Capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1893-1895, 1893-12-01
DIED FROM FREE EGG NOGG.
Richard MCGee Found Dead in a
Saloon.
HIS FATAL THANKSGIVING CAROUSE.
Leaves q Destitute Wife and Six
Small Children.
DEAD FROM DRINK.

DEAD FhOm OhlNh,
Richard M Gee, q laborlng man, was
found dead at the rear of Bill Ander-
sons saloon this morning. His body
is lying at Clough's undertaking rooms.
He leaves q wife and six children In
destitute circumstances. His death
was undoubtedly caused by excessive
drinking of egg-nog at the aforesaid
saloon, where it was served free to all
who came.
THE BODY FOUND.
Ats O'Clock Policeman Wells Lat
ourette notified Mr.. Clough that the
dead man was lying in the shed addi
ton at rear of the Anderson saloon.
Mr.. Clough found him there, and an
other man. MCGEE was dead, though
still warm. The other man was taken
to Jail in badly Intoxicated condition.
AT THE MoRGUE.
The wife of Mr.. McGee, who lives at
3S Church street, was notified, and
with her baby went to the msrgue,
where her husband was laid out. Ii
was pitiful sight to see the woman
bending over the remains of the man
who left her yesterday well and strong
aud now horrible sight, with tangled
hair, bloOdshot eyes, swollen lips, black
and blue face, and hands swollen, the
whole figure a picture of debauehery
and brutality.
HIS HISTORY.
Richard MCGEE came to Salem last
spring and went to work for Taggart
St Earle, logging, but was unable to
get his pay for his summers work. He
was always industrious but of late
could find no work to do. He did put
in one day at the Capital LAUNDERING
Co. mill. There are six children, the
Oldest ten years, and the youngest two
months, The family is destitute and
empty handed. They lived at Cham
poeg ten years and moved to Salem
four weeks ago last Sunday.
He boarded with ]. w. Ingram and
lived since his family came here in the
same house with Ingram.
He got on spree once in awhile;
was on spree two weeks since. Yes
terday he left home at o'clock after
getting his dinner at home with his
wife and children. Mrs. McGee is
an intelligent looking woman. OF
course, she is nearly heartbroken and
iD great distress. She has two brothers,
John and Alvin Countryman, single
men, but no one TO whom she can turn
for help.
Mr.. MCGEE was forty-eight years old
and has no relatives. He was six feet
high, a giant In strength and we'll liked
by his fellow-workers. He was low
ing father and except for his occasional
drinking habits was a good citizen. He
had work promised him on the Lake
Labish ditch improvements, and was to
have gone to work this week. His
Thanksgiving day spree was too much,
for him.
THE FATAL CAROUSE.
at Bill Anderson's saloon attracted a
great deal of attention yesterday among
drinking men and saloon habitues. 1t
is the regular Gust ON at this saloon
since years to set up free egg-nogg on
Thanksgiving day. At noon there
were nearly hundred men at the bar
where the liquor was ladled out in
small mugs. Several of the men had too
much by 2 o'clock when a JOURNAL
reporter went into the place. Two men
were rolling on the floor and scuffiing.
This was not considered any thing un-
usual, though it was feared trouble
would result, MCGEE was drunk early
In the afternoon and eviden tly made a
hog of himself with the free liquor.
The saloon people tried various ways to
restrain him aud sober him of. Pepper
was blown up his nose to set him sneez-
ing and get him off hop-e. AS last
resort he was put out the back door
and ! id out In the shed which was his
death bed. His facial expression in.
dIcates that he died in great agony and
was probably killed by the direct effect
of the liquo".
TUE INQUEST.
Coroner StOtt was notified aud in.
structed Recorder Edes to proceed with
an inquest. Messrs. f. b. SoHthwick,
II. G. Keene, r. A. Crossan, David
Holmes and J. NJ. Forsythe Were inn
pannelled and a doze or NOR wit
nesses heard. Coroner Stott came up
on the ll;l7 train d d took hold of