Interesting case in Carlinville - The Rest of the Story

Comments from another victim or Rosemary's dated April, 26, 2012

Laurie Flori from Carlinville was “one” of Rosemary Thornton’s victims. Laurie and I spoke on the phone about her experience. I sent her a draft of this copy for her review since she is limited to talking publicly about ONLY the facts involved in the court case with Thornton.

Flori’s attorney requested information about Thornton’s other Cease and Desist letters.

Identify every occasion and the circumstances surrounding the event (i.e., time, parties involved, content of communications) since 2003, where Thornton contacted a party and claimed the party either failed to cite or attribute to her as a source and/or plagiarized her Sears materials. 

ANSWER: Thornton objects to this request to the extent it encompasses attorney-client communications as protected by the attorney-client privilege. Subject to and without waiving said objection, other than Flori, Thornton has sent out about five or six Cease and Desist notices (informally without retaining an attorney), primarily to websites and newspapers about correcting the problem (meaning to provide proper attribution or remove the unauthorized copied text). Thornton has not kept any records of these instances because in each instance, the other party agreed to comply and an immediate correction of the problem was made. Furthermore, any information Thornton would have had responsive to this request was destroyed in either late 2004 or early 2005 (when Thornton had two hard drives fail). Flori is the only party that has failed to comply with the Cease and Desist request by Thornton. Thornton does believe, however, that William and Mary College may have used information she compiled in the preparation of materials for a Virginia municipality through a bid process, as set forth in more detail in the e-mails produced as attachments to the Response to Flori’s request for Production. 

Laurie was the only one sent a Cease and Desist letter that had the wherewithal to stop Thornton.

 ~~~~~

Laurie has boxes of information collected by herself and her attorneys regarding Thornton’s  unwarranted attack.

Laurie’s book was published in September of 2005. Laurie proceeded to promote her book and was asked to speak & hold book signings around central Illinois. Then Laurie received a call from the Oprah Winfrey show regarding their 20 year anniversary – the show was looking for people who had taken 20 years to do something and finally accomplished it. It had taken Laurie 20 years to write her book even though she had begun her Sears Homes adventure in 1986 with her first tour of her Roseberry Model Sears Home. Apparently this was enough to set Rosemary off and she launched an attack accusing Laurie of plagiarism. The attack included a letter writing (email) campaign to literary groups, libraries, congressmen and postings on the internet; along with any other contact she could make. There were 70 emails sent out by Thornton. Then Thornton, under the name of Rosemary Fuller – who worked for Rosemary Thornton, contacted 7 places where Laurie was scheduled to speak and had her canceled, claiming that Laurie had plagiarized her book and that Thornton was filing suit against her. Thornton then sent Laurie a Cease and Desist letter – telling Laurie that she could not sell her book in its present form unless she gave credit to Thornton for information in the book. Thornton sent the Cease and Desist letter to the Harpo Productions Legal Department of the Oprah Winfrey show. Thornton continued her attack on Laurie in the letter to Harpo claiming that she (Laurie) had plagiarized her and that she (Rosemary) should appear rather than Laurie… The result was neither of them appeared.

Laurie secured a large legal firm to respond to the Cease and Desist letter and file suit against Thornton for Defamation of Character the very next week. Thornton evaded the process server for as long as she could, knowing that the lawsuit could not begin until she had been served. A couple of months later, Thornton was served, she couldn’t hide forever.

~~~~~

According to the following document, Thornton tried to blame the attorney who wrote her Cease and Desist letter.

Thornton argues that Thornton's counsel made the defamatory statement, not Thornton. The Amended Complaint alleges that Thornton made the statements through counsel to Harpo Publications. Further, Thornton allegedly adopted the statements by sending her counsel's January 4, 2006, letter to the Wood River and Hillsboro libraries. That is sufficient at the motion to dismiss stage. Thornton argues that the statements are privileged statements made by counsel in anticipation of litigation. This privilege applies to communications between the disputing parties and their counsel, but does not extend to statements made to third parties. Golden v. Mullen, 295 Ill.App.3d 865, 872, 693 N.E.2d 385, 390-91 (1997). Thus, the privilege does not extend to statements made to representatives of Harpo Productions, the Wood River public library, the Carlinville public library, and the Hillsboro public library. Thornton also argues that her statements were matters of opinion because she wrote in her letters to the Wood River and Hillsboro libraries that "we believe" Additionally Speaking contains plagiarism. Including a prefatory phrase like "we believe" or "in my opinion" will not transform a factual assertion into an opinion for llinois defamation law.  Republic Tobacco Co. v. North Atlantic Trading Co., Inc., 381 F.3d 717, 727

(7th Cir. 2004) (applying Illinois law). Thornton allegedly asserted that Flori plagiarized her book. The phrase "we believe" does not change that assertion into an opinion.

After claiming that Laurie was a nobody, Thornton then tried to say that Laurie was a public figure and therefore had to allow comments or prove malicious intent. Thornton tried to get the case dismissed but the judge ruled there was enough evidence to go to court.

