The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1882-05-23
A SUDDEN DEATH
Was That Of Mr.. Gerald Has
sett, at Half Past Eight,
Yesterday Morning.
The Coroner's Jury Say the Cause
Was the Incorporate Use of
Alcoholic StimulantS.

This community was not a little start
led yesterday morning. at learning that Mr.
Gerald Hassett, one of the proprietorS oi
the Lafayette garden, on Third street,
had died Suddenly at his place OF business,
at hall past eight o'clock, Yesterday morn
ing. A BAzoo reporter was promptly on
hand, and found number oi friends of the
dead man present, all of whom had a
kindly word to speak in his behalf.
The death being remarkably sudden, an
inquest war deemed advisable, and il was
held this morning by Coroner King, at his
Office. The following Is the testimony in
troduced, which explains fully the cause
of his demise:
Conrad Thelan, sworn: live in Soda
liza and am i'm the saloon business. Gerald
Hassett, the deceased, was my partner. We
have been in partnersh p since March the
18th, 1882. Mr. Hassett was in tine habit
of drinking great deal. lie would come
and get the key in the night and go and
get drinks. He came on Sunday morning
MAY Nth, near five O'Clock, and woke ME
up and asked for the KEY. My barkeeper.
Charles kobrock, who was sleeping with
me, gave him his key. The barkeeper then
dressed and went down. About two hours
after this the barkeeper sent q negro up 10
my room To tell me that Jerry was drunk
and had better take him up stairs.
went down and found Jerry Hassett lying
in the dining room next to the saloon. He
seemed to be asleep. Tie was breathing
hard. The barkeeper and myself took him
into the kitchen. We had To carry him.
4 IL
when We were carrying him. He was not
struck, thrown nor in any way injured in
carrying him in. | went in then and
made some coffee A hall hour afterward
| went in again. found him lying where
We had left him with cold sweat on his
face. He was still breathing. lie looked
like he might be dying. but had seen
him look that way before After We had
drank our coffee went in to see him again.
Then he looked to me like
he was dead called Mr.. Mar
coe i'm. Mr.. MarcOe said he thought
Jerry was dead. went down then and got
DIR. Small Mr. Hassett drank more
whisky than any man that ever saw. He
was drunk about all the time He did not
eat much. He had no difficulty with any
one and had not been struck by any one
that / know of Mr. Hassett was about
thirty-two years old and Was single.
Charles KObreck, sworn: | live In
and am bar-keeper. have
been keeping bar iur Mr.. Jerry Hassett i'm
on the 10Th OF April, 1882. Mr.. Hassett
was drinking all the time. He drank from
until night. He has been drunk
every day since / have been there. lie
drank whisky most OF the time He took
large drinks and took them often. He
would sometimes stand at the bar and drink
six or eight glasses before he went away.
On yesterday morning aboat ) o'clock he
came up to my room and got my key. l
then dressed and went down. Mr.. Hassett
was then in the yard. He complained vi
being cold and said he would have to
drink some. | gave him q drink. He
also drank twice with party who came in.
He took six or eight drinks in the course
of about one hour. He took whisky every
time. He then sat down in q chair and
went to sleep. I told him to go up
stairs. He did move. He then went
into the dining room (assisted by man
named Culbertson and myself and laid
down. In about half an hour looked ut
him and he was asleep and snoring.
sent a negro up to Mr.. Thelan's room to
tell him that he had better get Jerry out
Of the dining room and get him to bed
Mr.. Thelan came down and finding that
Jerry could not walk we laid him back in
the kitchen. ! thought he was sleeping.
After about half an hour Mr.. Thelan and
Mr.. Marcoe came and said that Mr.. Has
sett was dead DIR. Small then came and
pronounced him dead. know of nothing
which could have led to Mr.. Hassett's
death except his drinking. Mr.. Hassett
was not a quarrelsome man. He was quiet
and did not quarrel with any one. He did
not complain of being sick, but he did not
eat much.
DR.. A. v. Small, sworn: was called on
May II, 1885, by Mr.. Thelan to see Mr..
Mr.. Thelan stated that Hassett
had been drunk for two or three weeks and
his morning had laid down and gone to
sleep and he could not wake him up. |
went up to the saloon known as Lafayette |
garden and found Hsssett lying on his !
back, in a small back room. He was dead. !
never prescribed for Mr.. Hassett and |
know nothing of his bodily ailments. !
From what have learned OF his intem- !
perance am inclined to think that death /
vas produced from that cause | have |
known Jerry Hassett for two or three years !
and considered him hard drinking man. |
After hearing the evidence, the jury, |
OF ]. II. Iooney, q. c. Reese,
Frank Newton, NJ. NJ. hampton, j. c. |
Wood and Samuel Sprecher, returned
7erdict that the deceased came 10 his I,
leath "from the Incorporate use OF alco- |,
,olic spirits"
Mr.. Hassett came here four years ago |
rom Muskegon, Michigan, and engaged in |
he lumber business with Mr.. A. s. Fer |
,ald. He so continued until two months |
lgo, when he purchased the Lafayette !
,arlen, and since then has been drinking !
heavily. He was a single man, thirty five |
'ears OF age, and universally loved and
His people live in Chicago |
md were notified of his dsath bv telegraph !