Hart - John d 1881
JOHN HART
Source: Crawfordsville Weekly Review, June 11, 1881
Tuesday morning John HART, a colored man, was found dead in the yard back of his little den on Pike St.
He had been working for DF McClure in the wool house and was on a big drunk Monday.
The supposition was that he had taken poison.
His den, for such we must call it was in a terrible filthy condition and that he had lived in dirt was apparent to all.
Coroner Frank Henry was summoned and an inquest was held.
Drs. Naylor, Gott & Lippincott held a post mortem examination and found that he had died from congestion of the lungs and heart, superinduced by the use of whiskey and on these facts the verdict was based. - typed by kbz
Source: Crawfordsville Star, June 9, 1881 p 1
Early Tuesday morning John Hart, a powerfully built negro, a single man, who has occupied the little frame shanty on the open lot east of Fisher Doherty's residence on Pike Street for some time, was found dead in the back yard of the premises, lying on his face. The body was taken to F.L. Snyder's undertaking establishment, where Dr. Gott, assisted by Drs. Lippincot and Taylor, made a post mortem examination. The left lung and the whole system of the man were found to be badly congested, while the stomach was nearly burned out by whisky, and showed no traces of the deceased having eaten anything for several days. The Coroner's verdict was in accordance with these facts. The negro was a common laborer and had been making a living by doing odd jobs, having packed wool at the Trade Palace on Monday and got drunk in the evening. A.F. Ramsey the wholesale grocer, who rooms at Fisher Doherty's was awakened about 4 o'clock and so distrubed by a noise of Tuesday morning that he finally dressed himself and went down stairs to see the trouble was. He found Hart on the ground struggling to get up and acting very strange. Knowing him to be a dangerous man, Mr. Ramsey did not approach nearer than the fence and asked Hart what was the matter. Hart replied that he was dying, but Mr. Ramsey supposed he was drunk and went for an officer. He returned about 5 o'clock and found Hart dead - transcribed by kbz
Source: same, page 3 -- "It is a self-evident fact that whisky will kill. Poor John Hart found tha tout, and at the same time satified himself that men cannot subsist on whiskey alone."