The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1884-05-22
BEFORE THE IRRESISTIBLE DECREE
e. EDWARDS SPIRIT QUITS
ITS EARTHLY TENEMENTl
And What Seemed but a Trivial
Injury Ends in Fatal
Calamity!
Annexation and Railway Extern
sion are the All-AbsOrbing
Topics at Dallas!
And the COlOred Republicans
Manifest a Determined AttI-
tude in Politics.
MAI. L. E. EDWARDS.

1
| GALVESTON, May 19.-Maj. L.
Edwards, of Austin, who was pros
trated last Wednesday by AN exces
sive hemorrage from a knife Woun
received in the left side in persona
encounter with L. L. Wren, in Austin
a few weeks ago, died from the effect
of wound at the Beach hotel thi
morning. Ever since his hemorrag
on Wednesday last, when he lost full!
three pounds vi LIoUd, his physician
has been doubtful of the result. Sun
day it was deemed proper to lay TIT
wound open and take up the inter
costal artery, which had been par
TALLY severed by the knife. This op
Grafton was successfully performed
by DR.. Rogers last night
His condition was extremely critical
but the physician still had hopes. The
patient passed restless night, but
this morning it was apparent the end
was rapidly approaching, and at $50
his spirit took its fight. Mrs. Edwards
arrived yesterday evening, and passed
the night at her husbands bedside,
doing everything to alleviate his suf-
fering. The sad news spread rapidly,
and called forth expressions of sorrow
from all sides. Gen. Claiborne, Col.
Bingham, and other prominent citi-
zens, repaired to the hotel and made
tender of their services to Mrs. Ed
wards and Col. Melven. The deceased
having been member of the knights
OF Pytbias, Odd Fellows, and Knights
of Honor, Gen. Claiborne requested
these bodies to appoint committees to
act as an escort to the remains to the
Union depot, in conjunction with
detail from the Galveston Artillery
and Washington Guards. With this
guard of honor the remains were con-
Veyed to the depot at $3.50 this after
noon, and taken to Austin. Col. Ed
wards was 43 years old, and leaves a
widow AID two daughters. At the
time of his death he held an Office in
the Texas volunteer guards as inspec-
ter-general of the first division, COM
manded by Major-General John M.
Claiborne. A rigid post norton eX-
animation was held upon the remains
under the special direction of Col. II.
). Melven, OF Gov. Ireland's staff, who
accompanied Col. Edwards to Calves
ton, and has been unceasing in his
kind attentions toward his diving
friend. Col. Melven accompanied the
remains to Austin. The result of the
post norton is subjoined:
The several physicians who held the
post mortem examination afterwards
testified before a court of inquest. The
coroner's jury found that deceased
came to his death through the effects
of a punctured and incised wound in
the left side, inflicted by some sharp
in the hands of some per-
son or persons unknown to them.
FURTHER PARTICULARS.
Special Telegram to The Statesman.
1t was deemed necessary, after his
ton should be held, and to this end
Justice Spann was notified to hold an
inquest.
Constable Finn repaired to the
Beach Hotel and summoned the fol-
lowing jury: A. S. Eline, Joseph Ell
bert w. N. Baxter, r. S. Rhea, Ed
Geibel, and J. FL. Burns.
Judge Spann and the jury then
heard the following testimony:
w. L. Rogers, being duly sworn,
deposes and say "My name is w. L.
Rogers: residence, Galveston; l am
practicing physician; have been one
for the past forty years; l know the
body upon which this inquest is being
held; it is that of L. E. Edwards, of
the city of Austin; Drs. A. w. Fly,
81. p. Cook and myself have just
finished a post-mortem examination
of same; with these doctors 1 have
been attending him during his last
illness; he died from the effects of a
punctured and incised wound in the
left side, inflicted, as am informed,
some three weeks since;L. E. Edwards
arrived in Galveston on Wednesday,
May Ia, and came to me to have his
wound dressed, which did on Thurs
day 18th; l was called upon
by Col. Melvin, and he informed me
that he (Edwards) was then at the
Bank Exchange in this city bleeding
to death; I found him there, and he
had bled about two and half pounds
of blood; stopped the wound first
temporarily, and had him sent to this
hotel; called in Drs. Fly and Cook
on May II; we legated the arteries;
the result of the postmortem examin-
alton is as follows: Two external
wounds on the left side (upper) be
tween the eighth and ninth rib, pene-
trating the chest cavity and diappra-
gne, and entering the abdominal cavi
ty Qower) between the eleventh and
twelfth ribs; further back towards
the spine, a wound ranges upward
and inward; after entering and pene-
trating the abdominal cavity an in
cessant spleen from inflamatory adj
hesions of the intestines to the
abdominal wall at the place of en-
trance in the left lung congested in
the lower lobe of the left pleara,
which was infamed over the entire
surface; all the other parts are healthy;
the lower wound was notched near
the lower border of eleventh rib and
tho two lower extremities of the cut
artery; no blood was foun1 in the
wound.
Drs. A. w. Fly and H. P. Cook cor
roborrated the testimony of DIR. Rog-
erS. Upon this testimony the jury
returned the following verdict:
1--WE, the jury, find that the deceased,
l.. E. Edwards, came to his death IN
the city and county of Galveston, oa
the 10Th day of May, 1884, from the
effects of a punctured and incis ed
wound in the left side, inflicted by
some sharp instrument in the hands OF
some person or persons to the jury
unknown.
Maj. Edwards was foreigner by
birth, having been
BORN IN THE CITY OF COLOGNE,
in March, 1871, being little more
than forty-three years of age at. thu
time of his deate. He came to Amer
| lea some years prior to the late war
settling at Brooklyn, n. Y.
At the breaking out of the war Maj
Edwards
JOINED THE UNION ARMY,
serving In the Douay Zouaves, VIII
| went out from New York. He wa
badly wounded several times, and wa
twice promoted on account OF bravery
He come to Texas in 1865, being
member of Gen. Grif1in's staff, wit
headquarters at Galveston. In 1S6
he was appointed
SUPERVISOR OF REGISTRATION
for Washington county. During HI
service in this capacity he was assaile'
shot and badly wounded at IndepeI
dence, by a man named Gee. Subs
quently he was appointed to tt
position of inspector OF customs {
Galveston, under the relationship {
Col. John L. Haynes, but went OF
upon the removal of that gentlema
II Mai. Edwards was, in 1867, appoil
, ted
DISTRICT AND COUNTY CLERK
: of Washington Co., and the district
! | which that county was then situate