Andrew C. Kimball

December 13, 1904

Coleman House Hotel

I believe my retrocognition makes me overly sensitive about matters of the heart that extends even to things from the distant past.

This is a good example. I was driving through my old neighborhood in Newark on Kossuth Street. As I reached the corner, I saw my friend Tony Branco throwing rubble from a house the where the owners were tearing down the interior. I pulled over to see how he was doing.

This is a common occurrence here. People buy an old house in rough shape for a good price, remove the entire interior just leaving the exterior frame.  Then, rebuild the house with new walls, wiring, plumbing and masonry in short, making an entire new house.

As Tony dropped the old plaster and lathe into the dumpster, a piece of a newspaper blew away and landed at my feet. 

The date on the paper was December 13, 1904, LAST EDITION 2 Cents.  Newspapers were used as insulation in those days, so it’s safe to say, this house was built in 1904.

 The headline: KEARNY MAN FOUND LIFELESS IN HOTEL under the headline in smaller font, Andrew C. Kimball killed by Gas in a Local Hostelry. Under that headline, in a larger font, was SEPARATED FROM HIS WIFE AND FAMILY.

This paper was no more than 10 by 11 inches and was brittle to the touch.

The article read,

" Andrew Coates Kimball, 55 years old and who lived in Kearny, was asphyxiated early this morning at the Coleman House, at Broad and Orange Streets. Kimball called at the hotel shortly before midnight last night and engaged a front room on the second floor.

George Seelig, the night clerk, had his attention called at 2:30 o’clock to the strong odor of gas coming down the front stairs. He made a hurried investigation and learned that the gas was coming from the room occupied by Kimball.

He repeatedly knocked on the door, but there came no response, and he forced his way into the room.  There he found Kimball lying on the bed as though asleep."

What I could put together from the article was that Mr. Kimball, who once lived in Providence, NJ, and was divorcing his wife, came to Newark, took a room for the night at the Coleman House, was overcome by gas, and died on that Tuesday, December night.

We’ll never know if his death was an accident or suicide. Regardless, Andrew C. Kimball died that night and now was forgotten.

Maybe that newspaper that landed at my feet was a sign.  I took it upon myself to try and find his grave, providing he was buried and not cremated.

Knowing he lived in Kearny, I went to the town’s cemetery, Arlington Cemetery. There is a small building with an office that has the records of the burials.  They went through the old ledger pages for 1904, and they found him. Plot 6 GR-536 in the Rosedale Lawn section.  They told me that he had no stone and was to the right of the grave of James H. Erskine 1859-1904

The details of his death we’ll never know. I make it a point to visit Mr. Kimball’s grave at least once a year. Call it a kind of bond between us.

A mission of discovery, all started from a piece of a 120+ year old newspaper, ending in a visitation from a man from the distant future.

Recalling my reaction as I stood at his gravesite, I said, “Hello Mr. Kimball, my name is Karl Petry, and I will remember you. May you forever, Rest in Peace.”