Thornton also argues that Flori is a public figure and so must prove malice. This is a factual issue that is not a proper basis for a motion to dismiss. Thornton last argues that Flori must plead with greater specificity. The allegations in the First Amended Complaint are sufficient for federal notice pleading standards. Fed. R. Civ. P. 8(a). Flori states a claim.

~~~~~

Thornton’s hard drive, email & other documentation was subpoenaed. Once again, Rosemary evaded the court orders for as long as she could but eventually was ordered by the Federal Court Judge to surrender her materials…..

This process took nearly two years.

Through her attorney, Thornton sought a settlement which was proposed to Laurie’s attorney.  Laurie thought about this for weeks because she (Laurie) wanted her day in court. That day would never come. Since no monetary penalty could be imposed on Thornton, as she had no money, Laurie’s attorney decided that it was best to settle out of court. The judge issued a restraining order that Thornton could not be within 500 feet of Laurie.

Thornton’s defense, such as it was, included a claim that Laurie was interfering with her business and that she has willfully infringed upon her copyright.

Thornton also requested a change of venue closer to her home (Alton, Illinois at the time) because it was a hardship to go to the Federal Court in Springfield, IL.

~~~~~

In the alternative, Thornton asks the Court to transfer venue to the Southern District. Venue is proper, inter alia, where a substantial part of the alleged tortious acts occurred. 28 U.S.C. § 1391. Thornton allegedly defamed Flori in both Carlinville and Hillsboro, Illinois. Both of these cities are in this District. Venue is proper in this District. It is true that the venue chosen by the party alleging infringement in an infringement action should generally be preferred over the venue chosen by the alleged infringer for a declaratory judgment action. E.g., Successories, Inc., 990 F.Supp. at 1047. Thornton, however, has not filed an infringement action. Thus, these cases do not apply. Venue will remain in this Court.

