Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1921-01-02
FOUR PHYSICIANS
HOLD AUTOPS
AND FIND CAUSE
Ganqrene Developed )n
Intestine lad $85
900 Insurance

Crawford Wheatley, ex~slaIe Sen8v
tor, banker and leader for many
years, and one of the Eeat known
men in Georgia. was found dead ii
his bed at his home in the northeast
section of the city 9aturday morn
ing. A post mortem examination
made about noon Saturday bysfour
Americus physicians revealed that
his death was due to shock from 4
bruise Oh the intestines, caused BY i
fall Friday morning from the roof of
an outbuGding which had recently
been erected. Gangrene had already
developed.
- Mr. Wheatley had been in bed all
day Friday from the injury, but had
shown no serious symptoms and pro-
tested himself that he was not H.
rl2usly l1drt. He appeared not ID be
IN great distress at 1880 ocloclf
Friday night when Mrs. Wheatley ar
ranged the bed coverings for tla
night ard he stood beside Tie sbs.ts.
bracing himself with one hand and
assisting her with the other. His life-
less body was discovered Saturday
morning BY a house servant, who
visited his roam to make fire In the
CRATE.
Mr.. and Mrs. Wheatley and their
son, Charles had only recently "a.
moved from their farm home seast 81
the city, which had been disposed 0f
few months ago, to a new cottava
near the intersection Of Jefferson, ana
Mayo streets, which was recently
built under Mr.. WheatIey's personal
supervision. The funeral will be held
from there at 8 o'clock this afternoot,
$4,000 Insurance.
IL was stated last evening that MI
Wheatley held insurance policies for
approximately $85 900, the exant
amount not yet determined because
a complete examination of his "a.
pers mad not been made, a part Oh
TINS In beng an accident policy for
$4,000. 1t was said to have boen
the practice of Mr.. Wheatlev for
NeaE' to keep in force life insura,sce
suhlcIent TO cover all~of his obliea-
tlons, and it was said bv ! rabrs.
sentative of the family last niobt
that 1t was believed the amount ! n.
force at the time of his death would
tions.
It was o'clock Friday s,orni,,e
when DR.. ]. T. Stukes, the family
nhysIclan, was called to the Wheafa
lev home. He found Mr.. Whgatiev
suffering main from fall which lia
sad ne had net with from thu ro6f
Of IN outuuilding. He said he bsa
fallen. striking or the base Of the
spine, being so stunned that. he ma
70 Dc brou@ht to the house in
wheelbarrow by attendants. He ds.
ci7red his belief, however that hs
was rot seriously hurt, and upoal 1
complete examination, DR.. Stukes
declared he could find no symptoms
ct injury, other than bruises. Ar
Wheatlev went to his bed. and I31ks
StI'kes last saw him about noon that
day
Inquest And Autopsy Held.
Followin" the finding of the hoav.
Saturday morning. DR.. Stukea us as
again called. He found no evidences
OF the cause of death and recsis,1e COM.
mended to the family. because of mi
existence af the accident. ins,lraf,fa
policy, that an Inquest be held I'll
connection with post norteru sfssf
the discovery of the exact cause ~
his demise. The legal represeiSt&-
t'ves Of the family, who had ahp
been called, offered the same adyiaa.
and Coroner Ed Jenkins, Of Lealf6
was called A Jury assembled ana
evidence taken. all indicating with
out doubt. it was said that death Id.
suited from the accident. At 1I:30
the coroner's iurv recessed until Moss-
day morning and post-mortern exr
animation, lasting until 2 o'cloeks
was nerformed hv Drs. Wilbur Smith
and Cato, with Drs. S.ukes and Hgls-
schel Smith assisting. There WIS
complete agreement among them as
to the cause of DEATH
DR.. Wilbur Smith, in the nresefiea
Of DR.. Cato, last evening told ra.
porter of the autopsy.
Knowing that Mr. Wheatley fell
on the base of the suiti4i
tuluhii, SAlu lie. we HdbuFdAlY g<4x@.
rocted fracture at the base gof tila
skull and looked for that first. Mar
mal. conditions were found fhare. WA
reTt looked at the heart ard fuunsfsit
entirely normal. Probing still fur.
ther. but without clue as to tie real
cause up till then, the stomach was
onened Everything annearef nor
mal there but on turning the intes.
tines over we came upon a discolor-
cd section Of the small intestine.
about Is inches long, where there
was a eerious bruise.
Cause of DEATH Plain.
''This section Law against tFr spinal
column near the base. It was then
'nlain TO al cf rs what caused HIS
death. It is well known ias snray
that bruise OF the iraestSaes par
alvsessif Gangrene had sat in asld
he would have died within u hasizs /
1 f4e-a pafStonitis had 49, vi sts.