Shelton - George
Source: Crawfordsville Star 2-18-1892 - thanks muches to Jerry Turner for this obit
George Shelton died on the operating table at St. Vincent's Hospital, Indidnapolis on Tuesday. He was to be relieved of a tumorous growth in his throat that must in a few days necessarily have caused his death. He was 42 yars of age a man of family. He was accompanied by Dr. Cowan, who was his physician. He resided recently in the vicinity of Smartsburg -- kbz
Source: Crawfordsville Daily Journal Wednesday, 17 February 1892
George Shelton, a well known resident of this city living several miles east of the city in the Smartsburg neighborhood, died last night at Indianapolis during a surgical operation. The funeral will occur tomorrow at 1:30 p.m. from the Smartsburg Baptist Church, Rev. G. P. Fuson officiating. The Indianapolis Journal gives the following account of his death:
Yesterday afternoon George Shelton of Crawfordsville died on the clinic table at St. Vincent’s Hospital. For several years Mr. Shelton has been afflicted with a tumorous growth in his mouth and throat. Dr. Cowan, of Crawfordsville, was his physician, but was unable to stop the growth or relieve the pain.
As a last resort a surgical operation was decided and Mr. Shelton was brought to this city by his brother and his physician a week ago. Among the surgeons who were invited to assist in the operation were Drs. Eastman, Sutcliffe, Woolen and Coroner Manker. The tumor in Mr. Shelton’s throat was so large that the ordinary instruments were found to be too small and not adapted to the case, and it was found necessary to have a special instrument made. At 10 o’clock last night the surgeons were gathered about the clinic table together with several students. Mr. Shelton was anxious to have the operation performed, and it was not the intention to administer an aesthetic. He had been suffering for years and the tumorous growth in his throat was choking him to death. It had also spread to his face. In a week more, at the furthest, the tumor would have choked him to death, and his demise would have been a horrible lingering one. It was beyond the bounds of possibility that his life could be saved, but it was thought possible to prolong it a few weeks and possibly relieve the agony he was suffering by the method known as cautery. The surgeons intended to remove part of the cancerous growth in Shelton’s throat by the aid of a wire noose charged with electricity—a painless operation. The surgeons had prepared everything and had just slipped the noose about the growth in the man’s throat when the suffering man fainted away. Efforts were made to resuscitate him, but they were of no avail, and he died without having gained consciousness. The physicians differ in opinion as to what caused Shelton’s death. Some say it was from fright and others from the shock of the operation. The dead man was forty two years old.