The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1883-03-13
DE ATH OF JOHN RUCKER.
WHAT CAUSED HIS DEATH3

Information was received here last
Thursday that joan RucKER, OF Grays-
Vile, had been found dead in his house
on Tuesday evening The particulars
Of an ARRAY between RUcKER and Isaac
A WrLc K of Grsvsviile, on Monday.
we're related to US as follows:
On Monday evening, RUCKER went in
to WILcox's store to purchase corn ami
was informed that thew bad none Short
ly afterwards RUCKER saw some one car
rying corn away from the store. He
then went in and called Wilcox liar,
when wilcox picked up heavy poker
and deal, him a hloW across the fore
head. RUcKER went home and was
not seen again until Tuesday evening
when he was found dead OF his home.
his head and face being swollen ard very
much discolored.
RUcKER was buried on Thursday 't
10 o'clock, without any inquest having
heen held upon his boi iv, or any inves-
legation 10 ascertain the canse OF his
death.
Section $50 of the Revised Statutes
pro vide that Justices Of the Peace shall
,ct "a Coroners when the Coroner Ia ab-
sent, sick or "resides more than 10 miles
from the place where the dead body OF
any person supposed to have come to
his or her death nv violence, .0r4 casual
tv, is found" &C.. 5s
SECTIONS 1921 to 1928 prescrihes the
duties of Corone-s
In case OF this kind the Prosecuting
Attorney, or Coroner. should proceed
Immediately to have the body disinterred
and 8 thornugh investigation ma ie.-
This should he done as much tor the
protection Of wilcox as to insure that
Justice he done. Diving so soon after
receiving the blow will lead IN the belief
that the dacaased's death was caused nv
violence An Investigation would settle
the mstter. and nothing short Of that ever
will. Let the authorities proceed with
out delay To- discharge their duty.
LATER.-On Saturday. the 10Th ins'.,
we accompanied Prosecuting Attorney
DRIeas to GrsYsville, We called upon
Mrs. RUcKER, the wife of the deceased.
and she made rhe following statement to
the Prosecutor:
John had been complaising Of fe"lirg
unwell for several dsvs, and on Monday
was drinking some; after Wilcox struck
him, he came home and did not COM
rlain much On TUESDAY he was stupid
and slept from 3 O'clock in the morning
until 4 o clock in the afternoon. Myself
and daughter prevailed upon him to get
up of the floor where he was living on
quilt and get into he'd. In few mo-
nents he rolled out of he'd onto the
floor and we fixed pillows under his
head and covered him with a blanket
and qlilts Then I went down town to
see my grand daughter who was sick
In few M oments nv little b)v came
down and told us that father WAS dead.
Drs. Parry. Fog'e ani Dillon toll me
that his death was caused nv the swell
ing upon his neck, Mr.. Wilcox wsnted
an inquest held, hnt could not hear the
idea OF having his hodv cut up, as they
told me would have to b. done. and his
stomach sent to Washington Chv for
analysis; also that the examination
would cost me 800.
The Prosecutor explained tn Mrs.
RUcKeR that there was no necessity for
cntting the hodv, further than to ascer-
tain the cause of death. and further, thai
justice "a well as the welfare OF Mr.
WJLc K demanded that that should be
done After some further conversation
Mrs. RUcKER consented to have the
body exhumed and the examination
made.
The remaius had been inferred at the
CoSxoR Church cemetery in WaVne
township. Ats o'clock, the workme
under the direction of Justice of the
Peace, Acting Coroner, JOHN BEARD
MORE, exhumed the hcdv AMI took 1t in
to the church where D.. T. n ARM
sroNG and DR.. l. P. FARoUHAR. o
Woodsf Id, and DR. J. R. PARRY, OF
GravsviIe, proceeded Immediately TO
ascertain by cutting and removing the
top of the Uranium. They found the
skull fractured where the bIoa fell on
his left temple AMI a cl"t Of bio, d on
the brain, directly under the fracture. as
large as three cent piece; blood was
also found upon The top of the brain
which, upon the application of water.
disappeared, while the clot under th'
seat OF the fracture remained.
Further investigation disclosed large
Goitre, or swelling, alongside of the
wlndpipe. which was taken out and
opened and contained watery matter.
The nnys were foun in state of con.
gestIon. The other organs we're in a
healthy condition This concluded the
examination AMI the b,iY was re inter
red at 6 O'Clock 10 the evening, and the
investigation continued to 10 O'Clock on
Monday, at Gravsville. We shall pub
l,s5 in our next issue the evi lence and
the finding of the Coroner. rs
Spring Medicine.
Whv does everybody lake a spring
y, oji,n,a2 E,r fhroa Cood roaeopc