The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-01-22
THOUGHT HIN DRUNK
POLICE OFFICIALS, DOCTORS AND
PROBATE COURT ALL PASSED
MCGEE ALONG
NOT TILL HE ARRIVED AT COMO
To Serve a Sentence of Forty Days
In the WOrlxhOuse Was 1t DiscOv-
cred That Instead of Being Drunk
His Malady Was an Acute and
Dead.

Serious One - NOW the Man Is
Dead.
The death Of James MCGEE at the city
| hospital Thursday from meningitis, from
| which he is believed to have been suffer-
| ing when he was railroaded through the
| police court to the county Jail. and
thence to the workhouse, to serve
forty-day sentence on the charges of
drunkenness and vagrancy. has caused
| considerable criticism, and 1t is said an
/ investigation will be made with view
to fixing the responsibility In the case.
| II a man so near death can be hustled
| off to prison under the supposition that
his condition is due to liquor, 1t is argued
| that the officials through whose hands
the case passed should be made to bear
| the responsibility MCGEE fell under the
observation of the police, a. judge of the
municipal court, several deputy sheriffs
at the county JAIL the authorities at the
workheuse, and was examined by As
| siStant City Physician Weirick three
times, yet with all of them Is said
to have been generally believed to be
simply suffering from alcoholism Some
one, in the course Of the investigation
that McGee's case aroused, should, 1t Is
urged, have been able to learn the mans
condition. No one did so, however, until
MCGEE was so near death that he passed
away two days after reaching the hos
pital Even at the hospital there was
doubt as to just what McGees condition
was, and only as the result of g. post
| norton examination did the physicians
determine that death was due to menin-
gifts.
MCGEE was arrested by officer McKin-
| ley, of the Ducas station, Jan. 7. He was
| charged with drunkenness and sent to
the police court next morning. The case
was continued and MCGEE was taken to
| the county Jail. 1t was here that DR..
| Weiriek first examined him. Deputy
| Sheriff Herges says MCGEE was still
| slightly under the influence Of liquor
when he was taken from the court to the
| Jail, and that the mans breath also in
| dictated that he had been drinking Upon
| his first examination Assistant City Ply
sician Weirick was not certain as to
! McGee's condition, so called to see the
man again Jan. 10. Upon this occasion
1t was believed MCGEE was not mentally
right, and 1t is said DIR. Weirick offered
| to file information Of insanity against
| MCGEE, but that for some reason the
probate court would not allow this to be
| uOuS. 1LO HcAl udyI jail LIZ hC0O6 was
| tried in the municipal court and sentence
ed to the workhouse for forty days.
While MCGEE was at the Jail Deputy
| Sheriff Herges says the man was appar-
| emily in good health. He says MCGEE
| did not complain of feeling Ill. though at
times he acted rather queerly. The day
| MCGEE was sentenced Deputy Sheriff
Herges says the man was apparently as
| well as ever and walked to the court
| x1yith CnrtOht1U DanIItU
Sheriff Herges says MCGEE talked ra-
tfonally, and jokingly asked for money to
| buy a drink.
If the statements of Deputy Sheriff
| Herges and the story of Assistant Su-
perintendent Poehler are correct, then
the condition of MCGEE must have under
gene a sudden change while he was on
| the way to the workhouse in the Black
| Maria, for Mr.. Poehler says MCGEE could
scarcely stand up, and had to be as
sisted in walking when he reached the
| workhouse. Owing to McGee's condition,
Assistant Superintendent Poehler says,
| 1t was impossible to put the man to work
| and he was placed in a. cell. ., III.
Mr.. Poehler says he thought something
! was wrong with MCGEE, but could not
1 determine what was the trouble. He
| says MCGEE was conscious all OF the time
he was at the workhouse and slept and
ate with regularity, though at times he
did not partake heartily of food. He says
MCGEE appeared in a weak condition,
and spent most Of the time reclining in
his bunk. The morning Of Jan. u Assist
ant Superintendent Poehler says he noti-
fled Assistant City Physician Weirick
that MCGEE needed medical attention.
The same day he says, DR.. Weirick ex-
amined MCGEE. Mr.. Poehler says DR..
Weirick at this time said he thought Nc
Gee was suffering from alcoholism. Sew
eral days passed and MCGEE seemed to
be growing worse, according to Assistant
Superintendent Poehler, so DR.. Weirick
was again called. In his place Assistant
City Physician Richeson visited the work
house and examined MCGEE. DR.. Richie
son at once ordered MCGEE to the city
hospital. Here MCGEE died, and after an
autopsy the physicians said death was
| due to meningitis.
| Criticism of the authorities under
whose observation the case passed arises
! from the belief that MCGEE was all of
| the time suffering from the disease, and
was not under the influence Of liquor.
If this was the case, it is suggested, some
one should have discovered 1t and have
| earlier placed MCGEE where he could
! receive medical assistance.