The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-03-22
KILLED BY HARD BLOWS.
ROBERT WILLINK DIES PROM HIS
FIGHT WITH MURPHY.

layers AIE66b d@AAA
ply Not to Be Found-The Coroner
Investigation of the Tragedy-Dr
Corson Explains the Causes o
Young WilIink's Death-It Resulted
From Blows and Not From Bis Fal
on the Stage-Willink Urged IntS
the Fight-The Judges Testimony
Story of the Fight by an Eye
Witness.
Robert K. Willink, who was knockeC
out in the glove fight Friday night By
"Byrnis" Murphy. died yesterday morning
shortly after o'clock from the effects Of
his injuries.
It developed in examination that It WA
the blows on his neck and not the fall or
the stage which caused Willink's death.
His neck was practically broken, and con
cussion Of the brain also ensued.
Everything known to medical science Wa
done for the young man, but DIR. CorsOn
and the other physicians said that they were
satisfied from the beginning that there was
no hope Of his recovery. Willink never re-
gained Consciousness or spoke from the time
be received his death blow. He gradually
sank, aud death seemed to be painless.
learned of the fatal termination of the affair
he had one of Mr.. Willink's brothers go
before Justice Patterson aud swear out
warrants against Murphy and "Prof y
Myers, charging both with murder.
The warrants were put in the hands of an
officer for execution, but it seems that little
effort was made In that direction, as
Murphy was not apprehended up to late
hour last night. Myers gave himself up
voluntarily to the solicitor general at las
o'clock.
Justice Patterson said last night that he
believed Murphy had left the city. Others
claimed that Murphy mad been in town
until late hour. The officers seemed TO be
laboriug under the impression that Murphy
would act in a similar manner to Myers.
and therefore did not worry themselves
over the matter.
THE coRoN ER's INVESTIGATION.
Coroner Dixon viewed WiIlinkis body
shortly after death aud decided to thor
oughly investigate the cause. He sum-
moned . jury to meet in the city court room
at 8 O'Clock. The jurors we're:
William Bluett, NJ. Cohen.
Geo. W. Drummond, VIM. e. Behnken,
J. z. Campos, Robt ID. LaRoche.
Sam K. Platshek, Charles Mcintyre,
John o. Smith, Max Hirsch.
At the hour appointed for the holding OF
the inquest the court room was crowded
with spectators, among whom were many
sporting men. Justice Naughtin presided,
in the absence of Coroner Dixon. Solicitor
General Fraser was present In the interest
of the state and Rockwell g. Morgan were
there as attorneys for "Profn Myers, who
occupied a seat with his counsel. Judge
Falligant was also present during most OF
the proceedings.
DIR. Drummer was the first witness exam
ined. He said he was present at the match
and saw Willink and Murphy when they
came out TO spar. They spared q few
struck WIlink on the left side Of the neck.
Willink fell, and for ten or fif-
teen seconds he did not rise. The doc
tor went up and found the young man in
an unconscious condition. At the time he
thought he was simply in a faint, and was
knocked out for q few minutes from the
blow, but in a few minutes he saw that
WillInk was suffering from conclusion OF
the brain. His condition was that of a mar
totally unconscious. he was pulseless al
the wrist
One OF the jurors asked: ado you think
q conclusion Of the brain caused his deathF
well, yes, y replied DIR. Drummer "such
was my opinion; but / will say that l DOM
think so substantially. / would like to state
that my impression was, and / believe the
statement was made before the match tool
place, that it was to be a four-round con,
test, minutes each round, with ! minute
intervening for resr.n DIR. Drummer held I'D
stop watch record for the Ave rounds as they
were fought. Three minutes for the first,
minutes and 40 seconds for the second
4 minutes for the third, minutes and
30 seconds for the fourth and 8 minutes and
IS seconds for the fifth.
'Could the conclusion Of the brain have
occurred from the blow as well as the fall OIL
the fioorP'
"Yes, it could. There was no way to tel
that definitely except by autopsy"
ibid Wlllink strike on his head when h
fell on the floor~
II did not notice that, but several reputa
bic witnesses stated that he hid, very
heavily"
DIR. coRsoN's TESTIMONY.
DR.. Corson was the next witness. 81,
testified as follows:
II was called to the theater, thinl
about II 30 O'Clock, and saw Mr.. Willink OF
the stage on a mattress, evidently suffering
from a severe head trouble OF SOM
kind. / think his pulse was abou
60, bis aspirations were labored, ant
he was totally unconscious. The pupil
OF the eye showed total lack of reaction
and he was evidently then in most seriou
condition. He was taken home In an am
bulance, and I attended him there until hi
death. There was no reaction, and re
garded him as practically dead from tn
time saw him.
II was not there at the time this acciden
occurred, but from what heard from thos
who were there, thought that his dealt
was caused directly by the blow he received
IN the neck on the side of the head, becaus,
the blow he received In falling was no
quite sufficient TO produce the death that fol
lowed.n
A juror asked: 'Doctor, don't you thinl
conclusion OF the head against some hare
substance would have caused deathP'
mo, sir, don't think so. / think hi
death was caused by the blow or blows
There was q partial displacement of tn,
two first vertebrR in the head from tn,
basis OF the skull. There NAV have been ,
o fracture of the igaments that hold |
process that passes up into the brain know
al the medulla oblongata- OF course i
is impossible to say exactly what i
was without post-mortem. There wa
probably more or less of q hemorrage. AMI
probably more or less Of q Conclusion of th
brain, but think it Is that process of tb
brain entirely that caused death, Their,
was not the slightest reaction of any kin,
nor evidence of any sensation"
"Could that blow have caused the dealt
without falling to the fioor2n
"Yes, sir, but don't think IL would hap
pen in thousand times that you strike
man in that position and produce that terri
BILE issue IL DrOhablv wonld NOT hanDa