I am fortunate, as far as genealogy searches go. My Ma’s maiden name was Taraczkozy. My birth father’s name is Contorchick. My adopted father’s name was Seletyn. It is the trifecta of being able to narrow down searches and know with fair certainty that those are “your people” in some fashion or another. Today’s search of online newspapers took me to Kansas and Scranton PA
08Aug1902 The Scranton Republican – court case where someone yells “scab” and Joe Seletyn gets arrested.
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18Jun1903 we find Joe Seletyn arrested for being a vagrant. Article in The Scranton Republican.
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12Jan1906 we find an article in the Detroit Free Press where Joe is managing a saloon that gets sued. I found not articles after that (in a quick search). I will drill down on Joe and see how our lines are tied and what ended up becoming of him.
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Fast forward to 1922 and the Coffeville Daily Journal in Kansas is FILLED with stories about officer Tom Seletyn. I vaguely recall him in my tree and from stories of a Fayette County historian. There are some more colorful stories than the ones I will share here (they involve a One Eyed Joe Rodriguez stabbing him in what I believe was a brothel but more research is required). But that is a whole ‘nother blog. These two articles show the end of his patrol days in Kansas:
08May1922 The Coffeyville Daily Journal tells the tale of Tom’s downfall and the possibility that his brother-in-law was a dirty cop.
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21Jun1922 the Morning News announces Tom has resigned
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Tom Seletyn will be a new project for me. I want to find his connection to Daddy and clip all of the patrolman articles and try to dig through the Fayette County history paperwork to see how his life played out.
What a fun genealogical morning!
Thoughts and Ponderances 