The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-07-11
PRIVATE ROPER WAS OUT ALL
NIGHT IN AN UNCON-
SCIOUS STATE.
He ESCAPED FROM THE HOSPITAL
Searching Parties Looked for Him all Night,
Finding Him at Six O'clock Yesterday
Morning--Re Died at $50
O'clock P. N.

| InOIHIlS dltcI Il NcIy pdihiui hiHcSS VI
nearly five weeks duration with minin-
gifts.
Private John b. Raper, of Co. II, Sec
ond North Carolina regiment, died at
$50 o'clock yesterday afternoon, after
an illness of five days duration with
acute diarrhoca. These were two
strong robust young men, each coming
| from the mountain section. Private
| Abel was Il native of Haywood county
| and Private Raper a native of Hender-
| Sonville
The death of Mr.. Abel was not unex-
| pccted. His condition has been critical
| for several days, indeed. for two weeks
or more, and the hospital surgeons have
| had but little hope of his recovery. He
| has two brothers members of the regi-
ment. His remains were sent to his
home for burial, his brothers accompany
| ing the remains.
The death of Private Raper was Il sur
prise to his comrades in camp. He had
| only been i'll the hospital five days and
while he had very severe case of
cute diarrhoea, it was not thought thar
| he was so dangerously sick. He had
| been walking about the hospital at in
tervals up to Saturday evening, and he
| had been. so says DIR. Stockard, perfectly
| rational up to supper time Saturday
| evening.
| But there is IL sad incident connected
with the death of Private Raper that
| has cast a gloom over the camp. and
at first there were silent mutteringS
against the hospital corps, but it seems
after full investigation made by re-
porter of the News and Observer yester-
| day that there is really no blame TO at
| tach to those who were in attendance
| upon the unfortunate young man. 1t is
| true that in moment of delrium he
| wandered away from the hospital. 1t is
| true that the poor demented boy roamed
| aimlessly in the darkness of night
| through the rain with the briars scratch
| ing his hands and face, with his mind
] dazed by pain until it was almost Il
| blank, but it is also true that searching
| parties detailed from the hospital corps
/ and also from his company were search
| ing everywhere for him. but the search
was in vain until & o'clock Sunday
morning when the poor boy was found
| by the first sergeant of his company sit
| ting beside Il tree, his physical strength
| exhausted, his mind almost a complete
blank. but with it all he knew the ser
geant and he knew his commanding Off
Ger. Captain Wagner, with these
| two exceptions he recognized no one
and knew nothing else. He was taken
back to the hospital where surgeons. at
tendants and nursese did all possible for
him. but the time for his departure was
at hand: he died ut $50 o'clock yester-
day afternoon.
| There was some disposition on the part
of the visitors, especially, TO censure the
| hospital attendants for allowing the
young man to wander off, and at first il
| did seem that there had been careless
| ness. but IL reporter met DIR. Stockard
and DR.. Brevard, and each of them de-
clared that while the incident was II
most unfortunate and deplorable one,
| that no blame should rest upon the hos
pital attendants
| Mr.. Raper." said DR.. Brooks,
was suffering from accute diar-
rhoea. but up to the time he
left his mind was clear and he
had been allowed to pass back and forth
| f:om one part of the hospital to another.
| He insisted on going to the sink, and of
course because of his peculiar ament,
he went frequently. He asked the privi-
| ege of going at about s o'clock Satur-
day night. 1t was granted; thirty min
| utes later he had not returned, and at
| tendants went to look for him. They
| failed to find him and reported his alb
sence Immediately; Il searching party
| was sent out but somehow or other he
| evaded them and it was not until 8
| o'clock next morning that he was found.
| DIR. Stockard thinks that his mind gave
| way suddenly, and in the delirium he
| Il oil ha
| could to evade the searching party. DIR.
| Brevard agreed with DIR. Stockard. and
stated that it was one of those terribly
| unfortunate incidents that it seemed
| nothing could prevent.
| One of the largest crowds that have
ever visited the camp went out yester-
| day. The regiment held Il very imposing
dress parade but the two unfortunate
| boys who had heard the last roll call,
| lay still in death, and even the dress pa
radc seemed to have Il shadow of gloom
over it.
There are three or four rather serious
cases of fever in the hospital, but the
surgeons hope that they will not become
dangerously sick.
Captain Wagner, Immediately after
| the death Of young Mr.. Raper yesterday
afternoon, teIegrdphed the sad news to
| his grandfather, who is Il well-todo
and prominent citizen of Henderson
county. but no reply had been received
| at shutdown. Captain Wagner expects
| that the young mans people will de-
| sire the remains sent to Hendersonvlle.
Private William n. III. Smith, of Raj
eigh, Il member of Capt Smiths Green
vile company, of the Second regiment.
will be honorably discharged from the
service. because of the fact that he has
| the rare eye trouble known as ''moon-
| blindness" and cannot see at all at
night. He is a good soldier and his col
onel and his captain speak in high terms
of him and regret the necessity for his
leaving the regiment He wants to re-
main in service.