Thursday, September 07, 2006

More on "Peg Leg" Helmig

While doing geneology research, I kept finding articles about "Peg Leg" Helmig. He was arrested several times for fighting and intoxication.
My grandmother's mother was a Helmig. I asked my grandma several times just who was this "Peg Leg". Her response was always "I don't know." My grandma was very young when "Peg Leg" was shot. Years ago the families did not talk about "black sheep" within their families. Very few Helmigs lived in Peru and I was sure there was some connection. When I found the article about John Henry's death the pieces of the puzzle fit together. John Henry Helmig was my great-grandmothers brother.When I told my grandma the events of the story she said,"you can't put that in the book". My mother said the same thing. I told them "It's part of the history of our family-good or bad".
He was portrayed in the newspaper as a worthless character always in trouble. Who knows what gave him the attitude he had-- Maybe losing his leg at the age ten--or alcohol could have been a contributing factor. It is very sad that he was only twenty-eight when he he met his fate from five bullets at an East eighth street saloon.

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