Delaware gazette and state journal., 1896-01-02
AID CAME TOO LATE.
A Colored Boys Death Due to Lack OF
Proper Attention at the Right Time.


Proper Attention at the Right Time.
Proper medical attention at the right
time might have saved the life of little
j. Wesley Williams, 7-years. old color
ed boy who was admitted to the Della
ware Hospital Thursday, but he had
suffered with mangled limbs for nearly
a week and Thursday night was too late.
Gangrene had already attacked the
wounds and the child survived the
operation but few hours.
His story for the last week opens
with the receipt Of the injuries which
he sustained on the railroad near his
home at Eden, Md, below the Della
ware line, on the N. y, P. & N. rail
road. He was probably playing about
the cars at the time, when at last one
car ran over him, crushing the right
leg, his left foot and part of his left
hand.
The train hands took him home, and
DR.. ]. I. Long Of Allen was summoned.
DR.. Long dressed the wounds, said that
the leg should be amputated, and went
away. While he was there the next
day, which was Saturday, he said that
the boy would die il the leg was not
amputated. But he said that he would
be unable to amputate the leg without
an assistant, and an assistant would
cost money. DR.. Long departed, and
the boy continued to suffer.
Days passed and the boy was still
without the medical attention that his
injuries demanded His parents seem
not to have sought any further medica,
aid after Dr. Long went away, and
meanwhile the disease which follows
neglected wounds was able to fasten
itself upon the boy.
The case was talked about in that
vicinity, and Mrs. John S. Bozeman,
who lives near, spoke concerning il in
letter to her husband, who was in
Philadelphia at the time. Mr.. Boze-
man returned home Christmas Day and
found that the child was no better
He became thoroughly interested in
the case and took the trouble to drive
over to Princess Anne after DIR. Vain
wright Upon seeing the little sufferer,
Dr. Wainwright said that il was very
serious case and the hoy would prob
ably die. The only thing that could
save him was amputation, and the
physician recommended that he be
taken to Baltimore or Wilmington for
the operation.
Mr.. Bozeman brought the lad to this
city. He did everything possible for
the child's comfort and was his con-
stant companion on the long, long jour-
ney of more than hundred miles In
this race with death the child was un-
able to overcome the terrible advance
made by the destroyer in the days and
days of suffering and neglect. Tender
hearted trainmen assisted Mr.. Boze-
man in his attentions to the little
patient. Before the train reached this
city Conductor Hawkins had telegraph
ed Detective Jones to make arrange
ments to have the boy admitted to a
hospital and to have the ambulance
ready. When the train came in the
boy was sucking stick of candy which
one of the men had given him. He
was taken to the Delaware Hospital,
where the physicians decided to am
putate the crushed parts. The physi-
clans present were Drs. Il. g. Short
lidge, John Palmer, Jr., Edmund ID.
Shortlidge and Samuel Z. Finley.
They took off the right leg above the
knee, the left foot and the forehnger
and part of the thumb of the left hand.
Gangrene had already set in. The
boy died about 10. 30 O'Clock Thursday
night.
Deputy Coroner Chandler swore in a
jury Saturday morning and after visw-
ing the body at the morgue, adj
journed to meet at the call of the fore
man.
The body was shipped to the boys
parents Saturday morning.