The herald., 1898-05-22
SOM ONE 10 BLAME
VERDICT OF THE JURY AS TO THE
DEATH OF II. KILLER
Finds He Was Struck by the Falling
Window SASHA Lawsuit Likely
to Eventuate

Somebody will probably have to answer
in the courts for the deatfNof Horace Hill
Ter, who was fatally injured on Third street.
Friday morning. The coroner's jury held
an inquest yesterday and decided that the
neglect of those having charge of the i'm
provement of the Henne building was the
cause of Killers death. The text Of the
verdict Is as follows:
I'VE. the jury, lind that Horace Hitler
came to his death by fracture Of the skull
by being struck by falling window frame
at the Henne block on Third street, and
we, the jury. find that said accident was
due to neglect on the part of those having
charge of the work."
The inquest was held at the undertaking
rooms of Orr & Hines. Coroner Campbell
examined all the witnesses extensively in
his endeavor to place the blame for the
accident. An autopsy was held on the body
and an examination made of the skull. On
the top of the head was an abrasion, while
there was also a cut on the left side near
the temple. The back of the skull had been
fractured. Just how the skull was frac-
tured is still not known positively, but the
inquest proved that the window casing had
struck Hitler on the head.
e. ]. Haley and Hiram Drehr were the
workmen engaged in putting the heavy
casing in place on the Third-street side Of
the Henne building, when Hitler was pass
ing. Drehr was on top and Haley stood
at one corner of the casing. The former
saw that the casing did not fit and Gale
to Haley that 1t would have to be taken
out He struck 1t several blows, but In
the interval between the first and second
blows Haley had loosened the casing be-
low, 80 that the second time Drehr struck
1t the casing started to fall. There was a
horse standing in front of the building,
and Haley tried to prevent the heavy cas-
ing, which was 16 feet in height and made
Of heavy oak from falling onto the AMI
NAL. He guided it from the horse, and in
so doing probably endangered Hitler. The
latter was passing, and when the casing
began to fall he was warned to look out
He started to run, but the casing struck
him on the head, probably causing the
abrasion on the top of the skull. 1t was
thought by some that the inside Of the
casing swung around and struck the left
side Of Killers head, causing the sharp
wound at that place, but this is not known.
The general result of violent blow against
the IOreneaQ IS 10 fracture the Shuii
the back, and this Is believed to have &C.
casioned the fracture of Killers skull. Sew
eral witnesses who saw the casing strike
Hitler were examined. as were also some
Of the workmen about the building. The
latter claimed that the heavy oak wood
work had not struck Hitler, but the jury
apparently laid more stress upon the
statements Of the other side and returned
the verdict as given.
Hitler was "a years of age and was Fl
native Of New York state He had resided
in this county for the last % years.
The matter of who was to blame for the
york will probably be determined If a suit
for damages is instituted. Mr.. Henne is
the owner of the building on which the
improvements were being made, and :.
Prosmer was the foreman of the work. 1t
was proved that neither of these gentlemen
had ever been given a permit by the city
to make the improvements on the building.