THEREFORE, Defendants' Motion to Dismiss, Motion to Strike, and/or in the Alternative, Transfer Venue to the United States District Court for the Southern District of Illinois (d/e 11) is DENIED. The Defendants are directed to answer the First Amended Complaint by July 10, 2006.

~~~~~

In an interview from a local paper in Illinois, Laurie told the reporter “I didn’t get everything I asked for, but at least in the agreement I signed Monday, I did get a retraction and an apology from Rosemary Thornton.”

The following is a summary of the newspaper article.

Flori filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Springfield in February 2006, asking in her complaint for a declaratory judgment of non-infringement of copyright and defamation against Thornton.  Thornton had sent a “cease-and-desist” letter to Flori in 2005, telling her to stop selling her (Flori’s) book about Sears-built homes. Thornton’s letter accused Flori of willful copyright infringement and plagiarism.  Thornton also sent correspondence to agencies such as libraries and to The Oprah Winfrey Show thatwere interested in booking Flori for presentations and talks about Sears-built homes, asserting that Flori had plagiarized Thornton’s books on the subject.

The settlement agreement shows that Thornton signed her letter of retraction on May 11, which states: I, Rosemary Thornton, hereby acknowledge I have published statements to third parties asserting Laurie Flori’s book, ‘Additionally Speaking,’ infringed my copyright and plagiarized passages in my book, ‘The Houses That Sears Built.’ I was mistaken in my assertions. I now retract all allegations in their entirety and apologize. I no longer contest Flori’s contention that she arrived at her statements and writings independently of my published works. 

Thornton, formerly of Alton, and Flori both became interested in the history of Sears catalog homes and wrote books on the subject. Thornton’s book on Sears catalog homes, The Houses That Sears Built; Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Sears Homes, was published in 2002.

Flori became interested in Sears catalog homes after she and her husband purchased their current residence — a Sears catalog home — in 1983. They began conducting tours of her home and the other remaining 152 Sears catalog homes in the Standard Addition in Carlinville.

Standard Addition contains the largest collection of Sears catalog homes in the world.   Flori’s book, “Additionally Speaking,” was published in 2005 and covers the history of Standard Oil Co. as it relates to the Carlinville area. 

Standard Oil, when it built its oil refinery in Wood River, bought property in the Carlinville area and mined coal to fuel the refinery. The oil company bought and constructed 192 Sears catalog homes to house the miners and their families.

Thornton, according to court documents, now resides in Norfolk, Va.   Her attorney, John Pawloski of St. Louis, did not return telephone messages Tuesday.

James Fahey of Sorling, Northrup, Hanna, Cullen and Cochran, of Springfield, Ill., served as Flori’s attorney.

Flori said she had taken a couple of weeks to review the proposed settlement before she signed it  Monday. 

“The grief this has caused me and my family after all the detailed research I did for my book, and was able to provide the court, I was not sure I didn’t want to continue to trial,” Flori said. “However, her retraction and apology is a matter of record now, and I hope I can get just get back to doing what I love  — giving presentations, tour and talks on Sears catalog homes.” 

All information and documents, including the information cited in this blog entry, about the Flori V Thornton case can be found at this website http://www.plainsite.org/flashlight/case.html?id=193109 .

Thornton hasn’t exactly taken the judge’s ruling to heart. She has continued to lob cheap shots at Laurie and her (Laurie’s) attorney. These cheap shots are about the Standard Addition neighborhood and even Laurie’s own home. Thornton continues to post comments on websites and blogs that contain little digs directed at Laurie. Laurie believes it is a matter of time before the settlement will be considered void and the lawsuit will be reinstated. 

The key points are that Thornton continues to believe that she is above the law. Her vendetta toward Laurie has been curtailed but has not ended.  Thornton continues to seek out avenues to gain attention and manipulate thoughts, rumors, speculations and even the facts themselves to suit her own purpose.

This has to be stopped.

Since Rosemary’s husband is an attorney I wonder how he is advising her. Seems like he might advise her to be more careful with the accusations she has levied against the Fargo’s since there are living relatives that have been offended by Thornton’s false portrayal of the events of 1901. When false statements are made this is called Defamation, when they are written or typed – even on the internet – it is called Slander. Thornton is certainly guilty of both regarding the Fargo name.

But then again, her husband is an attorney. Take a look at this. It’s long and boring but you can get theidea that someone is unhappy with the way Wayne conducted himself.

http://blog.vivianpaige.com/2009/10/12/norfolk-city-attorney-tries-to-swat-a-gnat-and-it-swats-back/

I’m not naïve. I understand that an attorney’s first responsibility is to the client. Even if it means personal values must be compromised along the way.

But look at this…….

http://hamptonroads.com/2010/10/response-allegations-police-rape-disturbing

I would hope the person that told me I am insensitive to abused women reads this to see what insensitivity if all about.

Attorneys are not privileged to do and say what they want, there are repercussions.  There are repercussions for Thornton as well as the evidence is mounting. 

Draw your own conclusions.

Note from Laurie – I changed some of your wording & details as I feel something’s are better left off of  the internet – I hope you can forgive me for that. But, I am comfortable with everything that is written above. This period of my life was pure hell; I even developed Bell’s Palsy from the stress of it all.

