Spicer Hanson 1874-1891

HANSON

Posted By: Merllene Andre Bendixen (email)
Date: 8/15/2010 at 22:21:09

Sudden Death of Spicer Hanson

Our citizens were startled Wednesday morning by the report that Spicer Hanson, a lad about seventeen years old, had died during the previous night [February 10, 1891] at the home of A. Evans. The facts concerning the young man’s sudden taking away, as related to us by parties who were with him during his brief sickness, and also when he died, are as follows: Being without any means of support, he went two days and two nights without anything to eat, and in the meantime slept in a stable without proper clothing. After going this length of time without eating, he applied to Clarence Bixby for food, and he was provided with a good supper of which he ate heartily and probably overloaded his stomach, as he was soon taken sick with inflammation of the bowels, and not lung fever or pneumonia as reported. Continuing to grow worse, Dr. Ballard was called and did all he could for the suffering boy, but nothing could save him, and he died with inflammation of the bowels on Tuesday night about 11 o’clock. It is a sad and unfortunate affair looked at from any standpoint whatever. (Northern Vindicator, Estherville, IA, February 12, 1891)