The 18 “sudden” deaths reported in this article were not all that sudden or even uncommon, but for 1922, it was a frightening event in the city of New York.
18 Sudden Deaths Reported In Night, Three By Autos
One a Suicide, Another From Tooth Extraction, Ten of Unknown Causes
Eighteen sudden deaths were reported to Medical Examiner Norris in the Municipal Building between the hours of 7:10 o’clock last night and 9:10 o’clock this morning. Three of the deaths were caused by automobiles, one was a suicide, another followed the extraction of a tooth, a fifth from a carbuncle from a bite, and one man was killed by a train and another accidentally by gas.
The remaining ten died suddenly from unknown causes.
The list with the time reported, follows:
At 7:10 P.M. — Charles Wenssen, eighty years old … died in Metropolitan Hospital of a carbuncle from a bite. Sent from Bellevue Hospital in the afternoon.
7:20 P.M. — Louis Diamond, forty-seven … the Bronx, died in Post Graduate Hospital of general sepsis from the extraction of a tooth.
7:30 P.M. — Lehman, fifty-eight … died at home of unknown cause.
8:05 P.M. — William Hyer, seventy … died at admission to Harlem Hospital; cause unknown.
8:25 P.M. — Urbano Merando, twenty-three … Shot himself at home.
9:50 P.M. — Patrick J. Casey, fifty-five … died suddenly at home. Cause unknown.
10:50 P.M. — David Cooper, twenty-two … run over by a train on Williamsburg Bridge.
12:20 A.M. — Patrick Cunningham, twenty-eight … died at home. Cause unknown.
12:30 A.M. — William Van Wort, fifty-five … died at home of gas poisoning — accidental.
1:45 A.M. — William Flood, fifty-six … died at home. Cause unknown.
2:05 A.M. — Edward Rowland, sixty-five … died suddenly at home. Cause unknown.
3 A.M. — Unidentified white man died suddenly in front of No. 307 West 52d Street.
3:30 A.M. — Emanuel Volgar, sixty-two … died suddenly in the City Hospital, one hour after being admitted. Cause unknown.
3:55 A.M. — Bennie Gaylor, forty-five … struck by an auto last night. Died in hospital.
4:30 A.M. — Abraham Clotter, eight … struck by an auto last night … died at Knickerbocker Hospital.
8:50 A.M. — William Pheurer, see … died in Lenox Hill Hospital. Struck last night by an automobile.
8:55 A.M. — Morris Phillips, seventy … died suddenly at hotel.
9:10 A.M. — Aaron Rosenberg, fifty-two … found dead.
[Source: The Evening World (New York City, NY newspaper). December 20, 1922.]
