John Settle

POLICE MAKE STRANGE FIND AT CEDAR LAKE

One of the strangest happenings ever recorded in this county was discovered last week when sheriff's deputies found that the unmarried sister of John Settle, 44, had lived for several days in their Cedar Lake cottage with his dead body. The discovery that he was dead was made at 1 p.m. last Thursday.

The sister, Miss Florence Settle, about 40, declared to the deputies that she did not know her brother was dead until Thursday noon, although an investigation by Coroner Robert Doty showed he had been dead for at least three days. Death was attributed to heart trouble, aggravated by acute alcoholism.

Deputy Sheriff Gus Frank said that the sister had summoned help Thursday noon when she said she realized her brother was dead on the day bed in the living room of their cottage, east of Coleman's corner, Cedar Lake. The sister was found in a hysterical state when the officers arrived. They had lived at the cottage for about a year after purchasing it and moving there from Chicago.

Miss Settle told the officers that she had slept and cooked in the cottage for the past several days.

The remains were taken to Crown Point, where the inquest was held and the body prepared for burial.