I grew up in a very dysfunctional family, but I became who I am not because of my family, but in spite of my family. I have a book coming out about this; it is titled, “Walking on Eggshells.” There is only so much that you can blame on others regarding abuse – this concerns you being called insensitive to abused women - and then, the abuser can’t take the blame anymore. The abused person needs to get themselves out of the situation. Addie was supposedly a smart, articulate lady with tons of friends and a socialite in Lake Mills. Don’t you think that if this abuse really was going on, one of those friends would have saw it and stopped it in the 5 years of marriage? At the very least Addie would have left and never came back – she had just returned from a long trip away from Enoch – why did she return? I think to say that Addie was shot by Enoch is stretching the truth a bit much.

Remember that game we all played in grammar school where the teacher would put us all in a circle in the floor and she would tell the first child a story an he or she had to tell the next person the story and so on and so on, then by the time it got through thirty 5th or 6th graders to the last one, the story was completely different. Then give that story to someone who manipulates facts or exaggerates or adds to the story and you could have a murder mystery.

Well I have news for a lot of people, this same thing – although it isn’t a game anymore, also happens with adults and history.

I believe it has happened with Enoch and Addie.

If you believe the Fargo name has been defamed or slandered – then fight with everything you can to clear it. If it was my great grandfather I would do it in a heartbeat.

Thanks for allowing me to talk about my experience with a purely evil person on your blog.

Maybe karma has finally caught up.

Laurie

Addie Hoyt Did *Not* Die of Diphtheria, Part IV

Comments  on Addie Hoyt Fargo blog dated  April 21/2012

Finally there are a few factual pieces of information appearing in the Addie blog.  Unfortunately, but predictably, those facts are being interpreted wrongly.  The goal is to create some sort of notion that Oatway intentionally did not report Addie’s case of diphtheria…….I guess.

One of the contributors to the Enoch blog formulated a few comments that is a response better than I would write.

A few comments/observations of my own before I paste those comments into the end of this. 

When Rosemary quotes the obit about ‘the most desperately stubborn….etc.’ she should note that she previously claimed it was all lies.  Also remember that I posted some comments about how newspaper have a tendency to embellish descriptions for the entertainment of their readers.   Further, the disease took far longer than a couple of days.

I think Rosemary is reaching pretty far when she suggest s the state board of health would swoop down on Lake Mills to investigate a lone case of diphtheria.  As you will see in the later comments there was spotty compliance with the reporting rules across the state….and apparently no penalty for not complying.

And a personal note to Mandie Brewer before I paste in the comments:

Mandie – if you had been reading the Enoch blog you would have the answers to the assertions you are suggesting are truthful.  Certainly the boots and choking have been embellished by Rosemary when they really mean nothing.  Read the Enoch blog.  There were three people that were buried without a burial permit in rapid succession.  Addie was one of them….not having a permit was not unusual.    Rosemary’s claim of burial at a proper depth has been refuted by me and also by the videos I posted.  Read the obit….there was a service at graveside.   Death certificate was not falsified.  It has the information that Oatway wrote down at the time.  Pretty  simple when you think about it.  And your statement that  no diphtheria was reported in Wisconsin in 1901 is wrong.  Not sure where you got this idea.Oatway’s deathbed confession is a rumor and unsubstantiated.  Probably wasn’t any such confession.  And the passage in Wilson’s book makes it clear she is repeating a rumor.    The other written source Rosemary references is a book of Wisconsin ghost stories and that was probably submitted by the owners of the Fargo mansion in hopes of drumming up interest in their business.  Just guessing but it makes sense.  So…Why is there a handful of holdouts that still think Enoch murdered his wife?  Not one shred of evidence in spite of Rosemary’s ongoing myths.  Say ‘Hi’ to your husband for me.

Now the reproduction of the quotes from the Enoch blog:

It is claimed that Dr. Oatway was covering up the murder of Addie when he did not report any cases of diphtheria in the Wisconsin state board of health report. If you take the time to read through the entire health report you will find that the other localities fail to report accurately and openly admit to this fact. In reading the report it would appear that the law may have been aimed at citizens reporting that there was reportable diseases in their households and not that it was the responsibility of the health officials to seek out all cases and come up with a number to report. The other localities report different levels of conformity from strictly observed to fairly observed to generally observed and so on. It looks like it was the health officials job to report what was reported to him and if Enoch was trying to hide a murder by claiming Addie died of diphtheria he would have certainly reported that she died from it. So in other words it doesn't look like he was involved in a cover up.

And then this on the health reports:

MARINETTE COUNTY.

Crivitz:  Board of health and health officer. There are, five

public, school buildings; sanitary condition fair.  The health

officer is not given authority by recorded resolution to act, in

the name of the Board in any emergency.      Source. of water

supply, in village driven wells; most of the water very good.

(No sewerage system). The law requiring the' report, of danger-

ous contagious disease is not generally observed; reason, igno-

rance.  The general result of efforts. to restrict the spread of

contagious disease is encouraging.  The law requiring the re-

port of births is not observed.  The law requiring burial per-

nmits is enforced as much as can be.

F. J. SCI- IEjiSMANN, M. D., H. 0.

MARQUETTE COUNTY.

Montello: Population 1,100.    Board of health and health

officer.  Health officer receives fees for work performed.  One

public school building; sanitary condition good.  Thel health

officer is given authority by recorded resolution to act in the

name of the, Bolard in, any emergency.  Source -of water sup-

ply, from  wells; quality fair.  No, sewerage system.  There

were '75 cases of Smallpox reported during the, year with no

deaths; 2 deaths from  Consumption.  The law requiring the

repoort of dangerous contagiouis diseases is not generally coim-

