Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1888-12-11
DIED In HIS CUPS.
Terrible Dea,h Of August Peterson at
Davenport---What a Reporter Who
Called 10 Investigate, Saw.


Called 10 Investigate, Saw.
The Davenport Times of last evening
tells the following story of horrible
death In that city:
Climbing up creakv stairway at the
corner of Iowa and Front streets, this
morning. and knocking at door at the
top of the landing, reporter was con-
fronted by woman. who opened it.
did not August Petersen live heref"
queried the scribe.
Yes" said the woman, whose face
showed traces OF trouble and protracted
weeping. YES she said, in broken
English. 81 am his wife. come in"
Entering tine room, which was poorly
and sparsely furnished. but whose clearly
scrubbed floors and bright windows
showed how q woman's care can render
tidy the most dingy equipments and sur
ronndings of poverty. the scribe had
scarcely looked about him, when, lying
on his hack on the bed. with his face
covered with a handkerchief, was the
form of q man, who had not yet been
dressed for the grave. because coroners
jury had not examined into the cause of
his death.
Then Mrs. Petersen told the old. sad
| story of drink and its undoing. She said
her husband was native of Sweden,
about forty,five years of age. and had
| resided in America half of his life time.
He was carpenter by trade, though for
| ha h.I fnlinxual h., rlr
of fisherman. Peterson was drinking
man. though his wife said he had been
imbibing much more than was his wont
| during the past three weeks Yesterday
morning he arose early, went out and in
short time returned with bottle Of
whisky. He sat down in the kitchen ad.
| joining the bedroom and began to swig
his bottle. Knowing him to be moody
and cross when in this condition she left
him to himself. About o'clock IN the
afternoon she looked in and called him
to partake of something to eat No re-
spouse came and she feared to call hin
again. At o'clock she again asked hin
to come out and eat something. There
was no answer to her invitation. and en-
tering the room she found him lying prone
on the floor with his head reclining OF
the front OF hearth of the stove. Sh,
supposing him to be asleep attempted t
arouse him, but her efforts were fruitless
On attempting TO lift him to his feet sh'
found that his hands were icy cold Sh,
then rushed out end called in som,
neighbors, but they instantly pronounced
him dead
As the poor woman narrated the abov
facts, with tears streaming down he
face, she approached the bed, and beini
about to lift the handkerchief which GOV
cred the face of the corpse. she stoppe'
to say: Il want to show You something
Would You like to see his FACET On be
ing answered affirmatively, the face wa
disclosed. 1t was black from the neck I
the forehead. 1t wore an unnaturs
CHASTITY look. The features were not dis
torted-they hetokeued intelligence eve
in death, but the black hue which over
spread them was repulsive in the eN
IRENE. "Ohl isn't my man backT ar
e lessly gssped the afflicted woman. as sh
o covered again the bideOus face and thTe
herself into chair to moan and sol
with eyes fixed piteously on the recum
bent form before her, as she rocked hel
self to and fro in wild distress "Blscl
Black she kept muttering, not noticin
!. that the reporter was stealing softly fro
the room TO leave her alone with b.
dead.
l. The Democrat, Gazette makes the fC
II lowing additional revelations with regal
to Petersen's death:
j. Peterson was a wsgonmaker by trad
e whose home had been in Moline for fl
= teen years. when four years ago
abandoned his wife and four children al
came to Davenport to live with the vol
= an in whose presence he died.
lie worked in various wagon factories
= Davenport, but not long in any-he "
+ SO fond of whisky. He took TO fisbir
for living, and run a 6sh boat cour
10 of years. quitting the business last SUI
rs mer.
d Petetsen's death was caused by stra
Ia gulation. He and his psramour dra
whisky in their room until they were {
" most insensible. The woman threw ht
Or self on a bed. while Petersen sat on
Of chair at the side of cook stove. VII
ts asleep he fell forward his head went ir
a the stoves ash pit in such way that
~ was fastened into the pit by fsDge
ne the fire box. which rested across the bs
II of his neck, holding him So that
= couldn't breathe. He was too drunk
help himself-and died in that positiC
He had been dead eight to ten ho
rn when found by neighbor-ihe WON
ge still in drunken sleep.