Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-11-04
RUCH'S SACRIFICE
SPURS OTHERS ON

Chicago, Nov. 4.-The death of Will |
liam Rugh, the crippled Gary news
boy who died that girl unknown
to him might live, has set an example |
that is being followed by others.
Miss Ethel Smith, for whom he
made the unparalleled sacrifice, was
again placed upon the operating ia
Bile in the Gary general hospital yes
terday and so inches of skin were
grated onto her burned legs.
In the Michael Reese hospital in
Chicago man and a woman have
volunteered to give part of their
skins to Mrs. John A Benson, victim
of gasoline stove explosion July Is,
1911, whose life, according to DR..
Emmanuel Friend, can be saved only
by skin grating.
An appeal is being made for IL
or Is more volunteers, and the opera
ton will be performed, possibly, on
Wednesday. Four or five square in
ches from each person is all that is
asked.
Charles Smith, father of the girl to
whom Rugh gave his useless leg; Ray
mond, her brother, 81 years old, and
Roy Roberts, her sweetheart, are the
. three who underwent the operation
/ in Gary yesterday.
The skin taken from the newsboys'
leg, $50 inches, proved insufficient.
There were spots which had not been
covered. and it was necessary to have
more skin.
The three men cheerfully submitted,
but the girl, thinking with horror of
the death of Rugh, begged them not
| TO do it.
DR.. ]. A. Craig, who had charge of
/ the operation, assured the frightened
/ girl that her loved ones were in no
danger, and that the grating was alb
solutly necessary to save her life.
! Eighteen inches were taken from
the fathers thigh, IL from the broth
ers and 20 from Roberts.
Chief of Police Joseph D. Martin,
who had offered a portion of his skin
ii needed, had not been informed that
terday. and went duck hunting in the
marshes near Gary.
AS a consequence the three men
were asked to give up more of their
skins than was at first asked, but
Roberts begged that he be given the
chance to supply more than the other
two.
81 feel in a way responsible for
this" he said. "She was riding with
me on my motorcycle when the acct
dent happened which burned her so
frightfully."
DR.. Craig asserts that the girls
burns will be healed in 10 days. and
that she will be able TO walk around
within a month.
Mrs. Sigma Benson, wife of John A.
Benson, 1929 Ellis avenue has been
in the Michael Reese hospital ever
since the accident, and during the last
few months she has been improving
enough to be able to stand a skin
grating operation.
She was burned from the hips down,
but during the time she has been in
bed all but about 60 square inches
has healed
In order to save the woman's life it
is necessary that this 60 square inch
es be covered with other skin, hence
the cal for volunteers.
"A man and a woman offered their
skins before noon Sunday" said DR..
Emmanuel Friend yesterday.
Each will contribute four or five
square inches. We will need 10 OF
u more voluntary. however"
God bless Billy Rugh." said John
A. Benson, husband of the sick WON
an. 4 feel that his example will have
influence with his fellow men, and
that we shall have enough volunteers
If not-weil, I'll give her all the skin
myself"