Mohave County miner., 1908-02-15
Death of Nick J. kergan.

Nick J. Kergan, who had scrap
 with officers Ayers and Strangeman at Goldroad, last week Friday, was
 brought into Kingman last Saturday
 afternoon and died at the county hos
 pital about four o'clock in the evening
 of the same day. Coroner Smith em-
 paneled jury to look into the cause
 of death and Monday last the jury heard testimony and returned yer dict of "cause of death unknown. The facts brought out were that ker- gan had been drinking for week or more prior to his death and that being without liquor he bought a bottle Of HHH liniment and drank some Of it, while at Vivian, and at once started
 to Goldroad. This was on Friday morning, February !. Arriving at
 Goldroad he at once went to w. H.
 Welch and dropping on his knees,
 wanted to confess something that was in his mind. Welch called in Dr. Car
 penter, who induced the man to go
 with him to his office. While prepar- ing some soothing powders Kergan
 constantly talked about making con-
 fession of something. Becoming alarm
 ed over the mans condition Dr. Car
 penter stepped to the door and called
 Deputy Sheriff Ayers to the office.
 When Ayers arrived Kergan sprang at
 him like tiger, knocking the officer
 down and attempting to throttle him. Ayers released himself from the stran-
 gle holt of the maniac and drew his
 gun and fired at him, the bullet plough
 ing through Kergan's left shoulder.
 Kergan sprang back and threw him.
 self on the floor of the porch, but was
 up again like cat and was again
 charging the officer when Henry
 Strangeman arrived and struck Ker-
 gan on the head with his gun. Ayers
 was on his feet by this time and as
 Kergan turned to grasp Strangeman
 Ayers struck him heavy blow with
 his gun, but the man was not even
 staggered. Grasping Strangeman Ker-
 gan threw him forward off the porch,
 but in falling was beneath and Strange
 man beat him on the head with his
 gun as hard and fast as he could strike,
 but without apparently hurting him. By this time large number of people were on the ground and an effort was made to subdue the maniac, but it took the efforts of nine big fellows to get him under control. Then he was chloroformed and taken to the jail, where the doctor sewed up the wounds
 on the mans head. About ten o'clock
 at night the man recovered his senses , but complained of being weak, but . later slept we'll throughout the night B In the morning he said he felt quite v we'll and consented to go to Kingmar a with the officers. Coming to town ht
 complained of his hearC hurting him
 He was taken to the hospital and with ' in short time fell asleep. Later whel !. MT. Murphy went to his room to SCI V " how he was getting along he wa found to be dying and expired befor
 the doctor could be summoned. / " postmortem revealed the fact that tn v man had an extremely thick skull an
 that all the blows that had been raine T. on it by the two officers the day b' al fore had made not the slightest i'll t. pression on it. The brain was foun Id normal, as were all the organs of tn to body. Death is supposed to have bee to caused by shock. About year az oe Kergan tried to commit suicide whi le in delirium from drink. He cut h tn throat and both wrists, but was save en by timely work of Dr. Carpenter; H
 body was shipped to Mineral Poin
 Wisconsin, at request of relatives.
 III. Fred w. Morrison and wife depar