grave import

Obituary

It has been a long time since the press of Burlington have been called to chronicle the death of any one upon our streets from freezing but a distressing instance of this character occurred on Saturday night. The victim was John Long, a cigarmaker in the employ of Geo. Smith, whose shop is situated at No. 1506 Osborn street. Long left the shop about four o'clock Saturday afternoon and proceeded out upon North Hill. During the evening he was at the saloon kept by his brother, Martin Long, at No. 1202 North Eighth street. He left this place a few minutes past eleven on Saturday evening and although it has been suggested that he was intoxicated, he was undoubtedly perfectly sober at the time and had drank nothing for some time, as was testified by several parties. He was accompanied some distance by Mr. Schaley who resides on Spring street and was in a thoroughly sober condition when they parted. Long was found about seven o'clock Sunday morning by John Rappold, a barber in the employ of Joe Ober, who was on his way to work. He was lying upon the walk on Spring street at a point between Osborn and Boundary, and near the residence of Joseph V. Voelker, at 1111 Spring street. Rappold's efforts to rouse him were futile. He was dead and his body was frozen stiff. The remains were soon brought to Unterkircher's establishment, where Coroner Fred L. Unterkircher at once impaneled a jury, comprising Messrs. F.L. Wagner, H.N. Twining and Logan Steece. The verdict rendered was "death from cold and exposure." Am examination revealed several bruises and marks of a nature likely to have been caused by a fall, a severe contusion upon the back of the head showing quite prominently. The sidewalk is steep and icy at the point where the body was found and bore evidence that he had slipped and fallen. Inasmuch as he wore only an ordinary suit of clothes and neither underclothing or overcoat he was probably completely chilled before the fall. The blow he received upon the head undoubtedly stunned him for such a length of time as to cause him to be rendered helpless by the cold and the way being a lonely one and little frequented as compared with other streets, he was not discovered by any passer. There is no reason to suppose he was foully dealt with in any manner. The deceased was of German parentage, a son of Allis Long, a cigarmaker some years dead, and was thirty-six years of age. He was unmarried, living with his widowed mother and younger sister at No. 1400 Mt. Pleasant street. He was a brother of Mrs. Frank Ober, Mrs. Ed Mieer and Mrs. Nic. S. Boquet. The funeral will be held at 2 o'clock today from the home of his bereaved mother and will be conducted by the Cigarmaker's union.