Queer Case Of Erick Erickson
He went to bed drunk and never awoke.
The Eau Claire Weekly Leader | Jan. 21 1899

Eau Claire- On Wednesday last, Erick Erickson, a mill hand, 225 Summit street, North Side Hill, came home drunk. Erick went to bed with his clothes on. He had two bottles of whiskey in his pockets. Erick fell into a Rip Van Winkle sleep. On Thursday he was apparently still asleep. On Friday his wife could not arouse him. She could not tell whether he was alive or not. A physician was called and pronounced Erick dead. His wife was still in doubt on Saturday; late in the day she decided the doctor was right and last night there was crape on the Erickson door. It is evident that death came sometime Wednesday night or Thursday morning. The funeral will occur on Monday. Erickson was an elderly man. He leaves a wife.

Chad's Take: Don’t Drink and Sleep

I am glad I am not trying to use articles from the Prohibition Era, as the stories would certainly not be as plentiful. Obviously this was not the first time Erick came home drunk as evidenced by the fact that his wife left him “sleeping” all day and night on Thursday and did not check on him until Friday. 

What I did find fascinating about this story is a brief mention of the funeral practices of the time period. The article stated that Mrs. Erickson finally excepted her husband’s death by putting a crape on the front door. During these times people would often hang a crape over their door to signify a death in the family. If the deceased was young, the crape would sometimes be white, however in the case of a senior passing away the crape would have been black. This allowed the neighbors and well wishers to know that the family was in mourning and to tread lightly while coming by. Hanging the crape over the door is hardly ever used anymore in the US, as more and more of our death and funeral procedures take place outside of the family home.

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