Joseph received a scholarship to a business school in Omaha, Nebraska for selling the most subscriptions, in a contest, held by a monthly Czech. farm magazine named "Hospodar". In September of 1903 he left his home in Seminole for the business school in Omaha. In the first part of December of the same year, his father received a letter from the school stating that his son Joseph was gravely ill and for some member of the family to come at once. His father lived on a farm and there was no rural delivery of mail at the time and he did not get the letter until he went to town. Upon receiving the news, he immediately wired the school in Omaha asking about the condition of his son and he waited in town for an answer to his telegram. The wire came, stating that his son Joseph had died on Dec 12,1903 and was buried in Omaha. He then had to return home and inform his wife and children.
Sunday World-Herald dated 12/27/1903 - Omaha, Nebraska
"HUNTING FOR THE BODY OF YOUNG JOSEPH STROUHAL
Instead of Having Been Buried, Remains May Have Been Dissected by Medical Students.
Young Man Dies at the County Hospital and Being Without Friends, Goes to the Slab.
While his parents believed him alive and being well cared for, young Joseph Strouhal, who came to Omaha from Oklahoma four months ago, has been dead for two weeks, and for want of a friend to claim his body it has gone to the dissecting table.
Strouhal was a Bohemian boy, 20 years of age, and came from a farm in the interior of Oklahoma to attend the Omaha Commercial college. He paid a three months' tuition September 1 and for the following three months was a regular and studious attendant. On December 1 he failed to appear in his accustomed seat at school, but nothing was thought of it since the teachers believed he had dropped out. He was ill, taken with a severe attack of pneumonia. Without monies and without friends in the city, he was finally removed to the county hospital, where he died December 12. During the time he was sick no attempt was made to communicate with his parents and not until his death, when Dr. M. J. Scott wrote them, did they learn that anything was wrong.
It appears that even then the parents must have misunderstood the tenor of the letter, for, under date of December 20, John Rosicky of this city received a letter from them stating that they understood their son was sick in the city hospital and asking him to care for the boy and see that he received every attention which he needed.
Mr. Rosicky had not known young Strouhal and only learned while investigating to find out where he was and how sick he was what had really occurred.
After death the body of the boy was turned over to an undertaker, who embalmed it and waited for a reply from the parents. None came and he finally transferred the body to a medical college, where Mr. Rosicky finally succeeded in tracing it. The authorities at the college remembered having received the body, but could not tell if they have it yet in the pickling vat. They say it may have been used for dissecting purposes. An investigation will be made and if the body is found it will be turned over to the parents, to whom Mr. Rosicky has already written, informing them of the real state of affairs."
Sunday World-Herald dated 12/27/1903 - Omaha, Nebraska
"HUNTING FOR THE BODY OF YOUNG JOSEPH STROUHAL
Instead of Having Been Buried, Remains May Have Been Dissected by Medical Students.
Young Man Dies at the County Hospital and Being Without Friends, Goes to the Slab.
While his parents believed him alive and being well cared for, young Joseph Strouhal, who came to Omaha from Oklahoma four months ago, has been dead for two weeks, and for want of a friend to claim his body it has gone to the dissecting table.
Strouhal was a Bohemian boy, 20 years of age, and came from a farm in the interior of Oklahoma to attend the Omaha Commercial college. He paid a three months' tuition September 1 and for the following three months was a regular and studious attendant. On December 1 he failed to appear in his accustomed seat at school, but nothing was thought of it since the teachers believed he had dropped out. He was ill, taken with a severe attack of pneumonia. Without monies and without friends in the city, he was finally removed to the county hospital, where he died December 12. During the time he was sick no attempt was made to communicate with his parents and not until his death, when Dr. M. J. Scott wrote them, did they learn that anything was wrong.
It appears that even then the parents must have misunderstood the tenor of the letter, for, under date of December 20, John Rosicky of this city received a letter from them stating that they understood their son was sick in the city hospital and asking him to care for the boy and see that he received every attention which he needed.
Mr. Rosicky had not known young Strouhal and only learned while investigating to find out where he was and how sick he was what had really occurred.
After death the body of the boy was turned over to an undertaker, who embalmed it and waited for a reply from the parents. None came and he finally transferred the body to a medical college, where Mr. Rosicky finally succeeded in tracing it. The authorities at the college remembered having received the body, but could not tell if they have it yet in the pickling vat. They say it may have been used for dissecting purposes. An investigation will be made and if the body is found it will be turned over to the parents, to whom Mr. Rosicky has already written, informing them of the real state of affairs."
