Omaha daily bee., 1902-06-30
MOIER DIES OF INJURIES
Never Receivers Consciousness After Being
Found on the Sidewalk.
POLICE HAVE ONE SUSPECT UNDER ARREST
Postmortem Examination shows He
Was Not shot, but Died as Re-
suit of n Fracture of
the Skull.

midnight lying In an unconscious CONDITION
On the sidewalk in front Of the Creston
house saloon on South Main street, suffer-
ing from a fractured skull and with blood
pouring from a wound under his right eye.
died shortly after 8 o'clock yesterday
morning at st. Demands hospital without
reeaining consciousness. Death was pri-
marily due to conclusion OF the brain re-
sulting from the fracture Of the skull.
A postmortem examination was held yes
terday afternoon by Coroner Treynor, VIII
was assisted by Drs. F. T. Seybert, F. w.
Houghton. ]. NJ. Barstow and w. P. HON.
bach. The autopsy disclosed the fact that
the wound under the right eye had not
been caused by a gunshot and that It was
merely a superficial injury and by Itself
was not sufficient to have caused death.
How Meyer received the wound under the
eye or what caused It the physicians max
ing the examination were unable to de-
termine, although they each expressed their
theories.
At the back of the head and slightly over
the left ear was a confusion such as might
have been caused by a blow with some
heavy, blunt instrument. The skull was
found to have been fractured at the base of
the brain, the fracture extending clear
around the head.
Coroner Treynor gave Instructions for
an inquest to be held this afternoon at 1
o'clock. The body Of the unfortunate vic
tim Of the mysterious assault is lying at
Cutters undertaking rooms on Pearl street.
Theories Regarding Injury.
DR.. seybert is Of the opinion that Meyer
was struck a heavy blow by someone
armed with a blunt instrument and that in
falling he struck the pavement with such
force as to fracture the skull. AS to the
injury under the eye he said 1t might
have been caused by a thrust from an UNI
brella or a cane, but as the injury was
superficial, 1t might have been caused by
any kind OF a weapon.
DR.. Hombach advanced the theory that
Meyer had been elected from the saloon
by force and had stumbled or been thrown
against an iron hitching post which is d.
rectly In front OF the saloon door on the
curbing. There is an irregular cap on the
top of the post through which runs an iron
ring. DR.. Hombach thinks 1t very likely
that Meyer struck his face against the top
OF the post, thus causing the wound under
the eye, and that the intense pain OF the
injury caused him to stagger and fall back
wards, striking his head on the sidewalk.
He is of the opinion also that the confusion
over the left ear was caused by a blow
from some blunt instrument, possibly a
bottle. '
The peculiar fracture OF the skull is ev-
lQeQCS InaI meyer must. nave btTuCh III
sidewalk with terrific force. There are two
llineal fractures extending all the way
around the head at the base of the brain.
The physicians making the autopsy said
this was a most unusual fracture.
Morteps sen sticks to story.
Martin Mortensen, the bartender at the
Creston house saloon, where Meyer and
several companions were drinking Saturday
night, was taken to police headquarters
yesterday and placed in the sweat-box by
Chief Tibbits. but 1t is said nothing further
was learned from him beyond what he had
stated Saturday night. He adhered to his
statement that Meyer and his three com
panions left the saloon at about 11:40, when
he locked the front doors and started 10
clean up the place and count the receipts
Of the night. He knew nothing about
Meyer being injured until Meyers uncon-
scious form was found by former Alderman
Brown and County Surveyor Cook. He pos
itively asserted that he had heard no fight
or quarreIing outside the saloon after he
had locked the front door and supposed that
Meyer and his companions had gone to their
homes. He denied knowing the names Of
the three young men with Meyer, but ad-
mitted that he knew them by sight and that
they frequently patronized his saloon.
Harry Gregory and Adam Miller, two
young fellows who were said to have been
In the Creston house saloon at the same
time Meyer was there, were taken to police
headquarters yesterday and questioned, but
the police declined to give any particulars
as to whether any information which might
throw light on the murder was secured
from them. They were not detained.
II was reported yesterday that shortly
after Meyer was found lying on the side
walk young Miller made a statement to the
effect that he had seen a certain person
gaWNN 49, l. - - "a "
that some clue was obtained by the police
from Miller. as shortly after he was at po-
lice headquarters Chief Tibbits left for
Omaha In search, Il was said, OF a person
supposed TO have been implicated In the as
sault
One Man Under Arrest.
The first suspect to be arrested was o.
w. Roderick. who was taken into custody
last night by Constable Albert and De-
tective Murphy. It is alleged that Rod.
sriek was one OF the three men who were
drinking with Meyer in the Creston house
saloon and who left the saloon at the same
time he did. According to the description
furnished the police two of the men with
Meyer were OF medium height. while the
third was considerably taller. Roderick is
said TO be the tall man Of the three.
Roderick evinced no surprise when ar
rested and the police say that he had been
hiding from them all day and was making
preparations TO leave the city when taken
into custody. He denied being implicated
in the assault on Meyer. or being in any
way connected with his death and says that
he has not been in the Creston house sa-
loon for several weeks. The police claim
they have ample evidence TO show that he
was in the saloon Saturday night with
Meyer and was ordered out by Martin Nor
Jensen, the bartender. with Meyer and the
DthsF two men.
Rpderick makes his home between South
Omaha and this city. His wife lives In
South Omaha, but he has three sisters In
Council Bluns and frequently stays with
Sne or the other Of them. He was arrested