The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1881-08-02
THE HINGE OF DEATH.
An Unlucky Tragedy at q Factory
Caused by Teasing.

st. Louis Fost-Dispatch.
Joseph Eberle is locked up al the sec
ond district police station to-day to avail,
the result of the cOr0ners inquest ON the
BODY Of John Rahlman, whose death Eb.
erie has been held accountable for BY the
police. Eberle is eighteen years OF age
and the dead boy sixteen. Both were
employed at Hayer's hinge factory, No. L.
lOl South Second street, until yesterday
morning.
Shortly after the factory opened the boys
began to tease Eberle, who resented ii, and
about 9 o'clock the discussion resulted in
an alteration between the boys, in which
Eberle picked up an iron hinge and threw
it at his opponent, striking him on the
left side of the forehead, fracturing the
skull and inAicting injuries to the brain
which resulted fatally At 1910 this noon.
The prisoner and younger brother were
employed to close hinges At the factory
few weeks ago, and ever since they be-
gan work they we're the butt of the
Jokes Of the older employees. Both
boys complained Of the treat
ment, but there Was no remedy, as
the other boys continued TO tantalize them
all the more for their complaints. Yester-
day morning the joking was resumed, as
usual, but those working near the boys
paid no attention to the quarrel until it
resulted in blows. After Eberle struck
Bahlman the latter picked up hammer
and hit him on the leg. This ended the
trouble, and both boys resumed work and
continued until noon, when Bahlman went
home to dinner ; but he did not return at I
II Akn h~nE an
work. Before he left the factory he said
he had sick headache, but did not at.
tribute it to the blow he received at the
hands of the other boy. About 9 o'clock
last night DR.. Joseph Ringe was called TO
attend Bahlman at his home, No. 1910
South Seventh street, and found him in 4
DYING condition. He made . thorough
examination of the boy and rendered what
assistance he could, but he was beyond a.
sistance, and at 1910 this morning he
died.
Sergeant Charles Hall ascertained at the
factory that Eberle had struck Bahlman,
and accordingly arrested him and locked
him up at the second district station,
where he was this morniug. He is quiet
hammered boy. IL years old, and lives with
his mother. About six months ago he
came to this country from Switzerland
with brother IL years old. They were
given work at the hinge factory, where the
foreman said they were attentive to their
duty and had but little intercourse with
the other employees. He can't speak Eng
lish and through an interpreter the follow
ing account of the alteration was OBJ
tanned: The boys in the factory, and es-
al % ,voeo 1lv foac
ing me and by brother, who worked with
me. Yesterday morning Bahlman began at
me about my hair, which is cut close. ]
replied to him. and he started towards me
with his hands raised as II he intended to
hit me. think he was going to strike
me and SO picked up q hinge that was
lying near me and l threw it at him.
hit him Just on the forehead, and he did
not seem to mind it, only became more
angry, and picking up hammer started st
me again and hit me in the Lex with it. l
did not know then that l hurt him So
badly"
"Why did the boys always tease your"
my brother and were greenhOrns and
they always wanted to impose on us and
make fun of us since We began to work in
the shop. Bahlman was always poking
fun at us. I am over eighteen years old
and have only been in this country six
months"
DR.. JOS. Ringe, who attended the dead
boy, made the following statement:
81 Was called ON about 8 o'clock last
night to 70 to No. 1910. When I went
there found the deceased lying in bed
in comatose condition. He was snoring
loudly, and when partially awakened did
not have sufficient presence Of mind 10 an
swer any questions I asked. His mother
told me that he came home at noon yes
terday complaining of a severe headache.
He went to bed without eating any dinner
and rapidly became worse. He vomited
twice during the afternoon, and sank into
a comatose condition at night. On
examination I found the left side Of
the forehead much swollen and the Os
fronts fractured. The assure was very
small. The bone was slightly shattered.
Death resulted from the fracture Of the