Source Document: Haney's Head Cut Off, Syracuse Herald, April 15, 1906

 This is the source document for this post:  

A Solvay Palimpsest: The Tracks That Ran Through All of Us.

 

This summary provided due to poor quality of the original newspaper image details the death of William Haney and the domestic turmoil preceding it:

Death of William Haney: On the morning of April 15, 1906, 43-year-old William Haney, a Solvay Process Company employee, died after his head was severed by a locomotive at the New York State fair grounds. Coroner Daniel F. Mathews noted that while no witnesses saw the event, the circumstances suggested an intention to end his life.

Domestic Issues: Haney’s home life had been troubled for months. His wife, Elizabeth Haney, had previously been sent to the St. Lawrence State hospital at Ogdensburg after being declared insane by a commission of physicians, though she returned home in early April 1906.

Conflict with Miss Schoeger: The family experienced significant legal trouble starting in December 1905, involving a woman named Miss Tillie Schoeger. Mrs. Haney had accused Miss Schoeger of attempting to alienate her husband's affection, leading to multiple police court appearances.

Allegations and Final Days: It was rumored that Mrs. Haney discovered Miss Schoeger was pregnant and accused her husband of being the father. Reports indicated that marital strife, fueled by Mrs. Haney's temper and Haney's heavy drinking, caused Haney to avoid his home. He was last seen by his wife leaving their house at 3:00 a.m. on the morning of his death.

Funeral Arrangements: Haney is survived by his wife and four children. His funeral was scheduled to be held from the home of his brother-in-law, Peter L. Johnson, with burial at Belle Isle.


The complete text of the story titled "HANEY'S HEAD CUT OFF" from the April 16, 1906, edition of The Syracuse Herald is as follows:

SOLVAY WORKMAN'S LIFE OF TROUBLE AT AN END.

It Is Not Known Whether He Met With an Accident or With Intent to Commit Suicide—He Got in Front of a Locomotive.

The miserable story in which the family of William Haney, a worker in the coke ovens at the Solvay Process company, has been involved since the early part of last December, was brought to an end so far as one of the principal actors was concerned yesterday morning at 5 o'clock, when the lifeless form of Haney was found on the crossing of the New York Central tracks at the State fair grounds, the head completely severed from the body by the wheels of the locomotive. 

Suicide is the theory advanced by the family and friends of the dead man, and there seems, according to the opinion of the Coroner, no other way of accounting for his being out of the house at the hour when the accident must have occurred, except upon the supposition that it was his intention to end his life.

Haney ran an engine at the Solvay Process company and was paid at the rate of twenty-five cents an hour. The family first came into prominence in Police court circles on December 8th last, when Miss Tillie Schoeger, sometimes known as Tillie Shear, of No. 312 Lewis street, summoned Mrs. Elizabeth Haney into Police court to answer to the charge of threatening and annoying her. 

Several months previous, Miss Schoeger said Mrs. Haney began to meet her on the street and reproach her for endeavoring to alienate the affection of her husband. About three weeks after the first accusation was made, according to the story of the young girl, Mrs. Haney struck her with a stick after which she had had her brought to court so that she might be restrained from making her any further trouble.

Wife Taken to Ogdensburg.

Mrs. Haney was sent home with a warning, but about six weeks later she was arrested, Miss Schoeger appearing as the complainant against her and declaring that she was in fear of her life while her enemy continued at large. The woman had two black eyes when she was brought to the police station, and these her husband admitted having given her, saying that she had "led him a fierce life" for three months back. Justice Shove, believing from the woman's actions that she was insane, requested that she be examined by a commission of physicians, but upon an examination [by] Drs. F. J. Kaufmann and Charles R. Wright she was pronounced to be in her right mind. 

The officers around the police station and the Justice himself, however, were firm in their opinion and finally Dr. George F. Boycheff and Dr. J. M. Rutledge, a commission engaged by Mrs. Haney's husband and her two brothers, Peter and Edward Johnson, declared her insane, and on January 31st she was taken to the St. Lawrence State hospital at Ogdensburg. 

The physicians there considered her malady to be more nervousness than insanity and she was returned about a fortnight ago, after having spent two months in the institution. Her husband moved from the house which he had occupied at No. 907½ Willis avenue to No. 510 Second street, Solvay, in order, it is said, to take his wife from the neighborhood in which she had had so much trouble and in which Miss Schoeger lived. 

Shortly before Mrs. Haney came back from Ogdensburg, the Schoeger girl swore out a warrant for John Radney of Solvay, a lad of 17, three years her junior, accusing him of being the father of her unborn child. The boy left the city before the warrant could be closed and the matter was settled in a short time by the payment of a sum of money by his family.

His Life Unhappy.

It is said by persons who knew the Haneys that Mrs. Haney recently learned of Miss Schoeger's condition and accused her husband of being the cause of it and that she rendered life so hard for him by her violent temper that he stayed at home as little as possible and drank very heavily. On Saturday night he returned from his work at the Solvay Process company at 11 o'clock and at 3 o'clock in the morning his wife heard him leave the house, although he said nothing which might explain his conduct.

The body was carried to McKinley's morgue in West Fayette street, where it was viewed by Coroner Daniel F. Mathews, who said that as, so far as could be learned, no one had seen the catastrophe, it would be impossible to state with any degree of certainty in what manner the man met his death.

Haney was about 43 years old and was well liked by his employers and fellow workmen at the Solvay Process company. He is survived by his wife and four children, Violet, aged 19 years; Minnie, 16; Fred, 10, and Robert, 8 months. The funeral will be held from the home of his brother-in-law, Peter L. Johnson, No. 406 First street, Solvay, to-morrow morning at 9 o'clock. Burial will be at Belle Isle.

Original newspaper image -