Flint is well known for its modern violent crimes but Flint's history is filled with little known stories that read stranger than fiction. Gruesome murders, weird accidents, and violent deaths. Join us every Thursday as Joe Schipani details some of the odd but true deaths he found in Flint's archives.
City
Commissioner October 10th, 1933
Vernon Dodge moved to Flint
Michigan with the Campion Ignition Company in 1919. A few years later he became
the legal advisor for the Buick Motor Company.
In 1928, Dodge was elected a
member of the charter revision commission.
In 1929, he was elected fifth
ward alderman.
Vernon Dodge was so well liked on
the charter revision commission, that when he ran for commissioner, he won by a
land slide and was appointed to the job in the spring of 1930. By October of
1930, he resigned as commissioner and was appointed the second probate judge in
Genesee County by the governor. After his appointment ended, he ran for
commissioner again in 1931, and won a three year term, again by a landslide.
On the night of October 9th, 1933
the Commissioner arrived home around seven at night. He and his wife had a late
supper. After dinner he went to his room around nine.
The next morning, Mrs. Dodge woke
up at five-thirty in the morning to go make breakfast. She noticed the light in
her husband’s room was on and called his name. After getting no answer, she
grew concerned and called her daughter and son-in-law to come over. They
arrived at a quarter after six. The three forced the locked door open and found
the commissioner hanging in the closet dooway by a cord from his robe that was
tied around his neck.
Although the Commissioner’s death
was ruled a suicide, the prosecutor had Mrs. Dodge detained for questioning.
Even though he had no proof, the prosecutor suspected foul play in the commissioner’s
death.
After a few days, Mrs. Dodge’s
attorney had Mrs. Dodge released of a Habeas Corpus writ, due to lack of
evidence. When she was released, she
moved into an apartment with her ten year old daughter on Detroit Street, a few
blocks away from her home on Garland Street where her husband had died.
The prosecutor got a court order
to have the commissioner’s body exhumed from Sunset Hills Cemetery for another
autopsy. He claimed that an important witness came forward in the case. The judge
granted his wish and allowed him to detain Mrs. Dodge again for questioning.
Mrs. Dodge found herself in the
county jail once again. This time she was not allowed to talk with anyone, not
even her attorney. After the autopsy, Mrs. Dodge’s attorney demanded a hearing,
to get her client released. During the hearing the prosecution was unable to
supply their only witness and the autopsy showed no signs of foul play. The
evidence gathered on Mrs. Dodge was ruled gossip and was not allowed in the hearing.
Mrs. Dodge was declared innocent
of murder and Commissioner Dodge’s death was ruled a suicide.
~ Joe Schipani is the Executive Director of the Flint Public Art Project and the FFAR Project Assistant at the Community Foundation of Greater Flint. Find him on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/HauntedFlint/
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