The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1892-07-08

until quarter of eleven o'clock last night
his wife retired leaving the roar door OF
the kitchen unlocked. AT FIVE o'clock this
morning Ed" was found lying at the
foot of the stairway leading from the
kitchen to the cellar. He was unconscious
and breathing heavily. He ives picked up
and carried to the dining room above,
where he was laid upon lounge. He
recognized no one and continued to breath
unnaturally.
DR.. Stein was summoned. He made an
exami nation and found that there was a
depressed fracture of the skull above and
back of the ear, A piece of bone about the
size of silver half dollar seemed to be
pressing upon the brain. The right ear
was badly discolored. DR.. Stein pro-
nounced the case dangerous one and left
saying that he would return and nole de-
velopments, and should the victims con-
dition improve he would attempt to raise
the bone from the brain.
DR.. Stein paid another visit and Dr..
Hamilton was summoned for consultation.
They concluded that nothing could be
done and any attempt to operate would
result fatally.
At ten minutes past nine this morning
Gibbons passed away.
The family say they do not know at
what hour Gibbons arrived home and knew
nothing of him until he was found at the
bottom of the stairway.
The circumstances that led to his death
are based upon supposition and they seem
to be these; Upon reaching his house he
went to the rear yard and assembled steep
flight of steps to the rear door of the
kitchen. He entered this apartment, in the
dark, and walked across the room. There
are two doors Immediately beside each
other in this room, one on the left leading
to the dining room and the other on the
right opening on to the landing at the
head of the cellar stairway. 1t is believed
that Gibbons, owing to the darkness,
opened the cellar door, made a step, or
two, and plunged headlong down the
stairs. At the bottom there was a wash
boiler filled with tin household utensils of
various descriptions and battered tin
-four sitter seems to indicate that it was
smashed by the unfortunate mans head.
A clot Of blood about the size of silver
dollar was upon the floor, and this and the
battered tin was all there was to tell the
dreadful tale. His hat and folded coat we're
beside him on the floor of the cellar way.
The members of the family seem to think
that the theory as above recited is the cor
rect one.
Edward Gibbons was about % years of
age and left wife and two small children. |
He was born in St. Clair and had been |
resident of this town for about Is years.
He was certainly one of the best known |
characters in the county and had a wide |
acquaintance in theatrical circles. But
few theatrical people who have travelled |
through this section failed to make his
acquaintance. He was an eccentric char |
acter, and his drollery often made the
leisure moments of theatrical people and |
travelling salesmen at the various hotels
pass merrily. The coloneps eccentricity
sometimes led to warm scenes, but none
who knew him could feel offended and his
Heath has brought forth regrets on all
ides.
Gibbons had been identified with the
heatrical business for the past eighteen
years, since he was ten years of age He
vas first with Osborne, as one time we'll
Known theatrical man in this section, and
'ssisted the bill posters. About fifteen
'ears ago Gibbons was employed by P. j.
Ferguson and had been bill poster for that
for many years past, He was
'adly crippled by rheumatism and at