Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1871-09-28

SUDDEN DEATH-Fitch Holden, {
prominent and wealthy citizen of Moua'
Holly, died euadenly at the Steven
House in this village yesterday Afternoon
at about one o'clock.
Mr.. Holden came here from Mount
Holly, in the morning, for the purpose OF
attending the trial of the case of Martin
Shippce " the town of Mount Holly, in
the County Conrt and bad been examined
AS 4 witness on the part of the defendants
therein. After leaving the Court House,
he visited a numter of places of business,
aud II few minutes before one O'Clock, in
the afternoon entered the Stevens House,
inquired for the proprietor and asked for
dinner. Al this time be was apparently
IN perfect b, ahh and in good spirits
He was conducted to the dining r. on,
by Mr.. Rich 4rdson, the proprie' OF of the
honse, seated at the table, and in COM
pitnce with bis request, furnished with
plate of soup, of which he partook, eat
ing the contents of an ordinary soup plate.
He then ordered, and WAS provided with
piece of roast lamb, and also supplied
with vrg stables. Whether he ate any Of
,ho 0eat and vegetables, or if so, how
,nnoh :, 1T known, as he was only seen
- t.Lo into = mouth single piece Of
,hs rost rrnreo 'ately after thiS, he
l.s,il,, orosa trou, tho Ga, 'e. and started to
leave the room, when he was St u " 'o''ef'
and was quickly caught by Mr.. 3, 4eie'
border, and Mr.. Wbitcomb, the port r. |
They eudesvored to hold him in an up
right position, and with other assistance
raised his arms, "patted" him on the back,
in order to aid respiration. Not succeed
ing in this, he was hastily removed to the
parlor, and messengers dispatched for
medical aid, but, it is probable that he
was dead before it could be procured.
Some difficulty was experienced in
promptly finding physician, az at that
hour they were all absent from their
Offices and at their places of residence.
Soon, however, DR.. Clarke was in attend
ance, and was soon followed by DR.. Pond.
They made an examination, but could
discover no respiration or movement OF
the heart. An attempt was made to Sc
cure respiration by the operation of
laryngotomy and by all the artificial
means known to modern surgery, but it
was too late.
We omitted to mention that the pbysi-
clans, Immediately after appearance, made
an examination in order to discover if
there was anything lodged in the throat,
but were unable then to fud any foreign
substance. After it became evident that
life was extinct, and that respiration
could not be restored, a rubber tube was
forced through the throat, between the
mouth and the incision made in the
Nrynx, and a piece of roast lamb, unmas-
ic ,ted, some two inches long by an inch
wide and a third Of an inch thick, was re-
nova 1 therefrom. This, in the opinion
If the physicians was, of itself, sufficient
to have produced death by choking or suf-
location
The APT ,earancs of the face, however,
Was not as we understand from the ply
,iciaus and from the books, such as is ordi-
n4rily seen in dsatt from this cause, but
more the indications of heart
disease, and it is possible tibet upon plac-
ing the food in the mouth, he was sud-
denly attacked by disease of the heart
and died from that cause alone. Drs Paul
OF this place, and Carpenter, of Fairhaven,
were also in attendance at the Stevens
House.
Drs. Clarke, Pond and Pierce, of this
place, and Atwood of Boston, will 90 to
Mt. holly, Ito which place the body was
removed yesterday this morning and
hold post mortem examination, when
the actual cause OF the death will be de-
ksrmined.