The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-08-18
MANY FEAR 1T WAS MURDER.
FRIENDS BELIEVE HEILEGENBERG
WAS VICTIM OF FOUL PLAY.

llGnI on the NAuNE VI AhN
nate Mans Death-PoIice Maintain
That He Died From an Accidental
FaII-Dr. Rollins Statement
Heard "A Man Run Past His House n
Moment Before the Dying Man
Was Found-Germans TO Hold a
Meeting.
A mystery surrounds the death Of August
H. Heiegenberg, who was found in
bruised and bleeding condition at Ogle-
thorpe avenue and Abercorn street Tues
day morning. The coroners jury seems not
TO have penetrated into the facts, or at
least the verdict threw little light on the
cause of the unfortunate mans death.
The belief is growing that the victim
met death at the hands of some one, and
this is pretty apt 20 obtain untll light is
thrown on The matter in some way. Nine
out Of every ten who discuss the affair be-
Ieve there was foul play. basing their con-
viction on the corroborated statements
that man was probably on the spot at the
time, that from all accounts he was in an
angry MOOD. that nothing whatever has
been heard Of him. ana finally, that there
seems 10 be no good explanation that the
victim was not fouly dealt with. good
many think there is a knotty case for the
authorities 10 ferret out as there seems
now enough suspicious evidence to warrant
thorough Investigation.
Dr. Edgar e. Rollins, who resides at No.
143 Abercorn street just in the rear of the
house where Heilegenberg was found, made
a statement last night which pretty well
60 nj he
corner about the time the victim fell, and
that he ran north down Abercorn street
"I have been confined to my room several
days" said DR.. Rollins, land on account
of illness, was unable to sleep very much.
Shortly before I was attracted by the
crowd on the corner, after Heilegenberg
was discovered, 1 heard a negro cursing
dog. From the sound 1 judge 1t was at or
very near the corner, and the dog yelped
two or three times, as though he had been
struck. In a few moments l heard the man
run rapidly by my house going in the d.
rection of Bay street. My attention was
next attracted by the persons who assem-
bled at the corner after the victim was dis
covered. While did not suspect anything
was going on, stin was awake and am
confident the man passed on run"
Coupled with the statements of Mr. F.
r. Ludwig and Fireman w. w. Hughes
before the coroner's jury, the fact there
was a man near at the time Is so well
established that the friends of Mr. He'll
egenberg are calling for an investigation.
Mr.. Ludwig made a clear, coherent state
ment about the man with the dog. He oc-
cupies a room just above where the victim
fell, and was aroused by man calling
dog He said the man was just around
the corner on Abercorn street, and that
when the dog came in reach. the man
was apparently flashing him THIS, he
said happened three times, after which
he thought it time for the disturbance
to stop and went to the window facing
Abercorn street to reprove the fellow.
on reaching the window he looked
through the Stats but the man and dog
could not be seen. He returned to his
bed in about two minutes, and then heard
a numbering noise and a heavy fan on the
pavement in front Soon afterward Mr..
Heilegenberg was discovered.
Fireman Hughes gave a similar state
ment 10 that of DR.. Rollins He said he
heard a dog yelp two or three times, after
which there were quick retreating steps
on Abercorn street in the direction of Bay.
The statements of these gentlemen are
corroboratiye, and point strongly 70 the
fact there was man at the corner about
the time Mr.. Heilegenberg fell, and that
he left in a run.
Chief ATcDermott holds to the theory the
death was caused by an accidental fall on
the pavement Mr.. Heilegenberg striking
his head on the edge of the curb The
exception taken to this is that the number
of bruises and the cut on the head could
rot have been produced by n stumbling
fan, especially on a surface where there
were To sharp objects protruding. The
cut as stated IN the Morning News yes
80 h. rio Ia &c
right and about two inches long was made
by a blunt object, and the force Of the
stroke was sufficient to slightly fracture
the skull The bridge OF the nose was
fractured, the nose skinned, the right
cheek bruised, and there were a few other
slight scratches about the face. The VIC
tim was lying face down, the head rest
ing directly on the nose. What most dis
parages the accident theory is that so
many bruises and the cut should be sus-
tanned by a fan.
Chief McDermott says there may have
been negro near at the time Mr.. Heile-
genberg fell. He does not question that
a man may have been passing at the
time, and seeing the man fall, got out Of
the way in short order. But all tesu-
mony on this line is 10 the effect that the
unknown tarTied a short time enticing the
dog. The chief has the bottle of medicine
the victim bought at Knights drug store
and also has a rock the size of a drinking
glass, picked up i'm the gutter about four
feet beyond where the body lay. There
was no blood on il. however, and nothing
to indicate it had been in the hand of IN
assassin.
The German citizens believe that Mr.
Heilegenberg was assaulted. They make
no objection to the finding of the coroners
jury, but look upon il as altogether I'M
satisfactory, in view of further develop
menis. They think the matter should be
fully investigated by the authorities IN
order 10 learn something of the man. if
possible, who seems TO have been on the
corner and chased away so briskly The
authorities may not be able to locate this
man, but until he is found and some ex-
PLANTATION is made of his conduct. there
are many who will feel convinced there
was foul play. Coroner Goette thinks the
negro must have been night Waterman,
as one Of the firemen said he saw a negro
with lantern and dog pass the station