Joseph received a scholarship to a business school in Omaha, Nebraska for selling the most subscriptions, in a contest, held by a monthly Czech. farm magazine named "Hospodar". In September of 1903 he left his home in Seminole for the business school in Omaha. In the first part of December of the same year, his father received a letter from the school stating that his son Joseph was gravely ill and for some member of the family to come at once. His father lived on a farm and there was no rural delivery of mail at the time and he did not get the letter until he went to town. Upon receiving the news, he immediately wired the school in Omaha asking about the condition of his son and he waited in town for an answer to his telegram. The wire came, stating that his son Joseph had died on Dec 12,1903 and was buried in Omaha. He then had to return home and inform his wife and children.
Sunday World-Herald dated 12/27/1903 - Omaha, Nebraska
"HUNTING FOR THE BODY OF YOUNG JOSEPH STROUHAL
Instead of Having Been Buried, Remains May Have Been Dissected by Medical Students.
Young Man Dies at the County Hospital and Being Without Friends, Goes to the Slab.
While his parents believed him alive and being well cared for, young Joseph Strouhal, who came to Omaha from Oklahoma four months ago, has been dead for two weeks, and for want of a friend to claim his body it has gone to the dissecting table.
Strouhal was a Bohemian boy, 20 years of age, and came from a farm in the interior of Oklahoma to attend the Omaha Commercial college. He paid a three months' tuition September 1 and for the following three months was a regular and studious attendant. On December 1 he failed to appear in his accustomed seat at school, but nothing was thought of it since the teachers believed he had dropped out. He was ill, taken with a severe attack of pneumonia. Without monies and without friends in the city, he was finally removed to the county hospital, where he died December 12. During the time he was sick no attempt was made to communicate with his parents and not until his death, when Dr. M. J. Scott wrote them, did they learn that anything was wrong.
It appears that even then the parents must have misunderstood the tenor of the letter, for, under date of December 20, John Rosicky of this city received a letter from them stating that they understood their son was sick in the city hospital and asking him to care for the boy and see that he received every attention which he needed.
Mr. Rosicky had not known young Strouhal and only learned while investigating to find out where he was and how sick he was what had really occurred.
After death the body of the boy was turned over to an undertaker, who embalmed it and waited for a reply from the parents. None came and he finally transferred the body to a medical college, where Mr. Rosicky finally succeeded in tracing it. The authorities at the college remembered having received the body, but could not tell if they have it yet in the pickling vat. They say it may have been used for dissecting purposes. An investigation will be made and if the body is found it will be turned over to the parents, to whom Mr. Rosicky has already written, informing them of the real state of affairs."
Sunday World-Herald dated 12/27/1903 - Omaha, Nebraska
"HUNTING FOR THE BODY OF YOUNG JOSEPH STROUHAL
Instead of Having Been Buried, Remains May Have Been Dissected by Medical Students.
Young Man Dies at the County Hospital and Being Without Friends, Goes to the Slab.
While his parents believed him alive and being well cared for, young Joseph Strouhal, who came to Omaha from Oklahoma four months ago, has been dead for two weeks, and for want of a friend to claim his body it has gone to the dissecting table.
Strouhal was a Bohemian boy, 20 years of age, and came from a farm in the interior of Oklahoma to attend the Omaha Commercial college. He paid a three months' tuition September 1 and for the following three months was a regular and studious attendant. On December 1 he failed to appear in his accustomed seat at school, but nothing was thought of it since the teachers believed he had dropped out. He was ill, taken with a severe attack of pneumonia. Without monies and without friends in the city, he was finally removed to the county hospital, where he died December 12. During the time he was sick no attempt was made to communicate with his parents and not until his death, when Dr. M. J. Scott wrote them, did they learn that anything was wrong.
It appears that even then the parents must have misunderstood the tenor of the letter, for, under date of December 20, John Rosicky of this city received a letter from them stating that they understood their son was sick in the city hospital and asking him to care for the boy and see that he received every attention which he needed.
Mr. Rosicky had not known young Strouhal and only learned while investigating to find out where he was and how sick he was what had really occurred.
After death the body of the boy was turned over to an undertaker, who embalmed it and waited for a reply from the parents. None came and he finally transferred the body to a medical college, where Mr. Rosicky finally succeeded in tracing it. The authorities at the college remembered having received the body, but could not tell if they have it yet in the pickling vat. They say it may have been used for dissecting purposes. An investigation will be made and if the body is found it will be turned over to the parents, to whom Mr. Rosicky has already written, informing them of the real state of affairs."
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