plied with; reason, neglect.  Tho general result of efforts to

restrict the spread of contagious disease has not been encourag-

ing in regard to Smallpox.   The law requiring the report of

births is not fully observed; the law requiring the' issuing of

burial permits is observed.

E. A. BASS, M. D., H. 0.

Neshlkoro: Health board and hetalth officeir.  Fees allowed

by town board for visits to supposed cases of contagious dis-

ease. There are three public school buildings; sanitary condi-

tion good.  There, are, no special unsanitary conditions exist-

ing except an old water course, which is to be filled.  Sourced of

water supply, from pump wells and one: fountain in village;

about 20 fountains in township,.  No, sewerage system.  The

law requiring the report of dangerous contagious diseases is ob-

served as soon as it is possible for me to be sure of diagnosis.

The general result of efforts is encouraging as far as can be

seen.  The law requiring the report of births is observed. The

law requiring burial permits has been observed in cases for

which I made certificate of deaths.  Sanitary conditions, are

improving in this section of the country.  Cause:  The' young

folks are working out and learning how to, be cleanly in houses,

stables, outhouses, and cellars.

FRANK P. FOLJEY, M. D., I- 0.

Addie Hoyt Fargo Blog - More Fiction Than Fact

Comments about the Addie Hoyt Fargo blog for April 21, 2012

For some reason I saved a copy of the following response Rosemary provided to Jan Heidemann. 

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

December 14th, 2011 at 06:49

@Jan Heidemann
Jan, it’s true. These “advocates of Enoch” (there are only three of them that I know of, but they’re loquacious types) proclaim that 34″ is a fine, fine grave. This is despite the fact that the frost line in Wisconsin is at 3-4 feet, and when we started this project, we were told to expect a burial depth of 6-8 feet.

I think Enoch killed Addie the night before (Tuesday night, the 18th) and then waited until the wee hours to bury her body. He probably got his hired man to dig the grave (which also explains the lack of a burial permit), and the hired man just threw Addie’s coffin into the ground and put a little bit of top soil on top of it.

It was nothing short of shameful. Utterly shameful.

                -----------------------------------------  ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I recall there was a complete Addie blog on the subject with descriptions of how Addie died the day before the official date of death.  And how the E J and the hired man got a coffin from the undertaker and put Addie in it.  Then hauled it out to the cemetery where the  hired man dug a grave and buried Addie.  I thought there was a sentence or two about E J being older and not able to dig the grave by himself.  Of course it was very dramatically written.  I cannot seem to find the particular blog I’m thinking about.   There is one in the Addie blog that I did find.  ‘No funeral director was involved Part II’  appeared in the Addie blog on 2/7 and I responded with the same title on 2/11.  But…the first part of this blog I could not find in the Addie blog and that would have appeared 2/4 and I wrote a response on 2/6.  It could be there….I simply didn’t find it.  I suspect it might have been deleted…..and that was the blog entry I was thinking about.  Read my blog dated 2/6 for my notes on the content.

In one of the recent ‘diphtheria’ Addie blogs Rosemary, once again, made reference to Addie dying the day before and not at 2:00 AM.  I was thinking she was about to resurface her original fiction about the hired man.

The reason I’m curious about this is because there isn’t any historical reference I can find that states there was a hired man around.  The whole concept was invented by Rosemary.  I assume to divert attention and drag a bunch of people out into the swamp for a while to keep them confused.  Probably so they wouldn’t question her on the finer points of her writings.

Rosemary seemed to have no respect for the facts, as supported by historical documents, when she wrote this response.  And she’s continued to beat this drum over and over again…..along with continually misquoting the passage from Mary Wilson’s book in every blog entry.  It’s just tedious to read the same dreck over and over again.

There is another blog that attempts to support an after dark burial title ‘What the hell happened out here….’  that appeared on 2/15.  My response followed with the same title.  This is pure fiction but is intended to support the notion that E J and the hired man buried Addie under the cover of darkness. 

The interesting observation is that Rosemary’s deceit knows no bounds.  Anything and everything is fair play for her and the more outlandish the better, apparently.  At least she has the Addie followers confused enough to think there is factual information – and that sells out their ability to apply basic logical thought to the entire body of work Rosemary has committed to the blog, the spousal abuse claim and the fiction she, and her minions, have spread all over the internet.

Addie Hoyt Did *Not* Die of Diphtheria, Part III

Comments about the Addie Hoyt Fargo blog dated 4/19/2012

This particular blog is interesting because it demonstrates a literary technique to makes facts out of fiction...  At the end Rosemary says something like 'one more reason we can state - authoritatively - that Addie Hoyt Fargo did not die of diphtheria'.  Really?  And the supporting evidence to support that authoritative claims has been determined by discounting historical information and conviction based on lack of historical evidence.  If it wasn't in the paper then it didn't happen....if it was in the paper is was a lie.  I can win any argument with this logic.  The obit was a 'complete fabrication' and can't be used to support Addie's death from diphtheria.  The paper did not print the E J Fargo home was quarantined and fumigated.  Therefore it never happened.  I guess Rosemary wants it both ways......since that's the ONLY way she can make her points.

When Rosemary states there was no quarantine or fumigation she doesn't know that is factual.  She writes like it's a fact but doesn't actually know anything about the events of the time.  There are newspaper accounts that strongly suggest there was quarantine, and probably fumigation.  Those are the only artifacts available.  The rest is fiction.

