Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1891-02-11
Previous Condition and Subsequcn
Death of Mr.. John III. Heller.

Death of Mr.. John H. Heller.
We are sorry to learn that the condition o.
Mir. John 81. Heizer is SO critical. The Shen.
andoah Herald. published at Woodstock, in Its
issue OF Friday last, Says
"Mr Jno b. Heizer, a former citizen of this
place, who was robbed and thrown from train
In Washington. and had his foot crushed Oh
under the car wheels is lying In crit1csl con.
dftion at his home in that city, When nrst
tas en- to Providence Hospital his foot was am
putated, but in few days after gangrene set
up in the wound and second amputatlon was
made just below the knee. No better results
followed the second operation as gangrene auo
blood poisoning again appeared. The men VINO
first found Mr.. Heller beside the railroad track
twisted rope tightly around me leg 70 stop
ed by the pressure of The rope. 1t was at this
point that the second amputation was made
md was soon seen to be failure On IhCrs>
day of last week, the third amputation was to
have been made at q point above the knee: Dut
before the hour set for the operation Mr.. He1z-
er's family had him removed to his home
This was done against the advice OF the hospit-
al physicians but Mr.. Heller said that IL he
had to die he preferred to die at home. Our
latest reports state the family think his condi-
ton somewhat Improved, and as soon as be Is
thought to be strong enough Dr. j. Ford
Thompson, the celebrated surgeon of W ash1ng-
ton, will perform the third operation"
P.S.-From later news we learn that on the
day on which the Shen, Herald was issued,
Mr.. Heller died at his residence In Washing
ton and was buried on last Monday. The
Washington correspondent OF the Bait, SAM
under date of the Sth inst, says
1.-The funeral of John II. Heller, the victim
of the mysterious assault on the Metropolitan
Railroad, will take place tomorrow rom MS
late home. There seemed no especial need OF
an Inquest in his case, and the coroner at first
declined TO summon jury, but be was after
ward Induced to hold an Inquest not to escer-
;aia any new fact, for that was no. looked for.
but to place in connected form AMI make legal
record OF all the surrouiii OF the M sterous
0Q.h Int no g.
trict statton-house, and DIR. George b. Hender-
son, Thomas Murphy: Jacob Jones, y. q
Hollis. G. M. Lovd, r. M; moore. Mic coar INC,
Detective Charles Mahon gave testimony De-
fore the Jury, but nothing was made known as
to the cause of his death except that the cars
on First street mashed off MIR. Heizer's foot.
and that he died from the result OF that injury:
Tickle Agent Moore swore that every tlcket
Heizer's leg was handed to the conductor and
accounted for. Gatskeeper Sellers testlned
that he remembered no one answering the oe-
scr1ption of Mr.. Heizer passing the ticket gate
to take the trains Brakeman Lloyd testined
that he sat on a seat of the car looking out up
on the platform from which Mr. Heizer stated
he was thrown and saw neither Heizer, the
men who threw him from the train nor any
thing unusual. Mr.. Sleeper testified that he
did not expect Mr.. Heizer at Tacoma on that
night. The detective. having followed all
clues, had found nothing to show either tnat
Heizer got on the train or was thrown Oh e4
cent that Gateman MCKINLEY, OF the q. street
crossing. told him that a stranger told him
about the time OF Mr.. Heizers injury that
man had Just had his foot cut on by the train,
and then asked when a train would leave Tor
Frederick. The jury found verdict that
"Heizer came to his death February 8. lSsi. at
his residence, from injuries to the leg received
in being thrown from q train OF the Baltimore
and Ohio Railroad on the night of January 10.
1891, said injuries resulting in gangrene and
exhsustfon.h And they add: I'VE believe
from the evidence that the man was robbed
Ind thrown from the train by soma person or
persons unknown to the jury" II will be OBJ |
served thatIthe verdict is founded entirely upon
he statement made ny the deceased and re- |
peated to the jury.
Mr. Heizer had taken out an accident 1nsur-
ance policy, and II he had lived he would |
have gotteb. if the testimony used
n the inquest should satisfy a Circuit Court
ury heavy verdict against the Baltimore
fact and responsibility would probably be
'urther ltigated in the courts"