TERRIBLE ACCIDENT-Robert Wilde 1871

WILDE, ZUGENBUHLER, SKELTON

Posted By: cheryl Locher moonen (email)
Date: 12/30/2019 at 13:46:06

Dubuque Daily Times, Thursday, Jul 06, 1871, Dubuque, IA, Page: 4

TERRIBLE ACCIDENT

A Man Falls from the Fourth
Story Window of the Germania
House, and is Killed

An appalling accident occurred at the Germania House, corner Third and Main Streets, at an early hour yesterday morning. Among the boarders at that establishment was one Robert Wilde, a blacksmith by trade, single, and aged about thirty-two years, having formerly been a partner of Mr. Skelton’s, corner Fourth and Locust Street. During the 4th, Wilde got to drinking, and in the afternoon paid a visit to his brother who resides out seventeen miles in the country. He returned to the hotel in the evening, and entered into conversation with the proprietor, Mr. Zugenbuhler, and soon passed up to his room in the 4th story for the purpose of going to bed. Two beds are in the room, one of which was occupied by a small boy, who says that Wilde, when he came up, did not appear to be intoxicated, but took a chair and seated himself by the open window which fronts on Main Street. The boy soon fell asleep, but waking up between 12 and 1 o’clock in the morning saw Wilde still sitting at the window with his head bowed down upon his hands which rested on the sill, and that is the last the boy remembers.

Soon after a policeman roused Mr. Zugenbuhler with the information that a man was lying on the sidewalk in front of his premises, and upon going out the body was found to be that of Robert Wilde. The theory is that the unfortunate man got up for the purpose of going to bed bit missed his balance and fell through the open window to the street below, a distance of nearly forty feet. He fell clear of the pavement and struck the gutter, alighting upon his right hip then falling forward upon his head and face. His wrist was broken, and a severe gash cut over the left temple. He was picked up unconscious, but still breathing, and conveyed into the house, where he lingered along in great agony until 6 o’clock yesterday morning, when death put an end to his suffering.