See my blog titled 'Addie Hoyt Fargo Newspaper Resolutions' date 2/10/12.  In that blog is a newspaper article that states that Elsie and Mattie Fargo could not attend the alumni banquet.  This article is the most authoritative historical document that there was a quarantine.  Rosemary may claim that E J's daughters missed the banquet because they were in mourning.....I don't buy that...she's simply trying to discount historical information for her own agenda.

I submit that Frank publicized his situation because of the criticism leveled at E J for not publishing anything.  And not because the ordinance wasn't followed.

Then for no apparent reason Rosemary decides that a child's obituary is haunting because it reads like Addie's.  Could be they both were written by the same person.....who knows.  Guess this is an attempt to add some drama because it serves no other purpose. 

The newspaper articles are nice and reflect the events of the time through the eyes of the reporter.  Best source of information available from that time period.

I'll skip to the end and then back to the rules from the local board of health.....

Rosemary states the Myrtie got a proper funeral, something Addie never had.  This is her interpretation of the article she displays.  I'm reading that there was a memorial service for the child being held in the morning.  Not sure the evening sermon has anything to do with the memorial service.  This is not a funeral.  I haven't found any record with details of Myrtie's funeral.  Addie did get a funeral.  It's described in her obituary published in one of my earlier blog posts.  It says her grave was covered with roses.  How appropriate does that sound considering the current discussions about Addie's death.

Back to the local board of health rules......  Rosemary claims these were not followed but offers nothing for proof except that it wasn't published in the paper.  That only means it wasn't published in the paper.  The rest of her assertion is unfounded.  So by the numbers:
1.  Addie was isolated when the disease was diagnosed and never left the house.
2.  This was observed as evidenced by the alumni banquet article
3.  Clearly observed since it was documented Addie had a caretaker
4.  This is a challenge provision that was not needed in Addie's case because the family didn't venture out.
5. Rosemary can claim this didn't happen but since there is sufficient evidence that the house was quarantined it seems natural that one can assume the place was properly disinfected.

In summary.....all provisions set forth by the local board of health were followed based on the historical articles that are available.  Lack of historical documents doesn't mean it didn't happen...simply means there isn't any retrievable documentation.

I believe I've set forth enough information to substantiate Addie's death by disease.  Contrary to Rosemary I have used historical information whenever possible to support my points and came to logical conclusions based on the historical artifacts I have at my disposal.  Rosemary has chosen a different path that attempts to compromise historical information that doesn't support her conspiracy theory and invent fiction when there isn't historical information that refutes her assertions. 

Guess that says it all............

Addie Hoyt Did *Not* Die of Diphtheria, Part II

Comments on the Addie Hoyt Fargo blog dated 4/19/2012

Some overarching thoughts about this particular blog: 

This seems to be an effort to regain lost credibility and reputation that has been put at risk. 

This appears to be ‘new’ but it’s really a different slant on the same old stuff, with the addition of the Jefferson Banner.

The Jefferson Banner and the LM Leader were competitors, collaborators and sometimes they poked at each other.  See the article printed in the Addie blog related to the baseball game fiasco.

The following is from a reporter acquaintance:

Why errors or misleading information? Pressure on deadline, assumptions, carelessness, the need to fill up space in the newspaper, and the need to take out words to fit the space. Lack of knowledge by the reporter and lack of attention to details.  Newpapers were/are a business. And love thy neighbor did not apply to papers in the same coverage area, (such as the Lake Mills Leader and the Jefferson Banner) they were competing for readership. And If they could get their licks in to the reader, they might do it. Believe me, editors and publishers could act just as juvenile as little kids. 

Anyone familiar with reading a 100+ year old publications knows that the prose was flowery, the superlatives were over the top.  Descriptions such as “ one of the most popular young couples will be wed,” were common. Young women were talented and beautiful. Men were successful in their career and had promising futures. And everyone was happy to have them in the community.  Newpapers are published on deadline, written, edited, by humans and in those days, type was set by hand. Editors have blank space to fill, hopefully with something that will attract readership. (Though it still had to be long enough to fill up the space.)

Newspapers are in the business to make money, not to be sworn testimony. Not to be picked apart and analyzed, not to be taken as gospel out of context – historical and otherwise. Read it, put it aside, line the canary cage, and go on to spend your time in more productive means rather than clinging to bits as though they were gospel. Old newspapers are fun to read and will provide information.

I think that old newspapers do provide information and are frequently the only artifacts of historical events.  I also agree with the rest of the context from my acquaintance.

On to the blog post….

Is Addie obit really a complete fabrication?  I don’t think so.  Rosemary used this article to support her murder conspiracy in her earlier blogs.  It was absolute factual proof that Addie was murdered when Rosemary needed to exploit it for that purpose.  The issue is that the obit doesn’t support Rosemary fabrication of murder.  Talk about complete fabrications……….

I would like to see the plethora of information that proves Addie did not die of diphtheria and/or that she was murdered.  Other than Rosemary’s manufacturing of fiction there isn’t any proof.  And the obituary clearly states death by diphtheria.  In one of the Addie blogs Rosemary says that documents more than 20 years old are observed as factual by courts.  Whether or not I believe that is not relevant.  The idea that the obituary is more than 20 years old fits the criteria Rosemary outlined.  Therefor, it’s factual proof that Addie died of diphtheria.

