The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-10-23
A COLD CH1sEL IN HIS HEAD.
The Remarkable Way in Which Prof.
Renfro Came to His Death.


Renfro Came to His Death.
From the Washington Star.
The case of Prof. George W. Renfro, who
xss killed last week in Alabama by a cold
.hisel which was thrown at him, has at
4-acted considerable attention in medical
circles, and many physicians in the state do
not believe the truth in regard to the wound
inflicted and what followed. Prof. Renfro
wasa native of this city and was a member
cf a talented family. He was g graduate of
the literary and scientific courses of Howard
University. The killing of Prof. Renfro, as
heretofore published, took place at the Ala
hama State Normal School, about three
miles from Huntsville The professor had
charge of palmer hail." where
the bows dormitories are located, and on
Tuesday of last week he found it necessary
70 punish one Of the students, Ebenezer
Kahn, 16-year-old boy from Cad den.
the bow was stubborn, and when he ran out
the door from the professor he closed the
door behind, and the professor followed him
10 the door. Just as he opened tie door
Kahn threw the chisel at him, and the
small piece of iron struck the door. The
nov had the chisel in his pocket and had
been carrying it some days, because it was
the product of his first labor in the black
smith shop, where he was learning his trade
After striking the door the chisel glanced
and struck the professor on the forehead,
INJECTING, as was supposed, slight flesh
wound. The ohisel could not be found, but
no one suspected that it had entered the
nrofessor's head. 1t had, however, pene-
trsted the brain, and the skin had closed
over it, making the wound appear slight.
The wound bled freely and received an
ordinary dressing. After the injured pro-
bs1
noticed that he WIGS very restless and gave
him dose of morphine. Wednesday morn
ing be was almost in a stupor and did not
get I'D at the usual time. 1t was
then thought that he had taken an extra
morphine pellet, as the box of pellets
had been left in the room, and for that
reason Prof. Cou- Gill, the principal Of the
school, insisted on his getting up. When he
arose he walked into the next room, hut
still there was dullness about him which
he could not explain. These symptoms in
in the evening Prof. Longwood examined
the wound and found a hard substance
under the skin, which he thought was prob
ably fracture of the bone.
This discovery alarmed his brother pro-
fessors and Dr. Lowry and Col Fletcher,
the latter chairman of the board Of trustees,
were sent for. The doctor answered the
summons promptly, and to his emaEement
he found the hard distance Co be the end
of the chisel which Kahn had thrown. 1t
had Embedded itself in the brain, and when
taken from the head small particles of the
brain came with it. The professor stood
the operation without showing the slightest
signs Of pain. This was twenty-four hours
after the wound was inflicted.
The patient retail ed consciousness all the
while and conversed with the doctor and
others as nationally as though nothing had
happened to him. The @ Sc was watched
with peculiar interest by the Hunts vile
physician as well as by members of the
medical profession in other parts of the
state.
Saturday morning the professors mother
was at his bedside and he was brighter than
he had been for day or two. Even the
physicians thought he was better, but dur
ing the afternoon he became restless, and at
6oclock there had been such radical
change in his condition that the doctor gave
upall hopes Of his recovery and told his
friends to prepare for the worst. His con-
dition continued to grow worse until few
minutes after O'clock, when, after hnger-
ing four days and remaining conscious all
the time. he died. On the following day
Or. Lowry and several other physicians IN
Huntsville made an autopsy and discovered
that a portion of the left side of the brain
which was covered with pas, had decayed
and caused death.
The instrument which caused his death is
now in the possession Of Henry Lacey,
egarDage inspector in this city. The chisel
is about So iuches long.