The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-12-29
NECK BROKEN BY A SLAP.
Brooklyn Man Killed by Too Cordial
Greeting From His Friend.
From the New York Journal

From the New York Journal.
Stranger even than the widely written
case Of Walter Duryea is that of Edward
Watson of Brooklyn.
Duryea dived in shallow water last Au-
gust, struck his head and splintered YER
zebra of the neck. A surgical operation
removed the pressure of splintered bone
from the spinal cord and Duryea lives.
Watson was slapped heartily on the back
by a muscular young soldier friend near
Fort Hamilton yesterday afternoon, his
neck was broken and last night he died.
The details of this remarkable case are
few Edward Watson lived with his wild
owed mother at Battery place and Ninety
second street. Brooklyn He was % wears
ola, and, while not an invalid, had not
been in robust health.
Yesterday afternoon he went over TO the
Dewey Hotel, at One Hundred and First
street and Fourth avenue, not far from
the Fort Hamilton barracks
Thomas Ieary, stalwart young private
of the Fifth Army Corps, was there. He
and Watson knew each other.
Hello, Watson!' was Leary's greeting,
Merry Christmasi"
Thanks; same to you" was the replv
1t was merry gathering aud hoisterous
Jokes and horseplay helped pass the time.
Watson was a trifle deaf One of Leary's
humorous stories failed TO elicit from him
the same laughter that came from others
in the party
Here, Watson, wake up" said Leary.
Watson never turned
Wake up" again cried Leary. and he
slapped Watson heavily on the back be.
tween the shoulders "Why. YOU don't
know you're alive!' he added, Selling The
iad by the shoulders and suddenly twist
ing him around.
Watson turned pale. He groaned and
sank 60 the floor. There could be no mis-
take about his look of agony. and I.earv
was one of the first TO help pick him IN
Don't don't" Watson said pleadinely.
Lay me down. MY neck is hurt >"
Thoroughly alarmed, Leary rushed TO
the office of Dr. Corish, at Ninety-second
street and Fifth avenue. The doctor had
the patient carried to the home of his
orother' George Watson. at Fifth avenue
and Ninety-second street
The numb sensation of which the inil,r-
ed man complained spread gradually down
from the neck to the lower limbs Finally
the doctor had the man removed to the
Norwegian Hospital.
Examination showed that the fourth GER
vical vertebrae bone had been forced ont
of place, probably splintered Pressure on
the spinal cord produced the gradually in
creasing paralysis.
DR.. kelgard, of the hospital, Immediate
ly put Watson into cast
watson while still able TO talk told The
doctors that Leary had come up suddenly
behind him and had given him a twist. He
felt the bone in his neck give way
Later the police had a story that Wat
son was sitting on a stool and THAI some
one pulled it out from under him, but Wat
son told no such story to the doctors. Ac-
cording to him, it was all in fun-simple
"horseDlay"
Gradually the patient sank BY night he
could not speak. Sergt. Lewis and Detec-
tive Taylor, of the Fort Hamilton police
station, decided to put Leary under arrest,
although there was no evidence that he
had intentionally injured his friend
Leary was found within the govern
ment lines, and willingly went with the
officers. Al his own suggestion they went
10 the hospital.
By that time Watson was benumbed in
every nerve below the broken vertebral
bone. His eyes lighted up in pleasure when
he saw Leary, but he could give no other
sign of recognition. 9424
Leary was taken away to the Fort Ham
ilton police station and a charge of felo-
NOUS assault registered against him.
AT 1890 word was received from the
hospital that Watson was dead, and the
charge was changed to homicide
The doctors are at loss to account with
certainty for the strange case of young
Watson. One suggested that it may have
been that Watson suffered from calciioa.
ton of the bones.
Qualification is a chemical change in the
substance of the bone that makes it
chalky. The process is gradual. and the
bones in time become as brittle as a rot
ten stick Many remarkable cases of
the kind are in medical records
Bones of patients have been known in
time to become so brittle that even the
ordinary pressure of a handshake would
result in broken fingers. The throwing OF
stone would snap an arm; fall would
result In broken legs or ribs.
If Qualification had set in even in a mild
degree, il might explain the case with
which the cervical bone was splintered In
Watson's neck
1t will be remembered that Mrs. William
c. Whitney died finally after long suffer-
ing, following an accident in which one
of her verteora was displaced. While rid
ing across country al Aiken, S. c., her
horse dashed under a bridge Mrs Whit
ney's head struck the bridge and her neck
was broken. Fourteen months later, af-
ter the most sklful medical men ia cne
country had done all they could to save
her, she died.
Her injury, though produced In a differ
ent manner, was the same as that sus-
tanned by young Watson Duryea.
Duryea is still helpless but he can move
his head arms and legs, and at one time
it was even hoped that he would ulti-
mately, regain the power of locomotion.
OF late he is reported to be not so well