The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1877-03-29


The diagram represents the halls
and stairways of a two-story double
brick house, with a front door A apd;
Bl opening into a hall &c and d onE
each side. Each hall has a stairway
re and Fl against the wall III that
separates the two halls. AT the back
end of the halls a passage IG] has
been cut through, connecting both
houses. A person going through this
passage must pass by the heads [HE
and II of two basement stairwaysIE
zone under each hall staircase. TheE
head of one basement stairway isl
guarded by door. The other [H]i
has no door. Senator HAINEs, in 60;
ing from the room up stairs to his.
room Ill, cane down stairs Fl intoI
the EAST hall, and went back via D]:
to the passage leading under the stairs
to the west hail, and in going through
this passage [Gl passed by the head
of the first basement stairs II in safe
ty,. it being guarded with a door. HeI
then passed through the door that
had been cut in the wall, into the west
hall. After passing through the door
in the wall, and arrivinga at a point I'M
front of the unprotected basement
door a he must have supposed that
he was far enough to turn toward thei
front part of the house. He had not
gone far enough by about two steps,
Instead of turning into the broad and
unobstructed hall [C] leading to his.
room Ill, he turned into a fatal trap
"a narrow and unguarded stairway
with fifteen steps, leading to q floor
twelve feet below. The horror of
that fatal plunge, headforemost down.
a stairway. at midnight, when all was
dark as Erebus, seemed to have BEEN
suddenly fixed upon the features byl
instant death.
The body was discovered by a col
ored servant boy the next morning
between five and six O'Clock, where it
had remained from the time of the
fall, which was about midnight. The
Coroner Immediately summoned al
Jury and held an inquest. SENATOR
MoNAHAN, who was one of the party
at the house, and also a physician,
made an examination of the body and
stated to the jury the cause of death
Ia broken neck. There was also a
severe cash on the head, and the right
eye was badly blackened and swollen.
The expression of the face seemed to-
indicate that deceased realized in the
latest second oflife that he was being
hurled toward some awful danger.
Death must have occurred instantly,
or almost instantly. The body was
found stretched at full length, with
the head and one shoulder on the
basement floor and the lower limbs
extending up the stairway.
AT the meeting of the Senate in the
morning, Senator MoNAHAN offered
the following resolutions:
''ResolYed. That with SORROW we receive the
annoqncement of the death -four brother se1a-
tor, Hon. Ahner Haines; Of Preble County, who
hour ofls O'Clock last night, March -. at his
boardlng-house East state street, and fractured
death: rn.. .oorr,,.ss o,th-..
pointed TO report such action as shall be deemed
hitting to the % easion-"
The resolutions were adopted, and
Messrs. MoNAHAN, HUDSON and BUR-
Rows appointed the committee, who
reported as follows;
NResolFed, by the General Assembly of the
State OF Ohio, That the sudden and unexpected
ga ronnty caiis for spch aci,o5 az The GnperoI
Assembly as shall testify to our esteem for tn,
NaResolved, That meeting death as did the de-
ceased, at the post of duty, the State properly as
remains to his late residence at Eaton, Ohio.
"ResOlved. That three member of the Senate
and five members of the House be selected as pail
bearers to take charge of and the re
mains: they to select one of their number to taxi
aResoiyed, That the members of the Senate ant
House of Representatives be requested to act in
body under direction Of the Sergeant-at-arms o
me Senate and House, as funeral escort from
Fast state street, No. l6, TO the railroad depot, a
8 O'Clock P. NJ. to-day,
SResoIved, That the Sergeant-at-arms OF tn
Senate accompany the OF escort witt
the remains to Eaton.
HResolyed, That the Sergeant-at-arms of tn
Senate be Instructed to appropriately trim il
morning, for the remainder OF this session, tn
desk of the deceased Senator.
or OF the deceased, and as a mark of respect, ad
journ al ! O'Clock to-day"
The resolutions we're unanimously