Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1873-10-30
A FATAL LEAP.
NAN JUMPS FROM THE SECOND
STORY OF A BUILDING AND
Is KILLED.

| Last Saturday brakeman, named
Budd Davis, was discharged from the
3. & NJ. Railroad for leaving switch
open at Chillicothe. He deemed the
event one Of sufficient importance TO
justify him in putting himself around
an immense quantity OF bad whisky.
As a result, he jumped off the balcony
of Hartmann boarding house, in this
city. The aubjoined Coroner's in
quest tells all the balance of this sad
story, except that he was generally re-
ported as reliable man, except when
he was under the influence of
whisky, and that his father resides in
Polk county ard was at one time q
Representative 10 the Legislature of
Iowa.
coRoNER's INQUEST
T. y. Douglass, being aworn, says:
About 8 o'clock P. NJ, October 18th
1873, was called to see Mr.. Davis.
found him lying where he now lays,
comatose condition, stnlterous breath
ing, pupils Of the eyes dilated, hemor-
rage from the right ear, dislocation of
the right wrist joint. According to
my diagnosis of the case I conclude
he died from extravasation of the
blood in the brain, produced by frac.
ture OF the base of that organ.
Hector Monroe says he found the
body of Mr.. Davis lying in the yard,
at the Northwest corner of the porch
Of E. M. Hartman's house, was groan.
ing, we picked him up and brought
him into the house.
Mrs. Mary Hartman says: saw
Davis at supper at our house, on Oct.
18th, 1873, about Is minutes before Z
O'Clock, waited on him at the table.
He was very much intoxicated after
supper he paid his bill and went into
the office. Next snw OF him he was
ont in the yard, at the end Of the
porch. This was not over Is minutes
after he eat his supper. / reused him
up and spoke to him, and asked him
how he came there. He said: "Mrs.
Hartman, am pretty full, and have
fell of the cars" He said he "would
kill the man that kicked him off the
cars" He said his arm was broken,
and he wanted to go to sleep. He
said he was cut in two and wanted to
be let alone. He directed her to take
care of his money for him, and gave
me his name as Budd Davis. He had
SIT in money. We made an examin.
alton Of his clothes and valise, but
found out nothing as to where he was
from. He was a brakeman on the
B. g. N. Railroad and was discharged
yesterday morning because there was
q switch left open and he was blamed
for it. He died about two O'Clock
this morning. The window Of his
room opens out on to the porch, about |
q care length from the end. The
other rooms opening out on the porch
were all locked. When we found
him In the yard had his coat, vest,
boots and hat of, aud we afterwards
found them in his room.
Mart. Harris says: "Not more than
10 minutes before Davis was found ly.
ing In the yard, at the end of the porch,
| saw him come up stairs. He We
alone. He was very much intoxicated
at supper, and not over fifteen minutes
afterward was found in the yard.
FINDING OF THE JURY:
STATE OF Iowa,
WAPELLo CouNIY,S
At an inquisition holden at Ottum.
wa, Wapello county, on the 18th day |
of Oct. 1873, before W. H. Fet.er, j.
p, acting Coroner, in the absence of |
the Coroner, upon the body of Budd |
Davis, there lying dead, by the jurors |
whose names are hereto subscribed, /
the said Jurors upon their oaths DO say, |
that the said Budd Davis came to his
death about 2 O'Clock, A. 81, on the Goth |
day of October, 1873, from injuries re.
ceived from falling from the root OF |
the porch Of the residence of E. N. |
Hartman, in Ottumwa, on the prsvi-
Que evening waite In state of intoxi. |
cation. In testimony whereof the I
said Jurors have hereunto act their |
hands the day and year aforesaid.
L. N. COOLEY,
w. n. H. AsBURY,
FREDERICK ARTHUR.