The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1915-03-25
WATERVL|ET BOY
DEAD AS RESULT
OF CRUELTY
Fellow Employees Hazed Him With
Compressed Air Hose
PECULIAR CRIME AT WEST ALBANY
Blew Him Up With Compressed Air
and Perforated His
Intestines.

Albany, March 25.-Edward Deyine,
nineteen years old, of 56 Wateryliet
avenue, an apprentice in the Wess Al.
bany shops, died at the Albany hospit.
al early last night as result of all
assault with a compressed air hose
carrying 100 pounds pressure commit
ted by fellow employees who were haz.
ing him yesterday morning. Shortly
afterward. Lawrence Hallenbeck,
car cleaner, employed at the shops.
who lives at 81 Morton avenue, was ar
rested by the police of the fifth pre-
cinct on a charge of manslaughtrer
He was held without bail.
Devine, who has been employed for
the last three years as an apprentice
in the upholstery department of the
New York Central shops. died of per-
forated intestines, according to a re-
port submitted late last night to Coro-
ner Warren S. Hastings by DR. John
B. Congdon, the physician who per-
formed the autopsy. He had been op-
Grated upon at the Albany hospital
shortly before he died by DR.. Fred
Myers and when the first incision was
made, it was said at the hospital last
night that the air rushed from his
abdomen as il from a rent in a tire
He died shortly afterward.
They turned the air hose on me,
was Devine's accusation of his fellow
employees. shortly before he died, ac-
cording to Coroner Hastings, who be-
gan an investigation as soon as he
was notified OF the death by the hosp
ital authorities
The hazing of Devine is alleged to
have occurred yesterday morning
shortly after 10 o'clock, but it was not
until the boy died that the Albany pol
ice authorities heard of what they
term one of the most atrocious acts
in the annals of the department. Cor
oner Hastings was the first to be noti-
fed. His investigation begun at once.
resulted in statement being given
last night
Il went to the hospital as soon as
Devine was going through the shop
er. when | got there | began TO
hear unconfrmed stories that he died
victim of one of the strangest acts
have ever heard of. | notified Chief
Hyatt at once and he set the police
to work on the case.
This is the story that developed.
Devine was going thorugh the shop
yesterday morning and slapped Wal
ter Taylor on the back. Taylor told
him to stop his fooling. He had gone
a short distance when someone shout
ed: Grab him, Grab him Then, ac
cording to the information we have
received, Devine was seized and
thrown to the ground. The compress.
ed air hose, which is used in cleaning
cars, was brought into play.
THE pressure of the hose is so
great that it will blow a mans nat
away and it is said that when a pres
sure OF similar power is holding two
cars together it is impossible to un-
couple them.
mo sooner had the hose been ap-
piled than it was realized Devine was
in a serious condition. The lower
part Of his body was swollen out of
shape. His abdomen was so distend-
ed it would hardly be recognized as
part of mans body. DR.. Harold
Lucas, New York Central physician,
was called at once and ordered the
boy taken to the Albany hospital. He |
was hurriedly conveyed there in an
ambulance.
"He died there after the operation,
and the hospital authorities notified
me-"