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This is Teresa for Channel 7 Eyewitness News and In Your Neighborhood.
Last night's program of the discovery of two victims in the lower level of the Vickie's Vintage and Trish's Floral Shop actually revealed an almost century old love story.
Chicago and St. Valentine's Day, will be forever linked with the1929 deadly massacre. In this series we will show another side of 1920's Chicago and a different story of gangsters, bootleggers, dames, and musicians.
It was the Roaring 20's and a couple with talent, hopes, and dreams were found in a secret room under the vintage shop on the near Northside in November 2022.
Long sealed in their tomb, the scene was a time capsule of February 13, 1926.
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Vickie's Vintage store has been many different businesses over the years. In 1919, Dan and Delores Carney purchased the property and had a small talent agency providing local establishments with acts from Chicago and neighboring states. The Carney's specialized in small bands, singers, and solo musicians.
It was the Jazz age when Prohibition arrived, and the new talent agency did not have as much business as they had hoped for. Dan began a bit of bootlegging with his brother-in-law and a neighbor and opened a small but comfortable Speakeasy. This was a family business with his wife, brother-in-law and with help from a few young musicians boarded in the upstairs levels of the building. The boarders often performed and assisted in running the Speakeasy.
By late in 1925, Dan Carney decided to expand his small enterprise and cater to a more specialized clientele, by offering private parties and facilities for gambling as well as all types of smuggled liquors and an occasional musical show.
At this point Chicago was cut up into distinct slices of Prohibition Pie. Chicago gangs worked hand in hand with local police departments, mostly because very few people actually wanted prohibition, and the illegal booze turned a profit for everyone.
From behind the wall opening from last night's program, today's Chicago PD and Fire Department discovered a tunnel that led to a rock wall dead end, but with a huge crack. This crack led into a hidden room where a wooden storage cabinet...,
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full of pickled fruits and vegetable, dishes, and jars of different homemade spirits on the shelves. The door cabinet swung into a mysterious room. The rock wall had a hidden catch mechanism, only operated from the outside. Upon entering, law enforcement found that because of the tightness of the seal on the room very little dirt or dust could be found, and very little air. A few cobwebs set the scene. The room was as if you stepped back to ninety-seven years ago.
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Because of the small space, Captain Louise Del Mar was also on the scene with Forensic Specialist Sheldon McIntire, and Detective Joe to investigate. Pushed aside, the cabinet and the faux wall is behind the Captain and Detective to the left.
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Captain Del Mar, could you please describe the scene for our viewers.
Captain Del Mar: Of course Teresa. After walking down the tight corridor of rock walls, we came to a dead end but the wall had a large crack. Detective Joe pushed on the rock wall on our left and this room was exposed. Our lantern lights cast shadows on a room only 10 foot by 18 that appeared to be constructed of Chicago brick with cement floor. An old fashioned cellar of sorts.
The room itself was quite clean, and everything appeared to be just as it was left in 1926. We know the date from the papers and journal Detective Joe found on the table.
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Detective Joe, can you describe what was on the table?
Joe: Sure, Teresa. The round table with a felt top was filled with papers, folders with music, a open bottle of 1919 wine, two glasses, some petrified rolls and what appeared to be fruit, plates, and a thick ream of papers, and a journal with the name Ami Sabatier on the front. The journal included photographs, ticket stubs, letters and handbills folded into it.
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I searched through the pages of the journal, and the last entry was February 13, 1926. I did not understand much of the writing as, we have since found it to be in Creole with some English.
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Teresa: What condition were these old items?
Detective Joe: Excellent condition, as if everything had been left this afternoon. We even discussed the possibility of the scene being part of a hoax or a Mystery Game.
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Joe: Forensic Specialist Sheldon McIntire convinced us quickly that it was an actual death scene from 1926.
Del Mar: When we brought more lights in, we could clearly see there were two bodies under a blanket on the floor. They were covered with what looked like a drape from the size and fabric. Specialist McIntire pulled back the covering and found two skeleton victims.
Warning the next photo may be disturbing for some viewers!
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Forensic Specialist McIntire, what condition were the bodies in?
