The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-08-17
FOUND DYING IN THE STREET.
AUGUST HEIIEGENBERG's DEATH A
MYSTERY HARD TO SOLVE.

walk Opposite the Central Fire
station with an Ugly Wound in
His Head. His Skull Fractured and
Died without observation-disclosures BE-
lieve He Was Killed by Fall.
Coroner's Jury Rendered a YER
diet of Death Through Injuries
From "nn Unknown Cause.-The
Body Sent North cor Burial-Thc
Tcutonia singing Society's Tribute
of Respect.
Lying under a palmetto at Ogie-
thorpe avenue and Abercorn street
yesterday morning aobtu $50 O'Clock, Au-
gust H. Heiegenberg, an employe of the
passenger department of the Plant Sys-
TEN, was found in dying condition.
There was an ugly cash just above the
right temple, evidently made by some
blunt object while a number of bruises
about the face indicated he had either suf-
fered a heavy fall, or had been severely
dealt with by some one.
The wounds he sustained resulted in
death. Mr. Heilegenberg expiring in
few moments after being discovered. He
breathed heavily and with difficulty
short time after he was found, and by the
time his condition was fully realized by
those around, the unfortunate man was
dead
with all that has thus far been develop
ed the manner in which he met death is a
mystery. number of theories are adj
vanced, but they seem either to lack links
to connect them into a chain of evidence,
or give way in the light of conflicting
facts. The theory of Chief McDermott
and the detectives is that Mr.. Heilegen-
berg stumbled over brick near where
he was found, in front of the residence
of DR.. r. s. Kenan, and was thrown VIC
lently to the ground, the entire force Of
the fall being near the right temple, where
the cash was cut. The evidence before
the coroner's jury at the in
quest last night pointed to
the correctness of this theory. What evil
dence there was to implicate any one in
his death was too meager and conflicting
to be credited.
The theory, which is only supported so
far by circumstances, is that he was at
tackled by man supposed to have been
There seems to be no doubt
about some one having been
near, and, according to one of
the witnesses, there is also little doubt
that It was a negro. None of the test-
mony goes to show that he attempted any
violence, however, and while his presence
two minutes before Mr.. Heilegenberg fell
was testified to by credible witness, 1t
was corroborated by no other testimony.
When discovered the unfortunate man
was lying face down. his body resting on
the paved portion of the street, and his
head just outside the inner curb. The
cash was probably due to his head strik-
ing against the curb and the other bruises,
possibly 10 his efforts to get up. 1t was
thought he collapsed from heart trouble,
but an autopsy by DR.. Kenan
showed that while the heart weighed two
ounces more than it should according 10
anatomical rules. he attributed this to Mr..
Heilegenberg's corpulency.
Probably the most important witness eX-
amined at the inquest was Mr.. e. d. Lud-
wig, agent of the Fraternal Mystic Circle
of Philadelphia. He occupies room with
DR.. Kenan. Immediately above where the
man fell.
SHORTY after 8 O'clock" he said, II
was awakened by a negro and a dog. The
negro would call the dog to him and then
strike him, after which the animal would
run away. He did that three times which
greatly annoyed me, my bed being in the
corner of the room over DR.. Kenans
office The Doctors bed is In the rear of
the same room. My intention was to re-
prove the negro, but when 1 got TO the
window and turned the blinds l could
neither see him nor the dog. l returned
TO bed and had just laid down when
heard a noise that seemed to me to be a
collision between two persons, or that
somebody had collided with the steps and
rebounded. The next instant heard what
seemed to be a fall
81 jumped out of bed and stood by the
window, from which ! saw a large man
lying PROSTATE, face downward on the
curb of the sidewalk. He breathed very
hard, somewhat like a man either snor-
ing loudly or making a desperate effort
TO breathe The way he lay impressed me
that he was severely injured. 1 awakened
DR.. Kenan, who came over TO my window,
when 1 suggested to him to notify the po-
lice. The doctor went to the telephone,
and after some delay got his message to
the barracks, and returned up
stairs. then suggested to him
that he had better make an examination
of the victim.
II suppose from the time I first heard
the fail to the time DR.. Kenan dressed
aud went 10 the man, must have been
ten minutes. l remained at the window
and this hard breathing continued The
doctor went TO the body and by that time
the peculiar sound had ceased and from
the partial examination he made. he evil
IDENTITY thought the man was dead
He then went across the street and
notified the firemen, one of whom came
back with him. Another partial oxamin-
alton was made 1t was probably twenty
or twenty-five minutes from the time the
doctor called the police before any others
gathered, excepting the doctor and fire.
men"
How long was IL from the time you
heard the negro 10 the time you heard
the fang" Mr.. Ludwig was asked
1T was a bare two minutes-the time
il took me to go from the window to my
bed and then TO the front window" he
replied.
ibid you hear any foot steps below"
1.-THE fall of the body deadened to me
any other noise there may have been, "
he replied.
How did YOU know IL was negro he