Adolph Sandau died very suddenly at the Campbell Rankin ranch just north of Herman last Saturday night shortly after his return from Herman. In company with three other hands he went down there to see his parents, Mr. and Mrs. L. C. Sandau, and do some trading. The other men of the party say they drank beer in moderation while in town, but that the bartender declined to serve Adolph because he was under age, and when they started home they thought Sandau, who was driving, was perfectly sober. They had not gone far, however, when the boy rolled from the seat in great pain, evidenced in half intelligible mutterings. They could not revive him then nor when they reached the ranch boarding house where, soon after being put to bed, Sandau vomited copiously, then fell into what appeared a natural sleep and died without opening his eyes. Mr. Phillips, proprietor of the boarding house, who was called immediately, said that the men were sober, but that there was a strong odor of liquor about Sandau when he examined him. The doctors who were summoned pronounced Sandau’s death due to alcoholic poisoning, and at the coroner’s inquest held Monday the jury rendered a corroborative verdict. The boy’s father took the body to Herman for burial. Adolph was but 16 years of age, and his sudden death came as a great shock to his parents, and especially to his mother who has been an invalid for many years.

#2-25 Nov., 1901 - The Pilot - Adolph

Saturday evening Adolph Sandau, whose father, L. C. Sandau lives in Herman, came into that village with several companions from the Rankin ranch. The crowd proceeded to do the town and young Sandau, who was only 17 years old, got more liquor than he could carry. He took sick on the way home and handing the lines to a companion, he fell to the bottom of the wagon where he lay choking and strangling in a vain effort to cast off the excessive amount of liquor. “We arrived home at exactly 12 o’clock midnight,” said one of Sandau’s pals to a Pilot reporter shortly before the inquest, “we carried him into the house and laid him on the bed, he was limp and one of the boys said he was dead, we then called the folks in the house and at 12:10 Sabbath morning Adolph Sandau was dead”. The deceased boy’s father and Dr. Fulton were sent for, the doctor examined the dead boy hastily and said he thought strangulation the cause of death. The Burt county coroner arrived from Oakland at 2 p.m. Sunday and held an inquest in the evening. The jury returned the verdict that Sandau came to his death by strangulation while under the influence of liquor secured from unknown sources. The funeral will be held in Herman Tuesday afternoon in the Baptist church.

#3-2 Dec., 1901 - The Pilot - Adolph

The autopsy held on the body of Adolph Sandau disclosed the fact that the choking was from solid food which he no doubt drew into his lungs and trachea while catching his breath in a coughing spell. The boys who testified concerning the case said that he was refused liquor and none seem to be willing at present to testify that liquor was found by those who conducted the examination. The case will probably always be clouded as to facts, but it is nevertheless a very sad affair and a lasting lesson, not only to those actually concerned, but to those who may have been among the party.

~~~Obituaries courtesy of the Nebraska Washington County Genealogical Society. Newspaper clippings on file in the Blair, Nebraska Public Library~~~

Find a Grave Memorial #98646187