Looking at the two obituaries I agree one is longer than the other…..the Jeff Banner likely edited for space.  And I didn’t see the date of publication for the Jeff Banner obit but am guessing it was after the LM Leader obit and was not the product of someone working at the Jeff Banner.  The choice of words and phrasing and the omission of parts is solely up to the discretion of the editor.  No smoking gun.  It’s just another over the top reach for Rosemary.

The printing presses were powered by the equipment at the F B Fargo company.  No big deal….  Today there are is almost no printing being done by major newspapers.  That doesn’t mean the writing about Addie and E J was any more slanted than the writing about anybody else that operated in the same social group.  The idea that the press was under E J’s thumb makes for dramatic reading but means nothing.

Then Rosemary goes on to hammer about the difference in the description of Addie getting out of bed and falling back.  Editing for space?  Jeff Banner removed it for some reason?  Who knows….it was more than 110 years ago.  Rosemary doesn’t know why they are different but wants to exploit it if possible.  If Rosemary wants to pick apart each word and phrase to make a case she is looking for fly poop in pepper. 

So in 1901 the editor of the LM Leader chose a few words he that more dramatically described Addie’s struggle to stay alive, or maybe this is accurately reported based on the information provided to him.  Even if you are unable to ‘catch your breath’ you might be able to declare that you are choking.  Go with the Jeff Banner description.  That will suit the EMT reader that has an issue with choking. 

“Second or moments” makes little difference unless there is some context to work with.  When I tell someone I will ‘be there in a minute’ I certainly wouldn’t expect them to take that seriously.  I would say that by the time any professional help arrived it was way past time to save Addie’s life.  The rest is either editing by Hubbs for dramatic purposes (Rosemary knows all about editing for drama) or Addie’s caretaker described the scene in these terms.

Then the paragraph on diphtheria….again.  This is contradicted by the NIH documents (see my previous blogs on this subject).  In these documents the disease results in death within 4 – 6 days without care…..and  Addie did not seek or receive care for diphtheria because it wasn’t recognized.  That could be because there weren’t any cases currently active in Lake Mills .  Perhaps Addie contracted the disease in portage at a meeting of others that had traveled from around the state or while she was in transit.  The meeting attendees were predominantly women.  Think there were children there.....or on the train?

There’s a few more sentences about the treatment that Addie received.  I suggest Oatway did everything he knew how to do.  Whether that was enough may be questionable but he still did what he could based on his training.  One could argue he was a neophyte (as Rosemary pointed out previously) and that might be true.  Records indicate he did not become a eye, ear, nose and throat specialist until 2013.

As for the tracheotomy….Oatway probably didn’t know how to perform one and he likely wasn’t at her bedside.  The obit says the membrane was quite small when first examined.  Further he did not expect the disease to get that severe as quickly as it did.  Again, you can chalk that up to inexperience or carelessness……nothing intentional.

Once more, I read the obituaries and it looks like the same copy except the Jeff Banner edited it…..get it?  When carefully and thoughtfully read the only real conclusion shows the Jeff Banner took the obit from the LM Leader and changed some words and phrasing and shortened it for their own purpose.   If Rosemary had included the dates on the two obits then we would know how many days later the Jeff Banner published.

Then Rosemary tries, once again, to fictionalized Addie's death even further by suggesting Addie died prior to 2:00 AM.  I’ll write about this in a later blog.  Suffice to say there is absolutely no historical reference of any kind to support that assertion…..none whatsoever.  To even pursue that logic will further compromise Rosemary's credibility.

I think that’s about it for this version of the Addie blog…..on to part 3 later. 

Addie Hoyt Did *Not* Die of Diphtheria

Refutation of the Addie Hoyt Fargo blog dated April 18, 2012

This, once again, is dragging up supposition that has been refuted previously.

Take a look at Addie's obituary I posted on 2/10/12 titles 'Addie Hoyt Fargo Obituary'.  In this historical document it states that Addie was feeling better that day and was up and around.  From that it is reasonable to assume that she tired and laid down with whatever she had on.....including shoes.   She died with her shoes on for this reason.  Rosemary has failed to confirm anything else and has failed to provide any evidence that there was a rift in the Fargo marriage.  The idea that she was dressed to leave at 2:00 AM is ludicrous.   For what reason?  Addie wasn't going anywhere....she was happy with her lot in life.

See my blog on 2/4/12 'No Funeral Directory was Involved' where I refute a lot of the goofy assertions.  Of course there was a funeral director involved, where did the casket come from?  I think Rosemary finally backed off on a lot of this stuff

See my blog on 2/12/12 and 2/13/12 'Every Funeral Tradition.....' where I comment on Rosemary blogs by the same name.

And see the NIH reports in my blog on 3/2/12 title 'Addie Hoyt Fargo died of Diphtheria - NIH reports' to confirm that the practices of the day were not consisten BUT that Addie was buried consistent with the National Institute of Health guide for diphtheria deaths.  It's really unconscionable to second guess the actions of a rural community in 1901.

The facts are:
Addie was feeling better and was up and around the day prior to death - documented in obit.
There was a funeral director that was involved - evidenced by the casket
The body was not embalmed - in keeping with practices for victims of communicable disease that needed to be buried quickly
The people involved in Addie's burial did the best they could with the current practices as they interpreted them
Rosemary has the boot artifacts in direct violation of the court order for disinterment of Addie.  Same with the nails she pictured in her blog.

I fail to see anywhere in this Addie blog, or any other Addie blog, where Rosemary has proven that Addie did not die of disease......  To assert she was shot in the same blog is ridiculous.  All it shows is that Rosemary has failed in two areas at one time......
