Iowa Old Press
The Davenport Daily Times
Davenport, Scott, Iowa
Monday Evening, July 12, 1897
Dr. MILLER in Trouble
Performs a Very Censurable Operation
Dr. William MILLER of 724 Harrison street is likely to lose his certificate
of practice, all on account of the performance of an unwarranted operation.
On Thursday of last week Dr. MILLER was called to the home of Mrs. SMITH, a
colored widow, who resides at 729 Harrison street, to look after her
travails in confinement. The doctor responded and found the woman in great
labor. He remained ten or twelve hours at the end of which time he declared
that the child should have been nascent three months ago, and at once
proceeded without consultation or assistance to perform the operation of
craniotomy, which of course means the death of the child.
Saturday morning application was made to the overseer of the poor for county
help in the burial of the infant. The overseer of the poor reported the
application to Dr. DE ARMAND, the county physician, who in turn notified the
coroner. The three officials made a visit to the house on Harrison street
where matters were found to be as above described.
The authorities are greatly wrought up over the affair. It is a highly
censurable act although beyond the reach of the criminal law. The doctors
say that although craniotomy is resorted to as an heroic measure to save the
life of the mother when there exists no possibility of saving that of the
child, it is never employed in such a hap-hazard manner as Dr. MILLER had
used it, and in no case without definite and exhaustive consultation, except
in extremes.
The dead child showed no abnormal growth, it was not ill-formed, and it had
not been dead prior to the performance of the operation, and the act of the
doctor is considered to be reckless and criminal by the coroner, the county
physician and the overseer of the poor.
It has been decided that Dr. MILLER'S act be submitted to the board of
health with the recommendation that the findings of the local board be
referred to the state board to health with the request that Dr. MILLER'S
certificate of practice as a physician be revoked. Dr. MILLER himself could
not be reached today, a Times reporter not finding him at home when he
called. Had he been seen his side of the story might have been furnished.
The chief facts in the case, however, are narrated above.
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Too Much Eagerness
Displayed By an Attorney in Suing Upon an Alleged Case
Sam G. SMYTH, the genial clerk of the W. O. W., who has received a merited
promotion in the ranks of the Woodmen at Omaha, being appointed private
secretary to J. C. ROOT, sovereign commander of the order and a member
concerning the suit for attachment filed in the court house by Attorney W.
J. BIRCHARD, claiming of him $100 and some cents for rental alleged to be
due under lease contract.
Mr. SMYTH, whose honesty is beyond question, says that he had taken out a
lease from April 1st, 1896 to April 1st, 1897, with Mr. BIRCHARD but upon
its expiration he refused to renew it, stating that he expected to obtain a
position which would necessitate his removal from the city. Mr. BIRCHARD
thereupon allowed him to remain a tenant at will. His rental has been paid
up to August 1st, under this agreement and immediately upon his giving up
the keys his landlord brought suit to recover rental from August 1st, 1897
to April 1st, 1898 As Mr. SMYTH did not sign any papers, nor renew the
lease, according to legal opinion solicited upon the subject, he is not
liable for the amount claimed. The genial Sam is not worrying and in the
final outcome doubtless, the plaintiff attorney will be discomfited.
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Chauncey Lamb Dead
Millionaire Lumberman of Clinton Passes Away
Word was received from Clinton this morning bringing the sad news that
Chauncey Lamb, the pioneer millionaire lumberman, had breathed his last.
Death came at an early hour and was not unexpected. Mr. Lamb was suffering
from no particular disease but gradually sank into the sleep from which no
one ever awakens in this world. Since his wife's death some months ago, he
failed from day to day. They were devotedly attached to each other and
notwithstanding his love for his family he aged rapidly. His family and
friends hoped that he might rally but the hope was in vain. Until but a
short time before his death the sufferer retained his mental facilities.
Chauncey Lamb, the dead millionaire, was seventy-seven years of age at the
time of his death. In his life were exemplified all of those qualities which
go to make up real manhood. Coming here in the early '50's, the deceased
with a dower of energy and perseverance rarely equaled succeeded in
establishing a small water power saw mill which earned for him the means of
purchasing some northern timber land which became afterwards the leaven of
his fortune.
At the time of his death, Mr. Lamb was the owner of several saw mills in
Clinton, or at least had a controlling interest in them, having at least
one-half of the lumber cutting industries of that up-river city directly
under his command.
Neither did he abuse his authority. Notwithstanding hard times, he kept his
mills running, and always and on every occasion proved himself to be a
friend of the poor man, and the more particularly of the wage earner.
The deceased is survived by three children, Lafayette and Artemus, of
Clinton, and Mrs. F. H. WARE of the same city. His wife, to whom he was
devotedly attached, passed away last fall. The funeral will take place at
Clinton.
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At 10:30 o'clock Saturday night at the home of her son, Henry, 631 Park
avenue, occurred the death of Mrs. Fredericka FISHER. The deceased was
sixty-six year of age and is survived by her son Henry and Dr. J. W. FISHER
of this city The remains will be taken to Muscatine for interment.
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At the home of her daughter, Mrs. Mary F. STOETERAN, 12 west Second street,
where she had resided for the past two years, occurred the death of Mrs.
Sophia M. MOELLER, at 2:30 o'clock Saturday afternoon at the advanced age of
eighty years. The deceased was born in Schwarzenbeck, Holstein, in 1817, and
shortly after marriage emigrated to this country. Her husband, Gasper
Christopher MOELLER, passed away eighteen years ago. The newly married
couple landed in New York in 1846 and three years alter came to Davenport.
