The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1873-03-15

Death Of n. Richardson, Esq
coRonER's' INQUEST.
DEATH By sUFFooATIoN

DEATH By SUFF0GATI0N.
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Our citiSens were. startled and deeply
Affected yesterday morning BY ru-
NOR tha passed through the city like
vsildf.s that Hon, Nathaniel Richards
SOP, onse of,hs leading members Of this
bar had BEEN 'iohud deadin an alley in
'wehbbrs, Bfbokv county. The rumor
took ~ many shapes thsta REaIsrER
reporter was sent to Wellsburg to learn
the isstsof the case, which are, as near
ss we are able to obtain them as fol-
lows:
ArsMoh@dson swent up to Wells
burg on Tuesday last to attend
'CJurf and has been there ever
Isineasnod Tknrsdsy evening about six
o'clock Mr.. Richardson, in company
with s1-Msyor,, Jones, of Wellsburg,
bent ID the restaurant on Main street
just below the Court House, Kept by
Conrad Feetteran, and procured, each.
a dish Of oysters. While here Mr..
Richardson drank two glasses Of hard
cider. They made him 80 deathly sick
that he was unable to hold his head up
aud lounge was procured for him to
Ire down On, ard placed in the back
room. About ten o'clock Mr.. Jones
called FOR him, TO go but found him
Sleeping 90 soundiy that he deemed it
yunwise to waken him, and giviog Mrs.
Feettersn Instructions to care for him
un,a morning, left for home. Mrs. Feet
teran; when The restaurant was closed
|aooxeredrhius.os uith4a blanket, re.
moved the lamp locked the doors and
went to bed, leaving the cha6og dish
and alcohol lamp used by the gentle
m en- in cooking their oysters on the
table in the room with Mr.. Richardson.
About half past ten o'clock Mrs.
Feetterap was wskeued bys smell Of
smoke and got out OF bed to 6ud the
building in flames. Hastily rouslng
her husband, while he was engaged in
saving their household goods. she re.
moved her children TO- a place Of safety.
Remembering Mr.. Richardson she
went to the back door and broke it in.
She found the heat in the room very
intense and the smoke 90 binding she
could not see. Protecting her
mouth from the sitting smoke
as well as she was able, che
CROPPED around until she found Mr..
Richardson lying on the floor. Drag
g'ng him BY the heel, out into the open
air, she shouldered and carried him
to the alley where be was found, and
went for assistance. Shortly after a
man named Leasure, running down the
alley to the FIRE, STUN led over the body.
Finding it to be Mr.. r chardson he
called Tor assistance end had the body
taken to the Virginia House. Then ii
was first discovered that life was ex-
tiDct. Il -
There being no lamp in the room
where Mr.. Richardson was sleeping, no
fire in the stove, aud no matches, as
testified to by Mrs. Feettersn at the
coroner's inquest there remains
but one feasible theory in re-
gard to his death. That is that
be walked up in the night and attempt
ed to find his way out OF the room
Finding it too dark there be took a
match from his pocket and lighted the
alcohol lamp under the chfisng dish
and upset it getting the blazing fluid on
his face, hands and head. The skin lie
burned on his forehead just above the
eye brows, on the centre OF his nose,
on the back of his head and on his
hands, as il, he bad wiped it off in try
ing to extinguish the flames. While
thus engaged the building caught FIRE
and he was overcome aud fell suffo-
Gated. All the facts in the case as far
as we have been able to arrive at them
seem to point to the conclusion iudi-
Gated above. "'' ..''.
We have gathered the statement
ab9vs given from the facts elected at
theIikquest, held before Justice Thos
Everett. yesterday, and from converse
ton with those who claimed tC know.
Alrseout the idea Of foul play. The
verdict of the coroner's jury was death
from suffocation.
Mr. Richardson's BODY was taken in
charge by Brooke Lodge of Odd Fell
lows, and was cent here last night and
take6 charge Of by Virgiuihs Lodge Of
Odd Fellovsofthis city,
Thetefibls news was communicated
to Mrs. Richardson yesterday morning,
by her brother J. E McKennan, ESQ
The intelligence completely Frustrated
her and all day long she lay wsvering
between life and death. receiving the