The Walking Man

[gveranon]

I thought this might be of interest to others here.

I've been fascinated by the Walking Man (Joseph Kromelis) ever since I first heard of him a couple years ago. Unfortunately, he had a horrible ending, but that is not what is fascinating about him. At this point, there are many links out there, but this recent article sums it all up and gives information that is not available elsewhere:

Chicago’s Walking Man: His family, friends tell his story

[bendk]

The link goes to a subscriber page. I asked ChatGPT.

Joseph Kromelis, also known as the "Walking Man" or "Walking Dude," was a Chicago-area homeless man and street vendor known for his physical appearance and for wandering about the city. He typically dressed in a v-neck t-shirt and a suit and kerchief, and had long, wavy hair and a thick mustache¹. Kromelis was born in Germany or Lithuania¹ and his family lived in Lithuania. While Kromelis was still a child, his family moved to Chicago where they managed a bar on Halsted street. After his family moved to Michigan, Kromelis remained in Chicago, found work in a factory and later obtained a peddler's license¹. Over decades, he became a noted Chicago personality and was the subject of a documentary called "Dudementary"¹. In 2016, another homeless man beat Kromelis with a baseball bat; after hospitalization his name and some details about his background became public¹. On May 25, 2022, Kromelis was the victim of an unprovoked arson attack by Joseph Guardia while he slept under a bridge. The attack left him with burns over 40-65% of his body². Kromelis died on December 11, 2022, at the age of 75, as a result of the injuries he sustained in the arson attack³.

Source: Conversation with Bing, 8/6/2023
(1) Joseph Kromelis - Wikipedia. Joseph Kromelis - Wikipedia.
(2) ‘Walking Man’ Joseph Kromelis dies months after being set on fire .... ‘Walking Man’ Joseph Kromelis dies months after being set on fire: ‘absolute Chicago character’ - Chicago Sun-Times.
(3) 'Walking Man' dies months after being set on fire - CBS Chicago. 'Walking Man' dies months after being set on fire - CBS Chicago.
(4) Chicago's 'Walking Man' Joseph Kromelis dies 7 months after being set .... https://abc7chicago.com/walking-man-...elis/12561359/.


I have long suspected that I would die homeless and sleeping under a bridge. I envisioned hypothermia. The medics peeling my urine-soaked Silver Scarab copy of SOADD from my corpse and makeshift sleeping bag.
His demise was far worse than my feared vision. Burns are agonizing. I always underestimate the horror of the world. That's one of my problems.

	SOADD Songs of a Dead Dreamer   Songs of a Dead Dreamer was the first book published featuring a collection stories by Thomas Ligotti. Original Printing Revised Printing

[gveranon]

Quote Originally Posted by bendk

The link goes to a subscriber page.

Weird. The link works for me, and I'm not a subscriber. Try this--I think it's basically the same article, posted at a different site:

Chicago’s Walking Man wandered alone for decades | Illinois | gmtoday.com

[bendk]

Quote Originally Posted by gveranon

Quote Originally Posted by bendk The link goes to a subscriber page. Weird. The link works for me, and I'm not a subscriber. Try this--I think it's basically the same article, posted at a different site: Chicago’s Walking Man wandered alone for decades | Illinois | gmtoday.com

That works. Thanks.