The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-03-09
INQUEST ON SILAS bellies
Cause Of His Death Has Not Yet Been
Determined.
STOMACH HAS BEEN REMOVED
Contents Will DC Analysed by Che mi st
koempel-The Testimony Heard Mrs.
Bellies Tells What Happened When
Her Husband Became III.


Bellies Tells What Happened When
Her Husband Became III.
Upon the body OF Silas Bellies, of Oak
Hill. the cause of whose sudden death
remains still mystery an autopsy
was performed yesterday morning by
Coroner John A. Kelly. assisted by DR..
X, w. Stevens, of Moosic. and Chemist
CHARLES Koempel. of the firm Of Lorenz
4 koempel, of Washington avenue,
this city.
John II. Jordan, Martin Bird, Thomas
stanton, ID. s. Ryan. Daniel j. Mori-
arlty. and John II. Brown were sworn
as jury of inquest and the body was
removed from the undertakers box
and subjected to u dlssecting operation.
The front part of the thorax and the
upper portion of the abdominal cavity
We're exposed to view. The coroner
first removed the stomach and COM
mitted II to the care of Chemist Koem-
pei, who enclosed 1t in glass jar and
then departed for his labratory to
make an analysis of the contents Of the
onous substance should be found,
which would solve the mystery Of the
mans death
An examination of the lungs failed
To account for the cause Of death: both
bronchial organs bore traces of pleur-
isy troubles, but nothing to Indicate
that death was the result Of their col
lapse The heart was in prime con-
dltion. inside it We're large clots of
blood, and these, Coroner Kelly SAYS,
must be the cause of death II no poison
can be found in the stomach. The kid
neys were cut open and found free
from any organic ailment After the
coroner finished his post mortem ex-
animation the body was sewed up and
then the testimony of several witnesses
was heard. County Detective Thomas
Leyshon was present on the part Of the
commonwealth and was Of valuable
assistance TO the coroner i'm eliciting
Information from those who presumed
to know anything about the true state
OF affairs.
Those Insurance Policies.
William Hadbey. superintendent in
heard. The deceased came to his Of
surance company was the first one
fice last Monday and wanted to know
If he could not get the books and poll
cies held by his wife. She had left him
and he did not propose to allow life in
surance on him to be Of any benefit to
her as she was gone from his home
Mr.. Hadbey told Bellies he would in
struct the agent who made the collec-
tions to procure the policies as soon as
Mrs. Bellies appeared to make the pay
ment on the premiums. One policy
was taken out in 1880 for $50; one in
1890 for $3.50: and the last was taken
out in 1893 for S2l0 making a total of
$500.
Mrs. Bellies, wife of the deceased was
sworn. She was trembling and wailing
all through her testimony and told a
rambling story. DR.. Pier, of Avoca.
was their family physician and treated
her husband for lung trouble. He pre-
scribed liquid which contained good
portion Of creosote, a deadly poison.
Her husband took four drops of this
medicine at time. She did not know
whether he took any of 1t the day be-
fore he died. He always prepared Il
himself and she never remembered hav-
ing given him dose of it, The reason
she left home was because he choked
her and inflicted other indignities Her
son followed his fathers example often
and assisted in making her life miser-
able. She denied that the life insur-
ance was taken out against her hus-
bands will; he knew all about It, she
said.
She left home a week last Wednesday
and went to her mothers home in
Moosic. Because of a motherly feeling
for her boy she returned home after an
absence of one week all but a DAY
supper was prepared at the usual hour
Wednesday evening. The bill of fare
was pork and beans, bread and butter,
and a cup of tea. Her husband eat
heartily and went to Moosic to try and
persuade their son to return home.
Used to Take Morphine.
He came back without Eddie and
reached home about . O'clock He used
morphine powders and usually took one
before going to bed each night and he
took one that night. No sooner had he
swallowed 1t than he complained of III
ness. He prayed for long time and was
not able to arise from his knees. She
thought he had an epileptic fit and sent
for some of the neighbors. She was
positive she did not give him any medi-
cine that night at all. Until he died the
next morning she remained at his side.
Moses and Simon Z. Bellies. brothers
of the deceased. gave testimony. In
the main 1t was not important, except
that part of the story of the latter
which referred to threats that were
made by the wife of the deceased. The
dead man often told his brother he was
afraid that he would be poisoned and
expressed q strong desire to have his
stomach analyzed when he died.
Mrs. $. i. Bellies did not hear any of
these remarks made by the deceased to
her husband. Mrs. Hugh Sheridan,
the mother of Mrs. Bellies, came when
word was sent to her that her daugh-
ter's husband was dying. She remained
at his bedside until the final dissolu-
ton. Patrick ]. Foley. of Greenwood