Father Wheeler(died 1861)

WHEELER

Posted By: Anne Hermann (email)
Date: 10/2/2008 at 08:06:09

Dubuque Weekly Times
March 14, 1861

A SINGULAR DEATH- Monday evening, soon after dark, a man drove up in an open buggy, to the door of the Julien House and asked permission to stay the night. He was told he could do so, and the hosteler was summoned to take his horse to the stable. The man went out to his buggy and then returned, saying he had a sick man with him, and that he was asleep; that he could not waken him, and he wanted assistance to bring him into the house. Servants were sent out to help him and after some considerable labor, for he was a heavy man, the sick person was got into the office of the hotel and seated in a chair. On closer examination it was found that the man was stone dead and cold. A doctor was hastily sent for. Dr. McCluer responded to the call, and pronounced him dead from a disease of the heart.

The young man who drove the horse stated the deceased to be Father Wheeler, the priest of the Roman Catholic church, at Bellevue, Jackson county; that they had started from home that morning to go to Galena to purchase paints to use in the church at Bellevue. They were unable to cross the ferry and came to Dubuque instead. He said Father Wheeler and apparently in good health until within three-quarters of an hour of their reaching Dubuque, when he stopped talking and leaned heavily on him. He imagined he had fallen asleep, and put his arm around him to keep him from being thrown out of the carriage. They had both partaken of a bottle of wine, which the Father had brought, on the road, but that, however, was not probably the cause of the death.

As soon as it was known that the man was dead, word was sent over to the Bishop’s house, and by his directions, the body was removed thither. The deceased had considerable money on his person, and amongst other things, a certificate of deposit for more than a hundred dollars. Father Wheeler was a man apparently fifty years of age and of full habit, inclined perhaps, to apoplexy. His demise was both singular and sudden.