Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1898-11-18
MAY CAUSE HIS DEATH.
Serious Results Following DIR. sensfbaugh's
Initiation

Serious Results Following DIR. Sensfbaugh's
Initiation.
The Moline Dispatch is authority
for the statement that paralysis
threatens to end the life of DR. VIII
liam c. Sensibaugh, a Port Byron
dentist, as a result of the pranks that
were PLAYED on him while he was be-
ing initiated as a member of the Port
Byron lodge of a fraternal order last
April. Ever since the initiation the
Young mans right arm has hung limp
as result of his injury, and during
the past week grave complications
have set in and the sufferers life is
hanging in the balance"
DR.. Sensibaugh is n young man %
or "a years of age and he located in
Port Byron last March to engage in
the practice of dentistry. As he be-
came acquainted and made friends he
was prevailed upon and consented to
become a member of the secret organ
ization. The usual formalities were
gone through with, the applicant was
voted in, and as little diversion for
the initiatOry ceremony it was ar
ranged to have a little innocent fun
with the candidate, Amid the great
est merriment the scheme was carried
out the evening of the limitations DIR.
Sensibaugh was blindfolded and led
about the room and all sorts of franks
were played on him, as much to his
enjoyment as to those who were the
funmakers. Among other things, the
story goes, the candidate was led at
intervals to a live wire from an cleo
trio battery and was given a slight
shock, u sensation much the same rs
though one were pricked with many
needles, the victim says.
Seeing that their subject was evad-
ing a part of his medicine, one of the
team gave the doctor little shove in
the hope of having him come in con-
tact with the wire. Unhappily it
proved of sufficient force to throw the
ca ndidate of his balance, and he fell
hands down on the battery.
The shock from so heavy a current
rendered the man unconscious, and
for two hours or more remained in
that condition while lodge members
worked over him.
DIR. Sensibaugh was confined to his
bed for some little time after the mi
tiation. and at no time since then has
he been able to practice his profession.
He was taken i'll a week ago with an
affection of the pneumogastric nerve
which became so serious Saturday
night that the mans heart and lungs
were affected.
Dr. Arp, of Moline, who is attend
ing DR.. Sensibaugh, informs the Dis
patch that should the pneumogastric
nerve become paralyzed the heart and
lungs will refuse to work and death
will cnsue.
The Port Byron Globe also contains
the following:
..Dr. w. G. Sensibaugh, the we'll
known dentist, is very i'll. His arm,
which has been devoid of strength for
some time. an afiliction which he sus-
tanned while taking the initiatOry
ceremony in the Fraternal Tribunes,
is the cause of the trouble at present.
II affects the heart and brain to such
an extent that the doctor passes occa-
sionallv into 4 comatose condition,
his heart and lungs ceasing action,
and it is necessary to resort to artiti-
cial respiration when these spells
come upon him. He is now gaining
slowly and will likely be again able to
get around. He has the sympathy Of
the entire community in his afliiction,
and with the aid of his father, who
arrived Monday morning, it is GER
tainfy to be hoped that he will be
speedily nursed back To better health.
The doctor was moved Tuesday from
his Office rooms to the residence of j.
III. Howard.