1.  Failed to prove Addie was murdered
2.  Failed to prove that Addie did not die of disease.

Now, for the EMT who writes that people cannot speak when they are choking.  This is literally correct.  Once the throat is clogged the person cannot speak.
However,  Addie could feel her throat closing up and could speak a few words before she suffered from complete blockage of her throat.  It would be incorrect to suggest a person choking on a piece of food is the same as a person whose throat is being blocked over a period of time - no matter how short that time period might be.

So nothing new here.  Dredging out the same old dreck to try and make the same old points.  If you repeat it often enough maybe people will believe it eventually.  I wrote a blog on how politicians lie and why they get away with it last month.  Take a look for this blog if you have time and see the comparisons..

The Story of Addie Hoyt: A Synopsis - Part 2

Comments on Addie Hoyt Fargo blog from April 13, 2012

To read a short piece on the exhumation (with lots of photos)

This is where Rosemary starts misrepresenting the depth of Addie’s grave.  This is the start of the slippery slope that eventually exposed her lack of accuracy and veracity.

See my blog dated 4/1/2012 – Videos Corroborate Addie’s Exhumation and get the links to various videos of what really happened.

To read a more in-depth blog on the exhumation.

I get a web 404 error when I click on this                                                                                                                         

My favorite blog is the one where I interviewed a funeral director, who told me all about Victorian burial customs.

See my blogs dated 2/9, 2/10 and 2/13 for my opinions on this.  I find it interesting that Rosemary gathers all this information with phone calls that cannot be corroborated.  Just makes me wonder since she had previously misrepresented the phone call with Dr. Peterson….and then deleted that part of the blog post.  The single act of not being truthful about the call with Peterson causes skepticism with any other reported information from ‘experts’.  

To learn what the medical examiner told me about Addie’s autopsy.

Again, I think I’ve responded to this bunch of uncorroborated conversation…another phone call…..more information.  However this is where Rosemary had claimed Peterson told her Addie didn’t die of diphtheria…..that claim has since been deleted from the blog post.  The LM Leader reporter called and checked with Peterson who made it clear he didn’t make any such statement about Addie’s death and that he stood by the forensic report.  Another step down the slippery slope….

If you’re interested in learning more about Addie’s husband, Enoch.

This is interesting if you can get past the comments that add nothing.  There really isn’t anything here except continued attack of E J’s behaviors.  The guy liked to live and could afford his life style….no crime in that.

To read about Enoch’s arrest and conviction for assault and battery.

See my blogs dated 3/5, 3/7 (2), and 3/19 to get a different perspective.  This is where Rosemary tries to make E J responsible for F B’s behavior.  It’s an interesting attempt at  transference of responsibility, but it fails to pass the sniff test.

Why didn’t the local paper do a little investigating into Addie’s death in 1901? Because Enoch owned the printing press - literally.

See my blog dated 3/25 to see my thoughts on this.  E J loaned or rented the power for the press.  He did not own the press….big difference

To read about the kit homes I found in Lake Mills.

Not my concern…….

Love old houses? Learn more about the Fargo Mansion Inn by clicking here.

Lovely home…..been there many times.

To see an amazing array of vintage pictures of the Fargo Mansion, click here.

Yep, been there, done that

Rent a room at the Fargo Mansion Inn by clicking here.

Why not…….likely they need the money

What was it like to be married to Enoch James Fargo?

This is the blog where Rosemary says Addie owned a home in Lake Mills and Chicago but doesn’t have any information to support that claim.  Could that be a fib?  The rest of this blog is a further unwarranted and unsupported attacks on E J.

See my blog dated 3/29

How do we know Addie did not die of diphtheria?

I started to respond to the 11 sign posts but only got a few done.  Maybe I’ll  get back to it sometime.  The idea is that there are serious leaps between alleged and fact and some very circular logic.  See my blogs on 2/3 and 2/4 (2) to see the start.    If you navigate to part I of the following web site on Addie you will find some interesting information.  Turns out 3 people were buried between permit 21 and permit 22.  Funny how this got misrepresented in the Addie blog.

http://www.aroundnorthernkentucky.com/genealogy/Addie-Hoyt-Fargo-1901-Murder-Mystery.html

And what about Addie’s falsified death certificate?.

This is just a rehash of information.  The idea is the reinforce Rosemary’s conspiracy theory.  Rosemary provides nothing to support the death certificate was falsified.

What did Mary Wilson say about Addie’s murder?
This is a complete nonsense.  I refuted most of this in the State Journal and rest is rubbish.  Read my blog of 1/24 for the entire context of Mary Wilson’s book passage.

How am I related to Addie?

Yawn..  Rosemary didn’t ask about her relatives all her life until she found photo albums after her poor neglected relative died.  I still wonder where he spent the holidays….alone at home would be about right.  Then when it looked like a chance to cash in by exploiting Addie there was a whole bunch of interest.

Addie was quite the writer..

But she couldn’t write her relatives to alert them she needed help even though she was on the road whenever she wanted to be.

To read about Martha Louise Harbeck Hoyt Fargo (Enoch’s third wife).

Yep…..outlived him by 40+ years.  Got nearly everything when he died….including Addie’s jewelry and some stuffed alligator….

See my blog dated 2/9/12 to see a copy of the letter sent to the paper by Martha’s direct descendent confirming death by diphtheria

Love reading about the clothing styles of the time?

That’s nice…………..Can find this in any history book.  Check out ‘A History of Lake Mills’ by Mary Wilson

How did I get into this?

For the money….. See my blog dated 2/4

And a bonus for all the E J Fargo blog readers.  See my blog entries for 1/19/12 and 1/29/12 where I refute any and all claims of spousal abuse.