DOOLEY, Henry S. - Putnam

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DOOLEY, Henry S.

Source: Bloomington, Illinois Weekly Pantagraph Fri 10 Oct 1913 p 4

Henry S. Dooley, one of the well known citizens of Bloomington was found dead in the kitchen of his home, 312 E. Grant Front Street at an early hour on Wednesday morning. According to the verdict of the coroner’s jury which held an inquest, his death was caused by asphyxiation in the inhaling of gas. One of the burners of the gas stove was found to be turned on. Mr. Dooley had gone into the kitchen some time during the night, having suffered a coughing spell and not wishing to disturb other members of the family. He was seated in a rocking chair. When Mr. Dooley was seized with a coughing paroxysm about midnight, he arose and told Mrs. Dooley that he would go lie down on the sofa in an inner room, it being thought that he desired to prevent disturbing Mrs. Dooley’s mother who had been sick. Nothing more was heard of him and early in the morning Mrs. Dooley went to look after him. She found him as stated. She summoned assistance at once, but efforts to resuscitate him were fruitless. Coroner Hare empaneled a jury and the conditions as found by neighbors and members of the family were presented to the jury. The verdict brought in was to the effect that death resulted from the effects of illuminating gas inhaled in the kitchen of the residence between the hours of midnight and 6 a.m. The jurors were Frank L. Kelley, Charles B. Foster, Oscar C. Hamilton, Jacob L. Arnold, George Bertram and EH Aldrich. The tragic death of Mr. Dooley removes a man who had been a figure of prominence in the business and professional life of Blooming for the past 25 years. Henry S. Dooley was born in Putnam County Indiana on March 21, 1862 and came with his parents to Illinois in the fall of 1864. His father was the late JM Dooley, who for many years was a prominent citizen of the county and also president of the Third National Bank for several years prior to his death in 1894.  

The Dooley family located on a farm 8 miles east of Bloomington in Old Town where they remained until 1883, when they moved to Bloomington. About this period Henry spent a year at Wabash College in Crawfordsville, Ind and afterwards entered the law office of Stevenson & Ewing in this city. In the fall of 1885 he went to Mexico, MO where he remained for only a few months. On his return to Bloomington he was unite din marriage to Miss Eda Rayburn, daughter of Rayburn and granddaughter of William Bishop, one of the pioneers of the county.  Mrs. Dooley’s father was a prominent citizen of Old Town and long a member of the board of supervisors.  Soon after his marriage, Mr. Dooley began the active practice of law, where he was very successful. In 1897 he formed a business partnership with his brother, Samuel C. Dooley, which continued until March 1, 1910 when Henry retired from active practice and devoted his time to his general business interests.  Mr. Dooley was perhaps best known to the citizens of Bloomington as a dealer in city property. He had a sense of values which was unusual and in his quiet, matter-of-fact way he went about buying and improving property to an extent which few other citizens of Bloomington have ever done. One of his largest enterprises along this line was the building of the Apartment hotel now known as the Hamilton Hotel at the corner of Front and Gridley streets. He and his family have lived in this building for the past few years. He also built scores of residences and cottages in various parts of the city and in all such cases he usually found a profitable business venture, as well as doing a commendable work in adding to the growth of the city. It is said he built during his life a total of perhaps 150 houses in Bloomington. Mr. Dooley also acquired tracts of land in distant places, owning some such in the states of Mississippi, Iowa, Missouri, Louisiana, Kansas and Illinois. Among the other enterprises in which he engaged was the management of the Manufactures Ice Company and was one of the organizers and early directors of the McLean County Bank.  He served two years as alderman from the 4th ward during the administration of former Mayor Koch. He was always an active adherent of the Democratic party.

This widely diversified business activity meant Henry Dooley was one of the hardest working men in the city. He spared not his own strength to develop his professional or commercial enterprises and this fact ultimately led to the breaking down of his health. For the past few years he had been a semi-invalid, although his stoical characteristic of keeping his troubles to himself prevent his unloading his many little discomforts on his family or friends. Scarcely did even his nearest friends realize as they saw him from day to day that he was really a sick man. Two daughters were born to Mr. and Mrs. Dooley both of whom with the wife survive. The children are Doris, wife of Edward Kirkpatrick and Ester wife of Jesse D. Havens both of this city. There is one grandchild, John Henry Kirkpatrick. His parents are both dead and the following are the surviving brothers and sisters of Mr. Dooley; Florence M. Singleton of Greencastle, Ind; RW Dooley, Samuel C. Dooley both of Bloomington; Charles W. Dooley of Chicago; Emma D. Ayres of Chicago; Raymond D. Dooley, residing on a farm near Orendorff Springs; Edna D. Frank of Peoria and Bernice C. Pearson of Norristown, Pa. The funeral is to be held at the residence on Friday afternoon at 2:30 and will be private. – kbz
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