Two newspaper articles.

# 1 - - printed in The Pilot, March 4, 1925.

A man by the name of Ralph M. Townsend died suddenly at the Carlson Café of heart trouble at about 7:30 last Saturday morning. He came up from Omaha on the early train and went into the restaurant to get a cup of coffee and wait until the stores were open, he being a travelling salesman for the Wixon Spice Co., of Chicago. While he was being served the coffee, he slid off the stool dead. From letters in his pocket his folks were notified and more wives than were expected showed up. His first arrived from Colon, Mich., to claim the body and later another supposed wife turned up from Kansas City. He went through the ceremony of marriage with the latter woman a year or two ago, telling her that he had a divorce from his first wife. He had recently started divorce proceedings, but no divorce had been granted, so his only legal wife was given possession of the body and it was shipped to Chicago yesterday. He was about 60 years of age and besides the wife he is survived by two daughters.

# 2 - - Published in The Tribune, March 5, 1925.

TRAVELING SALESMAN EXPIRES IN RESTAURANT

Ralph H. Townsend, a traveling representative of the Wixon Spice Company of Chicago, expired suddenly in the Carlson Café last Saturday morning after complaining that he didn’t feel just right and ordering a cup of coffee. While he was being served, Townsend, who was about 60 years of age, fell from the stool at the lunch counter and expired before medical aid could be summoned.

The body was taken in charge by the county attorney, who is also coroner, and was taken to the Campbell undertaking parlors where a search of the personal effects of the deceased revealed his name and the firm he was working for, as well as the place of his residence and the fact that he was a member of a Masonic order in Chicago.

His home was at Colon, Mich., where a telegram was sent asking for information. A telegram was also sent to the company for whom Townsend worked in Chicago, and a message from them as well as the one from Mr. Campbell reached his wife at nearly the same time.

Mrs. Townsend arrived here from Colon on Monday, being accompanied by her sister, Mrs. Fred Cummings, of Kansas City, Mo.

The remains were shipped to Chicago on Tuesday evening to be laid to rest in the Graceland cemetery, the funeral services being held under auspices of the Masonic Lodge of which Mr. Townsend was a member.

Besides the widow, Clara M. Townsend, there are two daughters, aged 15 and 11. Mrs. Townsend stated that her husband had not been well for the past three or four years, but it was thought his ailment was indigestion and not heart trouble as was indicated by his sudden death.