Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1874-02-27
ASPIIINIA-
Death ofa Citizen of St. Pau ul's,
Robson County, by the In
haiatIon Of Gas.

We were deeply panied yesterday to
learn of the death, by asphyxia, of Mr..
A. McGeachy, a worthy citizen of ST
| Paufs, in Robson county.
Mr.. McGeachy arrived here Oh Fri
day morning, ON the steamer from
Fayetteville, his object being to attend
| to the sale of raft of timber belong
| ing to him that was Oh its way to this
place. He put up at the Purcell House
and attended to several small matters
| of business during the day. He re-
tired on Friday night, between 10
and IL O'Clock, to his room, No. "a, on
the fourth floor of the Purcell House.
and was never seen alive again.
Yesterday morning the raft of tim
Der he had been expecting arrived
here and with It Mr.. McNeill, brother
in-law to the deceased. This gentle
man at once went to Mr.. A. G. McGirt,
at the store of Messrs s. Louis & Co.,
and enquired for Mr.. McGeachey. He
was informed that he had been IN the
store during the preceding evening,
and Mr.. McGirt accompanied Mr.. Nc
Neill to the Purcell House where the
clerk said that he thought Mr.. Nc
Geachy was out. Mr.. McNeill was then
advised to look for him around the
wharves, and he at once left for that
purpose. While he was gone the
chamber-maid went to Mr.. McGeach-
ey's room, it then being about noon,
for the purpose of putting it in order,
but found that the door was locked Oh
the inside. At the same time she be-
came aware that there was powerful
oder of gas escaping from the room
and she at once made the fact known.
The door was therefore forced open
and the unfortunate gentleman was
discovered lying in his bed, cold in
death. Drs. Walker and Wood were
hastily summoned, but one glance
told them that the inmate of the bed
had been dead for hours. He had evil
IDENTIFY died in great agony. The
mouth was open and the tongue part
ly protruding, with froth on the face
and the eyes not entirely closed, with
the hands crossed on the stomach and
one leg partially drawn up. His
clothes were neatly folded on a chair,
with the shoes and stockings lying be-
side the bed.
The theory of the escape of the gas
is that he must either have blown it
out at the burner or else turned it off
and then turned it back again, uncon-
wall, Immediately beneath the gas
jet, waning the inmates to turn off
the gas, and it is next to impossible |
that it could have escaped his eyes. |
The windows were closed and there |
was no transom above tl-e doorway,
hence the room must have soon been |
filled with the escaping gas. When |
the door was forced, at noon, the gas |
escaped in such quantities thai those |
who were present were compelled to |
retreat from the passage for awhile,
and for SOME minutes no one was able |
to enter the room.
Every possible attention was shown
TO the remains of the unfortunate gen.
tleman by Col Davis and his assist
ants and the friends in the city of the
deceased, and the corpse was enclosed
in neat coffin and sent up yesterday
On the boat to Fayetteville, from
whence il will be taken to his home. at
st. Paul's, for interment. Mr.. Nc
Neill accompanied the remains of his |
MIR. McGsachy was well known and
highly esteemed in Robson and Cum
)erland counties. He was about 45
years OF age and leaves q widow, who
s a daughter of Ex-Sheriff NIcNeill,
If ,fCumberlandc county, and two children
o mourn the sudden calamity shat has
allen upon them. He was farmer
md has also been engaged recently in
getting ont timber and turpeatine.
Before the removal of the remains,
Jesse J. Cassidey, Esq, Special Coro-
Ter, held an inquest, the verdict rem
lered by the iuly being in accordance
With the above facts.