McIntire: The first thing I noted was he had a saxophone still in his mouth. The skeleton of the male wore a tuxedo jacket, bow tie, and trousers, very dapper and in good condition. I found pearl buttons for a shirt, but it appears the shirt had disintegrated, leaving only some white threads stuck to his bones.
The woman was fully clothed in a well-preserved long gold dress, and a white ermine stole that measured ten feet. Two pair of shoes were found nearby.
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Captain Del Mar with the white ermine stole before bagging for evidence.
Teresa: Captain Del Mar, what condition was the fur, it looks beautiful?
Del Mar: If we hadn't just taken this from a body, I would have wanted to wear it for my dinner date that night. The female wore an amazing headband of some very shiny clear stones, but no other jewelry. She was definitely dressed for something special.
Teresa: What else can you tell us about the room?
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Del Mar: Hanging on the wall was a 1924 Chicago Transit map, and on a peg was a man's set of clothes: a shirt, trousers and a vest. All quite handsome and very Gatsby, typical for the time period.
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Detective Joe: Behind the bodies was a small table with a slot machine and a bucket for winnings. There were tokens in the bucket. Cards and poker chips were on the bar, stocked with assorted wines and liquor, glasses and serving pieces. This was a well stocked private room for gambling.
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Del Mar:There were a few cobwebs, some dust, but ready for a party tonight.
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Detective Joe: We are talking some 130-year-old Scotch and some Irish Whiskey almost as old.
Teresa: In reverence for individuals and sensitive viewers we are
showing only the one photo of the skeletal remains, tonight.
Detective Joe, Were there any signs of violence and how did these two pass away?
Detective Joe: I can answer that, there were no indications of any type of violence in the room. The follow-up forensics found no signs of any trauma or illness. Both victims were in their 20's and healthy. At this time we believe the couple accidentally became locked in the room. They drank wine, had a bit of fruit and bread, got comfortable and fell asleep covered with a drape on the floor. The tight seal of the room and the corridor, caused the victims to die from oxygen deprivation before they could wake up. Over the ninety-seven years, their remains mummified.
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Teresa: But why did no one discover them before Now?
Captain Del Mar: At the time, we could not know of the circumstances which led to their entombment. I must say this is the only death scene that I have walked away from with a smile on my face in my twenty-nine years as a police officer. This couple went to their eternal sleep hands entwined, and apparently with the one they loved.
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Teresa: So this IS a mystery and A Chicago Love Story for Valentine's Day. Who was Ami Sabatier with an ermine stole and her companion, the saxophone player? Why were they locked in a secret poker room in 1926 and never found?
What happened to Dan and Delores Carney and why wasn't the lost couple saved? To find out more, ....
Please turn to Channel 7 In Your Neighborhood on
Friday February 17th, to find out more.
I'm Teresa from Eyewitness News Channel 7 wishing you a
Happy Valentine's Day!
(to be continued)
This post is part 7 of the At the Bijou Mystery, the others are listed below:
For those who love getting the creepies---the next post will have the full forensic photos...!
Diorama:
Walls: foam core and printed papers
Bar area, modified Gloria furniture.
Booze, various thrift store finds and Gloria
Glassware, vintage, and Gloria accessories.
Wood wall cabinet-thrift store find 25 cents
Chairs, vintage Mattel (rickety-sweet roses)thrift store find
Table, covered in felt top-Walmart, bottom thrifted metal candlestick
Cart, vintage Mattel-thrift store
Slot machine-unknown thrift find
Skeleton's blanket -1930's linen toweling (my grandma's)
Dolls:
Joe--GI Joe thrifted, complexion enhanced GI Joe equipment and clothes.
Teresa- Mattel thrifted, Mattel jacket
Captain Del Mar:Mattel New Looks in GI Joe uniform
Forensics-Sheldon: Mattel 1959 series (hair cut and enhanced complexion)Ken clothes-thrifted.
Skeletons: are from '5 Below' after Halloween sale, girl redressed in BCon22 table raffle dress, stole, and headband. Boy-in thrift store tuxedo jacket, pants, Mattel older saxophone.
Authors Note: I'm fighting eye strain at the moment, hence the delays. It seems this blogger can't work on miniatures and computers 16 hours a day without getting eye strain, so I have to quit when I can't see well.
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