The Columbus weekly dispatch., 1908-08-20
MEETS DEATH In A
STRANGE MANNER
DIR. A. e. HALBERT, ONE OF THE
CITY'S BEST KNOWN CITI-
ZENS, KILLED BY A
FALLING WEIGHT.
Unfortunate Man, Together With
Other Citizens, Was Sitting
Under Clock Tower Of the
Courthouse at Time.

DR.. A. c. Halbert. one of the best
known citizens of the city, met an
awful fate about three o'clock yes
terday afternoon, when weight fell
from the clock in the courthouse
and struck him on the head, killing
him instantly. DR.. Halbert, who had
an Office in the building, together
with number of other gentlemen,
was sitting in the hall Immediately
beneath the clock tower, when the
cable holding one of the weights
gave way, and the ponderous mass
of metal came crushing through two
floors and struck him on the head,
manning his entire body and causing
instant death.
Seated in the group with DR.. Hal
bert were Sheriff w. D. Prowell,
Prof. S. NJ. Nash, county superin-
tendent of education, Judge J. l.
Williams and several other well
known citizens. Prof. Nash was sit
ting next to DR.. Halbert, and the
falling weight grazed his hand, in
h1cting mere scratch, while none of
the other gentlemen sustained so
much as bruise as a result of the
accident. They were so greatly
shocked by the falling of the weight
that they were completely stunned,
and it was several moments before
they realized that one of their num-
ber had been killed. When they saw
the MANNED body of DR.. Halbert lay
ing on the floor, they, even in their
grief at the loss of close friend, felt
thankful that they had been spared,
and each one involuntarily offered
up thanks to God for His mercy in
delivering them from death. DR..
Halbert's body was picked up by his
friends and carried to the lawn in
front of the courthouse, where it
was laid beneath a tree. Surgical
aid was quickly summoned, but when |
the surgeon arrived he found life |
extinct, the weight having killed him
the instant it came in contact with |
his head.
The body was taken to the under
taking establishment of Messrs. Gun
ter Brothers, where it was prepared /
for burial, and later was taken to
the family residence on North Third
avenue.
DR.. Halbert, who was about sixty
years old, is survived by a widow,
four daughters and two sons, and the
of the entire city goes out
to the family in their sad bereave-
ment. Deceased was prominent in
fraternal and church circles and was
a veteran of the civil war
A broken cable was responsible
for the fall of the weight. The heavy
mass of metal, which probably weighs
close on to twelve hundred pounds,
was held in position only by small
cable, no larger than a mans little
finger. and this cable, being entirely
too small for the weight it was COM
PEELED to bear, gradually grew weak !
ar and weaker until it broke in
twain. :
The courthouse clock was made ,
by a Boston firm, and was purchased {
five years ago at a cost of $2,O03. {
It was installed by representative {
If the company. A local firm had the 9
contract to keep the clock wound up, f
md it was being wound when the t
lccident occurred, but whether this q
lad anything to do with the break i
ng of the cable is not known. q
The funeral will occur at the First c
Baptist church at four o'clock this /
-fternoon, being participated in by a
10Th the Confederate veterans and n
he Masons. y
Roar.sIapc Naufad IA