John Kuck's Near Death

 

I wrote about what happened after my 3rd great grandfather John Kuck's death awhile ago. A brief synopsis though is that it sounds like son George Kuck, my 2nd great grandfather from father John's first wife Mary, tried to fraudulently take possession of John's estate. Younger half brother Paul from John's second wife Elizabeth, successfully sued in court and as a result, the court ordered all of John's assets to be divided equally. Each of his five surviving children from his first two wives would get 1/6th share. The remaining 1/6th share would go to any surviving step children of John's third wife, also named Elizabeth. (She died during the court case.)

In those court records described John's last few years alive saying he had been overwhelmed by a gas leak in his house and was never "right" afterwards. Presumably this is when son George tried to take over John's estate by getting him to sign over much of his assets into George's name. Until reading all this in the court record, I had never heard about this particular chapter in the Kuck family legacy and so it was quite pleasing to me to see the above and below article. Transcriptions of both are at the end of this post. It really doesn't supply any enlightenment about the court case but it does provide a lot more detail about what went down on that particular day and the immediate days after. Not included is another brief article a few months later stating that John was able to walk short distances again which does lead one to believe that he perhaps never fully regained his health after this incident until his death at age 79 on 1 Nov 1916.

Transcriptions:

John Kuck Overcome By Escaping Gas - Dr. Hummel resuscitates by means of oxygen and pulmotor. Suffocation by escaping gas nearly caused the death of John Kuck this morning at his home, 802 Ferguson street. He was completely overcome and unconscious when found by Mrs. Lucy Janes, a neighbor. Mrs. Janes did not hear Mr. Kuck moving about his house about 8 o'clock this morning, as she usually does, and suspected that something was the matter, for Mr. Kuck generally rises at 5 o'clock in the morning. She tried the doors and finding them locked decided to go to his harness shop and learn if he was there. A visit to the shop revealed the fact that he had not been there since the night before. Mrs. Janes then returned to her house and summoned Dr. Hummel and Walter Fluent. The two men pried open a window and entered. They found the presence of gas very pronounced in every room especially in the kitchen. In the sitting room they discovered Mr. Kuck reclining in a chair, unconscious. Dr. Hummel sent a hurry up call to the May Drug store asking for their oxygen tanks. Joe Treat answered the call immediately and the doctor began the work of recovering the patient. Late this afternoon, John Kuck had not regained consciousness, but the attending physician is confident that before night he will recover. A note was found on the table in the room where Kuck was found, which was written by him saying that he had taken some medicine because he felt ill. - 27 Oct 1914 - Charles City Intelligencer

John Kuck Recovers From Asphyxiation - Will be well in few days thinks Doctor Hummel. John Kuck, who was overcome by escaping gas early yesterday morning, regained consciousness shortly before noon today. He was given nourishment and Dr. Hummel says that he will recover his strength in a few days. The story of the accident as related by Mr. John Kuck bears out the assumption of his son, George Kuck, who was called to the bedside yesterday. Kuck says that he felt ill during the night and arose to take some medicine coming down stairs for it. After taking the draught, he feared that his illness might be serious and wrote a note which was found on the table beside him, to his son. He remembers nothing after writing the note. His object in writing it was to acquaint his son with his business and affairs, so that he could take care of them if he, John Kuck, should die. George Kuck is still with his father and will remain with him until he has fully recovered. - 28 Oct 1914 - Charles City Intelligencer