Evening Republican, Volume 17, Number 50, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 27 February 1913 — LEON EIGELSBACH DIED IN HOSPITAL [ARTICLE]

LEON EIGELSBACH DIED IN HOSPITAL

Son of J. J. Eigelsbach Operated, on For Nasal Trouble at St Luke’s Wednesday. n, —7r~v£-« : '- ■--.--i—r ■ _ community was . deeply shocked Wednesday evening when the word was received from Chicago that Leon Eigelsbach, son of J. J. Eigelsbach, of Rensselaer, had died following an operation at St. Luke’s hospital. Only meager information was received until after the arrival home on a night train of John Eigelsbach, brother of the dead boy, who,had accompanied him to the hospital to be with him when the operation was performed. The facts as ascertained by The Republican are as follows. Leon was injured when a boy by falling and striking his nose across a step at his home in such manner as to break the bridge of the nose, and the bones did not adjust themselves to their normal shape but adhered to the larger bones beneath. There was some slight deformity of the nose in consequence and respiration was difficult through that organ. Recently the difficulty had become worse and it was feared that enforced breathing through the mouth might eventuate in lung, trouble. He recently do elded to have the nose operated upon and Tuesday was accompanied to St. Luke’s hospital by his local physician. The operation was performed Wednesday afternoon by Dr. McArthur, a noted surgeon. Leon was on the operating table two hours and a half, the operation being completed at 5:30 o’clock. A small section of one rib was taken from the side and grafted into the nose. At 5:30 o’clock he was taken from the operating robin to anotherroom. The surgeon and nurses thought he was getting along all right and that he would in proper time come out from under the influence of the ether. His brother, John, was not in the operating room during the time of the operation but was near at hand and was in the room to which he was taken after the operation. A nurse was also with him part of the time. It occurred to John that his breathing was very unnatural and labored and on two occasions for a moment he seemed to stop breathing. In a second he would be again breathing as before. A third time his breathing stopped and John stepped to his side as he had done before. He placed his ear to his brother’s breast and could hear no sound. He summoned the nurse and she in turn summoned the head nurse and three internes. They were very active in an effort to restore respiration but it could not be done. Life had gone. There are several theories as to what was the exact cause of death, but the most probable one is that ithe shock of the operation was the pause of his demise. John hastened the sad information to relatives here and soon the news had spread throughout Rensselaer and there was deep sorrow everywhere. The lad’s sad death became the all-absorbing topic in almost every home and business house in Rensselaer and tears dimmed many fyes and sorrow filled many hearts. Leon was a real favorite everywhere. A boy with a buoyant spirit, a pleasing smile, a kindly way, a hearty word and a twinkling eye, he had so conducted himself during his life as to have made friends everywhere. For a long time he had been a deliveryman for his father’s meat market and in this manner he became known to the housewives of the city and among these was there also deep sympathy for the family and much personal regret at his sad and untimely death. Leon was bom in Rensselaer and aside from a few months he spent in the west last year had spent his erftire life here. He would have been 20 years of age the coming May. His brother, John, accompanied by Undertaker Wright, went to Chicago this morning on the milk train to arrange for bringing the body home and it will reach here either on the milk train or the 11:05 train this Thursday night. The funeral will take place from St Augustine’s Catholic church at 9 o’clock Friday morning and burial will be made in Mt. Calvary cemetery, south of St. Joseph’s college.