Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1891-12-08
ANOTHER DEAD MAN
FOUND IN A CELL AT THE CITY LOCK
UP.
Christ. Smith, plain Drunk" Dies IN Vell No. o.
Without the Fact Being Known Until a
Reporter Found Him.

No. 4, on the list of dead men, has
been scored at the city lookup.
This time the victim is Christ. Smith,
an upholsterer by trade, who was ar
rested by Officer Herbert, on Saturday
night, for drunkenness.
His dead body was found lying on the
bunk in the cell about o'clock, and
life had probably departed half or
three.ouarters of an hour before, al
though this is pure conjecture as the
man seems not to have been seen or
heard of after six o'clock yesterday
morning.
About eight o'clock in the morning
Hermann Kreutzer, reporter for the
Strnts-ZeitltnG, went into the cell room,
and carelesSly walked around the cages
looking at the inmates. when ne came
IN cell No. ). at the southeast corner OF
the cage. he saw man stretched out on
the bunk, and looking very queerly
about the face. A second glance COZ
WINGED the newspaper man that some
thing was wrong, and he called TO
Assistant Lookup Keeper Mehen to
come in. This was responded to and
the cell was opened, when 1t was as
covered that Smith was dead. WORD
was at once sent 70 Coroner PhllllpS,
who responded.
The Coroner did not impanne! a jury
but took the evidence Of Mr.. Mehen,
made INQUIRIES as to the general situa-
tlon. and returned verdict that the
deceased came to his death from neart-
disease aud exposure.
The facts adduced show that Smith
was in bad shape from drink when pEt
in the lookup, and during sun
day he required a good deal OF attentioh
because of a bad attack OF dlarrhGa.
His condition seemed to be bad about
Sunday evening, and Assistant Lookup
Keeper Mehen made remark 10 that
effect 10 Smith, who responded that ne
thought his "time had about come, or
something TO that effect. There was no
effort to summon physician, however,
and Smith put in the night the best he
could. He was heard from about
half-past twelve o'clock in the morning,
when he was talking 10 prisoner ia an
adjoining cell. About two o'clock
man named Kemp, vino was sleeping In
the place, gave Smith drink, and at
six O'Clock Lookup Keeper McDermott
saw him with his face hid by his arm.
Nothing more seems to have been heard
or seen of Smith, until he was found
dead in his cell by the reporter. Nc
dead until last evening.
This is another illustration of the dis
advantage of having no responsible
head TO the city lock-up-Something
which has been repeatedly brought 10
the attention of the Police Committee.
In the first place, the lookup is not a
decent place TO keep hogs In. The room
is underground, has absolutely no sys-
TEN OF ventilation, is heated by steam,
and the air is generally so foul, even in
daylight, as TO produce nausea in per-
sons coming in out Of the open air,
while late at night, or in the morning,
after it has been closed up for number
OF hours, the stencil is something terri
BILE. Only few days ago an officer
having occasion to go into the place,
was attacked with vomiting. Then,
there is TOO little attention given the
uuiOrtunateS who are confined in the
cells. A year or so ago man
locked up on the charge of drunken
ness was found dead, he having hung
himself to the bar OF his cell. Last
summer another unfortunate was found
at the point OF death, when the prison
ers were being brought out, just before
o a. M, for Court, and this was followed
by the familiar case of Neale, who was
found unconscious on the floor of his
cell. Now we have fourth case OF
death, discovered by accident by re-
porter.
it is proper to again state, in this
connection, that the police have no
control over the lookup.