Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1901-05-16
Particulars of the Death OF
Judge John ]. Healv.

| From the Daily News, of Aberdeen,
South Dakota, we take the following:
One of the saddest and most shock
| ing messages that ever flashed over the
wires was the announcement received In Abb
erdeen at o'clock on Saturday that Judge
John j. Healy had been killed by lightning
during the afternoon, while on horseback at
! his cattle ranch, two miles west and one
| mile south OF Nina. The entire population
OF Aberdeen was shocked beyond measure
! and n number Of people who had met the
| judge in the city only the evening before
we're deeply affected, One Of the first per-
sons to receive word Of the tragegy was Sem
| ator Kyle, and he was much moved, his per-
| sonal relations with the dead man for the
past ten or twelve years having made them
very close friends.
stHtistican Of the United States Senate, re-
turned from Washington after the close VI
the session Of the last congress ana entered
with Characteristic yiROr into the work OF
the spring season at his stock and grain
ranch. Little was seen OF him in Aberdeen,
and for II month preceding his death he had
been In the city bat once, which was on the
night before his death. He came in then
only to consult with lumbermen and caTpcn-
tiers relative to inrge improvements he was
arranging for In the way OF buildings on his
place, and returned home early Saturday
morning. TO a party OF friends with whom
he had spent the latter part OF the evening,
Judge IleGIy said he was being Kept busy
looking after the ranch, and that In order to-
allow his men TO devote their time wholly 10
the work o seeding and Of Improvements he
had In progress, he spent most Of his time In
the saddle looking after the cattle, an cXer-
else which he declared was eXhlliratlng and
delightful, and H. was while in the SADDLE
that he met ms death. tie was ~ OF hope
and satisfaction, saying that after nearly
nineteen years OF hard work he had come 10
the point where he could begin TO live AS he
wished when his new buildings were com
plcted His sudden taking Off In the prime
Of his stu rdy manhood, just ms he was realH-
Ing the fruitIOn Of his years Of toll, II lneX-
pre.slbly sad, and his death will be widely
ana deeply mDurned.
The circumstances under which Judge
lIcHly met bis death were such that II was
almost like lightning from clear sky. HIS
herd boy went to the house and Informed
him hat II COW had gotten into u mud hole
and he needed assistance IN RcttinE her out,
The Judge mounted his horse and went To
the place, which was some distance from the
house After getting the COW out Of the
mud, he sent the bow 20 the house for din,
ner and said he would be IN shortly He dld
not appear and the boy went TO look for him.
and after considerable search found him
ana his horse lying dead on the prairie about
hnlf mil" from the house. Tho rain OF the
afternoon had not begun to fail at the time,
though there was small cloud directly over
where he was found From this single
thundcrbolt descended and proved fatal to
both horse and rider.
John llehly was 40 years of age. He
came to this section from Mineral Point, Wis,
IN the early 'SO's, and took up land in what
was then known M range OO, which was at
tHChCd to and mndo u part Of Edmunds
county. lie was industri us an0 divided his
time between the practice Of law and the
cultivation Of his Innd, In 1902 he was
elected county judge " Edmunds county
and IiIlcd the position with credit, gaining
| u fine reputnitlOn for his care and ludiciOus
ness In the handling OF the estates of decCHs-
| cd persons. lie became u sLdunch supporter
| OF senator james II. Kyle, and for the past
| ten years their relations had been close.
| This Is true In II business sense Hs well hs in
| II political sense ~ their stock ranches Join
| cd each other aud they had many interests
| IN common. During the sessions of congress
| Judge iicnly spent his time IN Washington
| IN the discharge OF HIS duties In the Senate,
MIR, Kyle having secured his appointment TO
| the position no occupied there ~ the time of
his death. The remainder OF his time was
devoted To his ranch, with occasional visits
| to Aberdeen, He was one OF the most com
pnnOnHblo Of mon, genial, courteous aud ~
All ways likublC, and he had no end Of
friends wherever he was known lie leaves
| u Borrowing wIfo and one child, u daughter
aged years to mourn his untimcly death.