The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1881-08-13
Terrible Wounds That Did Not Prove
Fatal. .rl

st. Joseph is at present somewhat
worked up over couple OF interesting
cases which will serve as remarkable in.
stances of escape from death even under
the most adverse and untayorable cir
cumstances. The escape of President
Garfield from death at the end of the
assassin's bullet is indeed strange and
| somewhat remarkable, but the nature OF
| his wounds, considered with those OF
whom we are about to. speak, are but
slight. The parties have both lived so
long since their injuries were received
that their ultimate recovery is now
placed among the strong probabilities.
Anton Welte, man about fifty years
of age, and workman at Moorby q
Fink's boot and shoe factory, on Tues
day week last attempted to take his life
by shooting himself. How he had tired
of living, through long series of domes-
tic difficulties, we have told before. Now
to the facts concerning his remarkable
escape from q successful termination Of
his suicidal purpose. Weite fired four
shots, all of which took effect within an
inch of the centre of the forehead. The
whereabouts of three of these were
traced. One was imbedded in the sub,
stance of the frontal bone, little to the
left of of the middle line, another passed
up under the soft parts, along the bone
to the left frontal eminence. These two
were extracted. The third passed
through the frontal bone into the sub
stance of the right anterior lobe of the
brain. 1t entered at d point about five
eighths of an inch to the right of the
middle line and passed in a direction
through the brain which would lead it a
little to the right and in front of the
center of the base of the brain. 1t is
impossible to say whether the fourth en-
tered the same hole or struck the skull
and glanced out. The nature of his
wounds, it will be seen, are such that
hardly one in a hundred could have
escaped death. To-day will be his
twelfth day, and yet he is rational and
doing well. He is up and about his
room, and it is the opinion of his medi-
cal attendant, DIR. Davis, that he will
recover. .. .l....-I... ...
The above is certainly most remark
able escape from the very jaws of death,
but it scarcely approximates in strange
ness to that of Frank Kemp, now at the
hospital of the St. Joseph Medical Col
lege. This case hasn't q parallel in the
history of our city, and few, if any, in
the history of surgery. Kemp is an In
diana lad, eighteen years of age. He had
been out West, and firing of Western
life was seeking once more his native
Hoosier heath when the accident oc-
cured. He got on train of the St.
Joseph & Western at Hanover, intend
ing to steal his way to St. Joseph, and
rode in safety to Elwood. There he fell
from his .hiding-place on the trucks and
was run over and frightfully mangled
and crushed by the cars. He was picked
up in an insensible condition and con.
veyed to this city and quartered at the
hospital of the st. Joseph Medical Col
lege, where he has been ever since. His
lower eXtremities were frightfully
crushed, and presented CHASTITY spec.
tacle. His right leg was amputated
above the knee and his left leg at the
knee. One of his arms was frightfully
shattered, one ear was cut off, and his
nose cut half off. A couple of his ribs
were crushed in and others laid bare
the skin being taken off while the body
was being dragged over the rough rail
road ties. He received six-inch cut
across the scalp, and innumerable bruise;
about the head, face, and, in fact, al
parts of the body. 1t was thought wher
he was picked up that he would die be-
fore he could reach this city. That was
on the morning of June 10. Tomorrow
it will be month since the accident
and he still lives, with fair prospects fol
final recovery.-St. Joe (Mo.) Herald.