Charles E. Heizer (1866-1912)

HEIZER, BELCHER

Posted By: Dorian Myhre (email)
Date: 5/17/2021 at 16:53:14

From Nevada Representative April 16, 1912 (page 1)

OBITUARY

CHARLES HEIZER KILLED

Has Accident Near Sioux City

Advices were received in Nevada Sunday for Frank Heizer that his brother Charles had been fatally hurt near Sioux City, and further advice came Monday that Charles was dead. A report of the matter is found in the Sioux City Journal of Monday and reproduced below.

The Journal account has names mixed and speaks of Charles as "George"; but the mistake is in the name and not the man. The locality mentioned, McCook lake, is in the extreme southeast corner of South Dakota in the fork of the Missouri and the Big Sioux rivers and only a very short distance from Sioux City. The removal of the injured man to the hospital in that city was therefore not such a matter as might be suggested by a transfer from one state to another. It is evident that he received the best care practicable after his injuries and that his death occurred only because he was fatally hurt. His reported statement that he had been waylaid is manifestly taken as an imagining of a stunned and disabled man, and his death is plainly regarded as the result of trouble with a horse. The Sioux City Journal tells the story as follows:

"Claiming that he was severely beaten and robbed of about $5 by two men who attacked him shortly after 9:30 o'clock yesterday morning on C. F. Betz's farm, near McCook lake, South Dakota, George Heizer, a carpenter, list at the point of death at St. Joseph's hospital. Heizer's chest is crushed in and his right leg is broken at the ankle. His whole body is severely bruised and torn. He was last seen before the affair when, in the company with Charles Taylor, manager of the Betz farm, and Steve Morris, a farm hand, they left for a distant part of the farm to bring in a ditching machine. The men left the main part of the farm, each riding a harnessed horse. Taylor was leading a fourth animal. When about half of the distance to the ditching machine had been covered the horse which Taylor was leading broke loose and started on a fun back toward the farm yard. Taylor and Morris followed. Heizer went on the way toward the ditching machine.

"Less that half an hour elapsed between the time Taylor and Morris left Heizer and when they found him sitting beside the road not far from the place they had left him. Heizer was practically disrobed. Even his shoes were lying in the middle of the road. The injured man then told a rambling story of the attack. He was unable to give a description of his assailants or tell the direction they took departing from the scene. The horse Heizer was riding was found about a half mile farther up the road.

"Mr. Taylor's theory in regard to Heizer's injuries is that he fell from the horse he was riding. However, he said there was no signs of the man having been dragged. He examined the ground closely, and there was nothing to substantiate Heizer's statement that he had been assaulted and robbed. The ground bore no signs of a struggle such as the injured man said took place.

"Heizer was married to the farm house and Mr. Betz was notified of the accident. Dr. Prince Sawyer was called and dressed the wounds. The injured man was brought to Sioux City on Milwaukee train at 4 o'clock yesterday afternoon. Dr. Sawyer said last night that the man has only the slightest chance to recover.

"Heizer is an unmarried man, about 44 years old. He had been working until recently for Mr. Betz and went to the Betz farm Saturday nigh to spend Sunday visiting the laborers. Frank Heizer, of Nevada, Ia., a brother of the injured man, was notified last night."

Frank Heizer, to whom the work of his brother's injuries was sent, being out the city, the message was delivered to H. H. Belcher, a cousin, by whom Frank was located in the northern part of the state. The latter proceeded to Sioux City, and the expectation has been that he would return here with the body some time today or this evening.