The husband for some years operated a meat market where the Klug-Hasler
building now stands and later in the Schleswig-Holstein house, where the
Bettendorf steel axle works now stand. Later he opened a dance hall on
Warren street, between Seventh and Eighth streets. Both were old and
respected citizens. In 1879 Mr. Moeller died, having become the father of
fourteen children of whom five survive his widow. These are John and Edward
MOELLER and May F. STOETERAU of this city and William and Henry MOELLER of
Baker City, Oregon. The funeral was held yesterday afternoon at 4 o'clock
from Miller's hotel 712 west Second street with interment at the city
cemetery.
Daily Times
Davenport, Scott, Iowa
Tues. evening, July 29, 1897
HIGGINS
At her home, 421 east Ninth street, at 9:30 o'clock last night occurred the
death of Mrs. Bridget HIGGINS, relict of Patrick HIGGINS, from heart disease
of three years duration.
Mrs. HIGGINS died suddenly. She was taken ill shortly after supper and by 8
o'clock was extremely faint. A physician was sent for and when he arrived he
did all he could to withstand the inroads of the cardia ailment from which
she suffered for the past three years. At 9:30 o'clock she passed away into
that dream land from which there is no exodus.
The deceased has reached the advanced age of seventy years, having been born
in Ireland in 1827. She was a resident of this state for the past 40 years,
and was well known and respected throughout this city where she has resided
for about 35 years.
She is survived by two sisters, Mrs. James NAVIN and Mrs. Mary KIVLIN; a
brother, James FOLEY; and four children, Mrs. John KROPP, Mrs. Sarah GILLEN,
and John F. and Henry W. HIGGINS all of this city.
The funeral will take place from the late residence at 9 o'clock tomorrow
morning to the Sacred Heart Cathedral, with interment at St. Marguerite's
Cemetery.
Escapes a Sentence
A Former Tiskilwa Dentist Acquitted of Wife Murder
Dr. J. GOODMANSON, a former resident of Tiskilwa, Ill., who was accused of
murdering his wife at Pender, Neb., and who was convicted on the occasion of
his first trial, has at last been acquitted.
GOODMANSON was formerly a dentist at Tiskilwa, and his wife was Laura IODER
of that place. Several years ago he settled at Pender, and it was there that
his wife died under peculiar circumstances. For sometime previous to that
occurrence Mrs. GOODMANSON had been jealous of a Kansas City girl with whom
her husband was infatuated.
One day last fall, Mrs. GOODMANSON walked into her husband's office healthy
and in ten minutes was dead. The doctors at the time pronounced the case one
of heart disease, but a brother of Mrs. GOODMASON worked up a charge of
murder against the husband. The post mortem detected the presence of
strychnine in the victim's stomach, and GOODMANSON was arrested The trial
developed some evidence of suicide, but little to sustain the charge of
murder except the possible desire of the husband to get rid of his wife in
order to marry the girl at Kansas City.
Throughout the affair the name of the woman remained a mystery, though the
state employed detectives to hunt her up with the idea that she might add
testimony to the murder theory. GOODMANSON said repeatedly that he would die
before he would reveal her identity.
Court Budget
Matters, Asking For the Attention of the September Term
In the case of Mary E. THOMPSON vs. August HAMANN, the defendant has filed
an answer in which he states that he made a contract with John PORT, the
authorized agent of the plaintiff, to the effect that he should not pay the
rent for 1896 and that the two notes which were given for said rental in the
sum of $500
should be canceled and returned provided that the defendant would sign and
execute a lease for five years with a yearly rental of $500 with a yearly
rental of $500 and that the defendant did comply with these same conditions.
By way of a counter petition the sum of $2,000 damages by reason of mental
worry, etc., is asked for. C. J. RUYMAN is the attorney for the defendant.
John H. DAVIS' Sons have entered suit against J. H. SPRINGER, Rodney L.
WELLS, Geo. A. WEBB, John T. EVNOTHER, A. L. MORRICAL, Henry W. REES, ET AL,
UPON A PROMISORY NOTE FOR $375.50, EXECUTED July 20th, 1892. Judgment is
asked for together with costs and attorney fees.
VAN TRESS Bound Over
The Grand Jury Will Consider His Assault on MCMAHON
The preliminary hearing of Charles VAN TRESS, who knifed "Free"
MCMAHON some
time ago, was completed in the police court about noon today. At the close
of the trial Magistrate HUBBELL bound VAN TRESS over to the grand jury under
$500. These were afterwards reduced to $100.
Obituary
SNYDER
Yesterday afternoon, at the family residence, 317 LeClaire street occurred
the death of Mrs. Rebecca SNYDER, wife of Henry SNYDER of this city. The
cause of her death was typhoid fever, from which the lady had been suffering
for some weeks past. The deceased was a native of Dubuque, and had attained
her thirty-second year. The family have resided here the past six years.
Henry SNYDER, the husband and a child of eight months survive.
GROBE
Word has been received from Buffalo announcing the death of Mrs. A. GROBE,
which occurred last evening, at her home in that place. The deceased was a
native of Switzerland and eighty-nine years of age. She has been a resident
of Buffalo nearly forty years, being an old resident there. Her husband died
some thirty years ago. The nearest surviving relative in this country is a
brother residing in Hickory Grove township. The funeral will be held at 2
o'clock Saturday afternoon with interment in Buffalo cemetery.