KinSource - Tale of the Week - Dead In His Chair

KinSource

Minnesota Tales

The St. Paul Daily Globe, October 22, 1895, p. 1

DEAD IN HIS CHAIR

WILLIAM MILLER, THE WABASHA NEWSDEALER, EXPIRES SUDDENLY.

HAS HAD A SEVERE COLD.

HE WENT INTO THE MONOGRAM FOR A HOT DRINK.

DROPPED INTO A DOZE.

When They Went to Wake Him They Found He Was Dead.

William Miller, the well-known Wabasha street news dealer, was found dead in a room in "The Monogram" at 1:30 o'clock this morning.

About 11 o'clock last night he went into "The Monogram" and asked the bartender to mix him a hot drink of some kind. He said that he had caught a severe cold, and that he wanted to take something that would help break it up. The bartender mixed him a hot drink, and Mr. Miller said he guessed he would go into the little room in the front of "The Monogram" and drink it there. He did so, sitting down at the table. The door was closed and nothing more was thought of the matter until about midnight.

Shortly before midnight the bartender happened to be in the front of the place, and noticed that Miller was resting his head on the table. He concluded that the man was tired, and did not disturb him until he got ready to leave the place at 1 o'clock. He then went in and attempted to wake the man. But he found he couldn't do so. Then he sent across to the Astoria hotel and had James Aldrich, the clerk, call a doctor. The latter summoned Dr. Pine, who went over to the saloon. He raised Mr. Miller's head and stopped.

"Why, the man is dead; he's been dead some time," said the doctor.

Coroner Whitcomb was at once notified. He took charge of the remains, but it is not likely that an inquest will be held, as Dr. Pine said it was undoubtedly a case of heart disease.

William Miller has lived in St. Paul a long while and for many years has kept the news store at 381 Wabasha street, two doors above the postoffice. He is known to all the old residents of the city and has a large general acquaintance through the number of customers he has always had. He was also considerable of a sportsman and loved to get out for a hunt as well as any one. He leaves a wife, but what other relations could not be learned this morning. He was about forty years of age.

The St. Paul Daily Globe, October 23, 1895, p. 2

William Miller's Death.

Due To Fatty Degeneration of the Heart.

Coroner Whitcomb and Drs. Pine and Ohage made an autopsy yesterday on the body of William Miller, who died suddenly at the Monogram saloon at an early hour yesterday morning, and found that death was due to fatty degeneration of the heart.

Miller was about forty years of age and was a native of New York. He came to St. Paul in 1887 and got possession of a little news stand that he conducted ever since up to the time of his death. He was very popular, being a good-natured man and a great lover of outdoor sports of all kinds.