The herald., 1896-11-27
HIS SKULL WAS FRACTURED
A Drunken Prisoner Found Dead in His
Cell
Either Fell in a Drunken Stupor and
Cut His Head or Had Been
Previously Assaulted

In one of the small steel cells on the
ground floor of the city Jail, bare, dark
and dismal, Thomas McGarvin was
found dead at o'clock last evening, hav-
ing expired in what was supposed to be
a drunken stupor. Just before o'clock
yesterday afternoon McGarvin was
brought in to headquarters in the patrol
wagon from Main street, a few doors
below the postoffice. where it was re-
ported that he had fallen in either fit
or drunken stupor and cut his head.
Later developments would seem to
throw a veil of mystery about his death,
which resulted from a fractured skull
and hemorrhages of the brain, produced
possibly by his fall to the sidewalk, or
possibly by blow with some blunt
instrument across the temple during
row or attempt at robbery. The coro-
ners inquest this morning will proba-
bly, elucidate this question and show
whether a murder has been committed
or a sot has met his death during
spree.
The first known of the matter was
when the telephone call was received at
the police station for the patrol wagA,
to get man who had fallen in a fit and
cut his head. Driver Cox and officer
Long responded and found McGarvin
PROSTATE on the sidewalk, surrounded
by large crowd. The victim was uA.
conscious and bleeding profusely from
scalp wound above and back of the right
ear. Notwithstanding that the officers
believed him merely drunk and that the
eye witness said the man had reeled and
fallen while top-heavy from liquor. Me-
Garvin was taken into the receiving hos
pital for treatment
The hospital steward dressed the
wound, putting a stitch in the larcerated
scalp, and then the man was put into
cell to sleep off the effects of his liba-
tions. His breath smelled strongly of
liquor and no external evidences of in
jury to his skull were visible.
Along about o'clock the cell was open
ed and McGarvin called to come out and
move to another where he could have
bunk for the night. There was no re-
sponse and on investigation it was
found that the man was dead-had been
so for some time, as the body was al
ready cold. The coroneV was notified
and Immediately came to the scene, ,hav-
ing the body removed to the morgue at
Kregelo &s Bresee's, where short time
after DR.. Campbell performed an au-
topsy on the corpse.
The upper portion of the skull was re-
moved and huge clot of blood at once
became evident, pressing on the right
side of the brain. One of the large blood
vessels had been ruptured and the
hmemorrhage was excessive. Still there
seemed no cause, except perhaps rup-
ture of the brain from alcoholism, as the
wound on the back of the head was a
superficial scalp cut. The brain was re-
moved and found to be in healthy con-
dtion generally Close examination,
however, disclosed the fact that the skull
was cracked perpendicularly from the
temporal bone around to the base of
the brain. This seemed peculiar. as the
external scalp wound was on the top
and back of the ear, while the fracture
was in front and lower down on the
skull.
From this it seems impossible that
both wounds could have been caused
by the fail and that possibly McGarvin
was struck by sandbag or loaded club
in a row. staggered laong the street to
the spot where he dropped and inflicted
the cut on the scalp in the fall, and that
the case may prove to be murder in
stead of a plain case of accident. How
ever, at present there is nothing upon
which to base a murder theory except
the fact of the two separate wounds, as
all the spectators say McGarvin fell
while reeling along the street. The in
quest will be held this morning,