Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1910-02-09
VAN HECKE DIES
OF FIGHT WOUNDS
Man Injured in Saloon Quarrel
Jan. 81 Succumbs at st.
Anthony's Hospital.
HIS SKULL is FRACTURED
POStmOrtem Also Shows Formation of
Blood Ciot on Brain-COroner
Conducting Inquest.

Injuries received in a saloon fight
Jan. 81 resulted fatally to Leonan Van
Hecke at ST. Anthony's hospital at
$50 o'clock last evening. Cyrial Ga
heloeme is the one whom Van Hecke
fought with. Van Hecke was knocked
down and kicked in the head A blood
clot formed on the brain. and this
produced death.
Both Van Hecke and Gaheloeme
were arrested following their trouble.
They quarreled in the Verbiest sa-
loon on Fifth avenue between Twenty
fifth and Twenty-sixth streets, accord
ing to the story they told in police
court.
Van Hecke the AESressOr.
Witnesses testified Van Hecke was
the aggressor, and after an exchange
of words he hurled beer bottles and
glasses at Gaheloeme's head. Gahe-
loeme rushed at Van Hecke. foored
him. and kicked at him several times.
once striking him in the head with
the point OF his shoe In police court,
on charges of disorderly conduct, Ga
heloeme was fined $40 and Van Hecke
Pain Grows More Intense.
z Van Hecke, although complaining
that his head panied him, did not seem
to be alarmed over his injury, and was
able to walk from police court to his
boarding house at Twenty-ninth street
and Fifth-and-a-half avenue The pain
growing more intense, a physician was
called, and the latter ordered Van
Hecke to the hospital for treatment.
Van Hecke had resided in Rock IS
land five years, and was unmarried.
He was born in Belgium, and came to
this city shortly after his arrival in
this country. He is survived by a sis
ter. who lives at 1900 Fifth-and-a-half
avende
POst-MOrtem Examination and Inquest.
After Coroner J. F. Rose had been
notified the remains of Van Hecke
were removed to the rooms of Under
taker C. r. Wheelan. A postmortem
examination was conducted by Drs.
John c. Souders and r. H. Dart. An
inquest was ordered and was begun
at 2 o'clock this afternoon.
The testimony of DR. Souders was
the first to be heard. He stated that
he was called to attend Van Hecke
for the first time at the police station
and at that time he sewed up a wound
over his right eye. He noticed a con-
fusion on the left side of the head at
that time. After the trial in police
court. VanHecke walked to- the home
Of his sister, 1900 Fifth-and-a-half ave
nue.. On the following day DR.. Soude-s
was again called to attend VanHecke.
He attended him until the time of his
death last night. On Feb. 4 VanHecke
was taken to the hospital after his
right side had become paralyzed. His
condition became steadily worse.
Skull Fractured.
At the postmOrtem examination this
morning, it was found that a large
blood clot, four inches by three inches
by one inch, had settled on the brain
at the point of greatest depression and
produced paralysis. 1t was also found
that the skull had been fractured.
The fracture was triangular in shape
and extended into the inner table of
the skull. One of the cracks extended
from the orbit to the frontal bone, and
the other extended two inches back
from the parietaI bone The fracture
could not be detected by external ex-
animation because of the confusion
over it. The testimony of DR.. Dart
was the same as that of DR.. Souders.
At o'clock the examination of the
witnesses of the fight was begun by
Coroner Rose. States Attorney L. M.
Magill was present for the purpose Of
cross-examining the witnesses.