The morning call., 1893-07-09
A Brutal Blow Led Him
to Deaths Door.
cHLOROFORM DID THE REST.
Michael Hurley, Alias mccarthy, Re-
ceived a Broken Jaw and Died
During an Operation.


Stockton and Geary streets. waiting to be
tax N to his grave tomorrow, and the
authorities are in peaceful ignorance of
the facts of his strange ending.
The dead man is Michael Hurley, who
tlyears past assumed the name of Nc
Carthy with his brothers to avoid the
odium attached to his family.
He was Of quarrelsome disposition.
frequently engaging in fist fights in low
sporting resorts, and whenever provoca-
ton came he would squabole and fight in
saloons with whatever weapon he could
lay hold of. This ugly temper OF his led
him too far more than once, for 1t VIII De
| remembered he was shot and very seriously
| wounded few years ago in the Irish
American saloon, on Market street. be-
tween Third ana Fourth, and only quite
recently he engaged in a quarrel which
has cost him his life.
He was in fighting mood one night in
Nav.
Over a trif1ing matter the dispute grew
passionate Words finally led to blows.
and in the melee Hurley received power
full blow in the jaw which completely over
came him. When some of the fellows
standing round examined Hurley's face
they found his jaw bone broken. The pain
| accompanying the blow was so intense
| that Hurley forgot his temper and went IN
search of a physician.
| He went to the City and County Hospital
| for treatment and died there on the oper-
ating table while under the influence OF
chloroform July 6. The doctors were
about to perform an operation upon Hur.
| ley's jaw, but he succumbed to a too liberal
supply of the anesthetic.
death certificate was prepared in the
hospital and signed by DR.. Rucker, per
| DR.. Mays.
On presentation to the Board of Health
officials, this document, which gave the
cause of death as .'chlorof0rm during oper-
aton." was accepted without question,
and the dead body was forthwith removed
| to the undertaker's.
Final arrangements were made yester-
| day TO bury the remains at Holy Cross
| Cemetery. There did not appear to be
much uneaSiness in any way as to how
these should be made officially, at least
among the friends Of the deceased. for the
undertaken knew nothing about the -prim-
arv cause of death.
Hurley's brother in very few words
| settled matters with the funeral directors
and then lost sight of himself around
saloons in the "Barbary Coast" He
simply endeavored to imbibe all the
liquor he could get during the day.
Beyond all this there is another chapter
of the tragedy yet to be recorded.
So far there is considerable mystery
thrown around the young prize-6g hter's
death. but there is one certain fact-Hur-
ley died primarily from the bang on the
jaw.
Instead of throwing any light on the
affair his friends were Inclined yesterday
to be wholly ignorant of the first cause of
death. Even Hurley himself was silent
up to the hour he lay down upon the
operating table. He led people to under
stand that he fell off train in Oakland
and sustained fracture of the jaw. His
| friends frequently corroborated this state
ment until it became known that he was
beaten in saloon row.
Then they declared they knew nothing
about it. Accustomed to police courts and
prison experiences, many of them pre-
served what they believed to be a discreet
silence. In the hospital. however, Hurley
told the truth to Chief Surgical
Dresser O'Connor.
How did'you get this injury9" asked
OConnor. (Hurley of course was known
in the hospital as Mccarthy. his assumed
Dame)
"a fellow hit me in the jaw and smashed
it," was the reply.
where did it occur?"
"Oh--in Fresno" answered Hurley, hes.
itatingly.
More than that Hurley would not state.
He positively refused to say who his as
salant was, and so the matter was allowed
to drop. 1t is well known he had not been
in Fresno for many month past. if ever.
In that part Of his answer Hurley evil
IDENTITY did not tell the truth-probably to
shield some one.
! One of the dead mans friends stated to
a CALL representative that Hurley was
beaten by James MrNear, proprietor of
the Whale saloon on Kearny street. near
Jackson, last May. The row is said to
have taken place in McNear's saloon, and
Immediately afterward Hurley went to the
hospital to have his i jured jaw treated.
McNear is a brother-in-aw of the de-
ceased He denies this. however, saying
he was not married to Hurey's sister.
When asked about the quarrel with Hur-
ley. he was very positive IN his denial.
II never even assaulted the man as
This accusation, Pm sure, comes from
| some enemy Of mine. and I'd like to meet
the man who said assaulted Mccarthy"
Hurley was received at the City and
County Hospital on May 81. His fractured
jaw was reduced, and it appeared to be
getting well. when the doctors found that
the bone had decayed around the break.
1t was then decided to hold an operation
and cut out the decayed parts. Hurley
was placed under the influence of chlnro-
| form early last Friday. and he died just
as the surgeon was beginning to operate.
| ne DOCTORS say ne was so lar reduced In
strength and vitality by constant in
dulgence in morphine and liquor that his
system was not able to stand the shock.
He was man of large frame-a fact which
| deceived the doctors.
1T is we'll KNOWN" said DR.. Titus, su.
perintendrnt OF the hospital. that deaths
are looked for in the use Of chloroform,
| just in the proportion expected from ex-
plosions, or such like. 1t is not always
| that doctors have control over it. We
cannot tell how it occurs"
The Hurleys have been notorious In this
community for years. Many members Of
the family drifted along the broad way to
| ruin and disgrace. There were three
DrOthers-John, George and Michael-and
so bad did the Hurley name become that
they changed it to Mccarthy.
John has seen the inside of the peniten-
tary walls more than once. George was
a deputy poundkeeper under Jake Lindo
and figured in many queer places, but he
was the best of the lot. Michael, who is
dead, was many time in prison for va
rious offenses. About three years ago he
was shot down by the barkeeper in a
! Market-street saloon. After that he set