect.

Speaker 1: 25:13

There's not a single group of people that they don't somehow manage to insult. However, if you can stand it, it is still a fascinating slice of life from that era and I think it is valuable. And I am always happy when people leave these things intact and don't censor them, because I want to know what was it like back then and, as is often the case, the good old days weren't all that good sometimes. So just be aware I think it is valuable, but be aware that you might be a little bit shocked by some of the dialogue in this film, the front page. Well, back to Peter. This fall from grace could have been due to many reasons and unfortunately, nothing that I've seen so far provides much of a clue. But I have the feeling that Peter Hoffman probably has a lot of descendants and they probably have a lot of stories as well. So you never know what will happen in the future, but I think we might end up hearing a lot more about Peter Hoffman very soon. All that said, peter Hoffman's role in the Eastland disaster was positive and he helped a lot of people, so hats off to him for that. And finally, peter Hoffman a personal connection, yes indeed.

Speaker 1: 26:38

Well, I was wrapping up the research for Peter Hoffman. This week I took a bit of a break from all this intensity and decided to go to my family tree and do some cleanup. Well, something said to take a look at my step grandfather's profile again, and that would be from the Chicago branch of my family. I took a look at his death certificate and none other than Peter Hoffman signed off on it. Little backstory about my step grandfather. He was my grandmother's first husband and his life ended at age 27. Cause of death, according to Coroner Hoffman, brain hemorrhage as the result of a brain tumor. But our family stories? Well, they don't echo that sentiment. Instead, they hint at a life entangled with the complex web of Chicago's history, including whispers of connections with the Irish mobs of that era.

Speaker 1: 27:41

So growing up, I heard different stories about my step grandfather's death. Why did he die at 27? Well, according to family lore, he was involved with members of some Irish gang and something happened where he was actually murdered by one or more of them. We're not done yet. The other story is that he was murdered by one of our own family members. No, I'm not kidding about that. Yes, I do know who they are thinking did it. And it's such an improbable story that even if Peter Hoffman was there and saw what happened or deduced what happened, would there have been some reason why he would not have reported the truth. I don't know, but the fact that this research has led me not just to telling the story of Peter Hoffman but back to the mysterious death of my step grandfather has me scratching my head again, and I want you to get to know him a little bit.

Speaker 1: 28:47

My step grandfather's days were spent as a teamster and he lived in the heart of Chicago's Union Stockyards. By the time of his death, he was no longer with my grandmother, who had divorced him. She had taken the children back to her mother's house over in what is now Little Village. Even my step grandfather's obituary is not quite accurate. If you take it at face value, it looks as if he's still married to my grandmother, and that was not the case.

Speaker 1: 29:20

I wanted to find out more about my step grandfather, and there's a lot of reasons why this is difficult. Number one his name. There were so many Irish people and descendants of Irish people in the area with the same name. At the same time, it's challenging, and my specialty is not Irish genealogy. So what I did is attended a seminar and learned quite a bit from them. Oftentimes, obstacles in genealogy are called brick walls right, you've heard that. Well, my step grandfather's is more like a brick fortress and I thought okay, it's time to expand to the fan club. That's something that I hadn't done with my step grandfather. So a fan club in genealogy is something that was coined by renowned genealogist and author, elizabeth Shone Mills. I refer to her quite a bit, by the way, and she coined this phrase fan club for genealogical purposes. She points out the significance of not only searching records for an ancestor's surname, but also looking at documents and other things about the ancestors fans that would be their friends, their associates and their neighbors. And historical information, she said, is like real estate the true value of any piece of information is unknown until it is put into community context, and in this case, it worked. Every time I try something that Elizabeth Shone Mills suggests, something happens While I've scoured records and started building up my step grandfather's branch of the family tree, I found that he had at least one brother-in-law who was also from Ireland and also a teamster.

Speaker 1: 31:16

I found that out because I located this brother-in-law's draft registration card for World War One. This was a lucky find because I've not, to date, been able to find my step grandfather's draft registration card, which would have a lot of info, such as where he was living, his wife, if he was married at that point, and his employer. So I've just rebooted this research for my step grandfather and I'll see where this takes us. And in the graphic that I created for this episode, I displayed my step grandfather's death certificate, specifically the section that shows Peter Hoffman's signature. In the meantime, what I've done is put up a Google alert for Peter Hoffman and we'll see what comes up.

Speaker 1: 32:08

And, unlike many from that era, peter seemed to enjoy the center stage and I do think his life would make for a fascinating film, tv series or puppet show. Think about it. Anyway, thanks for joining me on this journey and I will talk to you next week. Have a good week, okay, take care. Hey, that's it for this episode and thanks for coming along for the ride. Please subscribe or follow so you can keep up with all the episodes, and for more information, please go to my website, that's wwwflowerintherevercom. I hope you'll consider buying my book available as audiobook, e-book, paperback and hardcover, because I still owe people money and that's my running joke. But the one thing I'm serious about is that this podcast and my book are dedicated to the memory of all who experienced the Eastland disaster of 1915. Goodbye for now.