St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-10-23
HIS SKULlIFRACTU
i3t{+.-u lSA
The Coroner Investigates the
Death of George II. Willis.

'y George III. Willis. the old man who
was brutality assaulted by Reddy Hack
EFT some time ago and who, Immediately
after Hackett's conviction, so mysteri-
Ously disappeared, died early yesterday
morning at his home, 500 Sixth avenue
north. Willis left his home on Tues
day last saying he was going to work
and OH Sunday he was brought home in
a wagon by two unknown men. He
was unconscious when he arrived at
home and remained so until he died.
One of the men who accompanied him
said he had fallen from house.
but, as both eyes were blackened
and as he had been previous
ly assaulted, Coroner Towers at
once commenced an investigation.
The body was removed to Vail & John
sons mOrgHe, where an autopsy was
held by DrS. j. H. Dunn and NJ. j. Kist-
Ter. A Jury was summoned and Coroner
Towers held an inquest. The first wit
ness eXami ned was James f. Barnum,
a sOn-in-law of Mr.. Willis, who lives at
GIT Tenth-and-a-half street north, who
testified that Mr.. Willis died at 2 80 yes
terday morning at his home, S26 Sixth
avenue north. Mr.. Barnum said that
the day following Reddy Hackett's trial
he left home and was absent for ten
days, and when he returned he said that
he had been staying with friend out
near Como. A week ago Tuesday he
left the house, taking his tools with him,
accompanied by man named Phil, who
stated that he was going to work. and
that he would return one week from the
following Sunday. Last Sunday between
5 and o'clock he was brought home in
a wagon. When he was brought home
he was unconscious. He never spoke
afterwards. Samuel A. Coburn testi-
fed that he lived at the Hotel Annex.
He was not acquainted with the de-
ceased but saw him for the first time on
Sunday evening. At that time he
looked as if he was suffering from
severe injuries. Mrs. Barnum and Mrs.
Castle had told him that two men who
were Intoxicated had brought Mr..
Willis home. Phillip S. Wilson. the
man who took Willis away from his
home, swore that he had known de-
ceased for about three years. and that
he had worked for him at odd times
Wilson was now employed by j. K.
Oliver, the druggist at Sixth
finish his country house. which is
the city, Oh the OsceO road. On Sun
day, while Wilson was at the barn TAX
ing care of the horse, Willis fell from
the second floor through an open space
to the ground inside the building, dis
lance of about ten feet. When Wilson
entered the house after attending to the
horse he found Willis lying on pile of
laths and lumber grooming and swear
ing. He made up bed of hay and
blankets and rolled the injured man
over onto it. AS he was delerious he
remained with him from 8 o'clock in
the morning until o'clock in the after
noon. Then he started for help and
met Mr.. Oliver on the way. The two
went back to the house, put him in the
wagon and took him home. j. K. Oil
yer corroborated the latter part of
Wilson's testimony, and said, as
men had any liquor with them.
DR.. j. H. Dunn testified to making the
post mortem. In his opinion death was
due to celebrial hemherrage, the result
of fracture of the skull, which might
have been produced by a blow from a
blunt instrument or fall. Drs. Kistler
and Allen. who -assissed in the exam
ination, corrObOrated DR.. Dunn's state
ment. The. jury returned a verdict that
George H. Willis came to his death from
injuries received by falling from the
second floor of j. X. Divers house.
The cause of the fall the jury were un-
able to state, t.