Christian Stabel

To clear up any confusion, our family last name used to be Stabel. Even though the newspapers refer to Christian as Christopher and Chris, his given name was Christian. Now on to the coroner's inquest.

Rome Sentinel May 16, 1891 pg. 2

CHRISTIAN STABEL'S DEATH

The inquest in the case of Christian Stabel whose lifeless body was found in the Erie Canal, was continued yesterday afternoon.

Andrew Bellinger testified: I reside in Rome, am 56 years old; am a carpenter, knew Chris Stabel for the past three or four weeks. worked with him at Oehm's in West Rome; both of us worked on Monday; Chris worked from 6:30 till noon; he was there in the afternoon; about two in the afternoon I noticed he had been drinking; at three he was incompetent to work; he quit at 4:30 or 5; between 2:30 and 3 he got some cider. Fred Schultz and I drank some, the cider was sour, more like vinegar than cider, not strong enough for vinegar. Stabel did not say he would drown himself, he left about 5, wanted me to go with him; I said no; he said it wouldn't cost me a cent and we would have a good time, he said he had $10. He staggered and almost fell; he started east; he had not spoken of having trouble with anyone; he usually walked on the towpath when he went home; when I first went to Oehm's Stabel and I had words but were on friendly terms Monday; had no fight with him.

Fred Schultz testified: I live with Chris Oehm; do all kinds of work for him; was lathing his new house on Monday; know Stabel; had a couple of drinks of the cider he brought to the house on Monday; the cider was two years old; saw no bottle that day; felt no effects from the cider; Stabel was happy and staggered when he left for home at 5. I did not leave the farm that night, don't know of his having trouble with anyone.

E.J. Lawton testified: I reside in Rome; am a practicing physician and surgeon with Dr.'s Nook and West. I made an examination of Christian Stabel on May 14. The top of the head was entirely gone from just above the ears; the contents of the skull were missing; the left eye and about one third of the nose from the top were gone; the cut was very smooth, almost like a knife cut, on the left side it was considerably more ragged; there was a clean cut one half or one third of an inch on the right side of the under lip extending toward the chin. There was a clean cut over the center of the chin 2 1/2 inches long and half an inch deep under the whiskers which was not observed at first; there was a fracture of the left arm between the shoulder and the elbow; over this was a cut 2 1/2 inches long; both legs were broken; skin on left leg was broken; the chest was broken into a pulpy mass ; the sternum was broken; the collar bones were dislocated; the heart was natural as to its size, there was no blood in either cavity; the lungs were congested or collapsed; they were pressed into a small place and were dark colored, not a normal color; the length of time the body had been in the water would not change the color greatly; there seemed to be no water or sand in the bronchial tubes; the windpipe was dry. In a drowned person the lungs are usually of a red color and spongy, not a solidified as these; there is usually more of less water in the lungs and bronchial tubes; sometimes froth tinged with blood is found; we found none in this case, no froth or water issued from the mouth, the heart was on the right side of the body instead of the left. The lung tissue wasn't punctured, was pressed to the right side of the body; there was a tremendous pressure on the chest, downward and backward; usually blood is found in the right cavity of the heart of a drowned person as soon as the lungs stop, the heart fills with blood. We did not observe that the lung tissue was punctured. The abdominal walls were apparently gone. There was almost a clean cut across the abdomen from one hip to another in a downward semi-circle, the integuement was forced up under the ribs.

At first it appeared to be gone. We examined the liver and kidneys; the kidneys were exposed on the front part of the intestines there was about a pint of fluid, an unusual quantity in the stomach. It looked like roily water and had substances in it looking like sliced lemon peel; the strongest evidence of drowning was the unusual quantity of water; the muscles were not rigid, saw no goose pimples on the skin; the evidences of drowning were considerably lacking, there was more evidence that death might have resulted from other means. No water was found in the lung tissues of dead bodies put into the water usually. The taking off of the head might account for the absence of blood in the right cavity of the heart. I think it is hardly fair to look for the usual symptoms of drowning in this case on account of the great pressure the body must have had; such a pressure might change the ordinary nature of things very much. None of the important injuries could have been made by human agency. The smaller cuts might have been so produced they were only superficial. I will not say I'm fully satisfied as to the cause of death; taking the case outside the attending circumstances and assuming that the injuries to the body were produced after death, the post mortem would not reveal the cause of death.
(NOTE: It was believed that the large cuts and massive damage to the body was caused by the canal boats.)

Chris Oehm testified: Stabel worked for me three weeks; gave him a dollar, all I owed him Monday morning; last saw him 5 pm on Monday; I did not go away from the farm that night.

Dr. T.G. Nook corroborated the testimony of Dr. Lawton.

Theresa Baulig testified: I live at 206 S. Charles St., knew Stabel, he was at my house at 5 am Monday and got a glass of beer; then he took a drink of whiskey from a bottle of his own. Saw him again at 7:30 pm at my house. He did not act as though tired, did not think him intoxicated; he had two glasses of beer and went away about 8:30; there was no one in the house but our family and Stabel.

Minnie and Lena Baulig testified to having seen Stabel at their home on Monday evening.

Jane Stabel testified: Christian Stabel was my husband; he was strong and healthy; he had good sight and good hearing. He left home at 4:50 am Monday; he did not intend to come home till Saturday night, it is not customary with him to stay away from home nights, don't know how much money he had; Oehm owed my husband $21 Sat. night, he had paid him $10.

William H. Roberts testified to taking the body from the water and washing it; noticed blood on the whiskers, the pants were torn; the other clothing was not torn.

The inquest will be concluded this afternoon.