Westmoreland County PA Archives Obituaries.....Smith, Robert M July 5, 1883
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Donald Buncie http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00034.html#0008389 May 18, 2022, 7:06 am

(Source: Latrobe Advance (Latrobe, Pennsylvania) · 11 Jul 1883, Wed · Page 1) 
Friday morning last, this community was startled by a report that a dead man had
been found in Baker's Stone Quarry, situated at the eastern end of town. An
investigation proved the report to be true and identified the body as that of Robert
M. Smith, well-known to most of our residents. The accident must have happened in
the early part of Thursday night, as he was seen near the quarry at that time. He
was under the influence of liquor at that time.
A further investigation showed that he had fallen from the top of the embankment
down a distance of eighteen or twenty feet, and that his neck had been broken in the
fall. On the grass at the top of the embankment a flask partially filled with
whiskey was found. The grass was also beaten down in several places which went to
show that he had been lying down. The body was found by a quarry man who went to
take out stone that morning. The deceased was about 46 years old and leaves a wife
and six children, in indigent circumstances. His family resides a short distance out
of town. The coroner, although notified of the accident, failed to hold an inquest.
A great many of our citizens censure the coroner and think an inquest should have
been held as there were rumors of foul play. Why such rumors should exist we cannot
comprehend as we do not know what object anybody would have in his murder.
Smith was a native of Ligonier Valley. He was a shoemaker by trade and was employed
in Latrobe at Whiteman and Denman's factory. He was very much dissipated in his
habits and his figure was a familiar one at the different bar rooms. He served
during the rebellion as a private in the Eleventh Regiment, Pennsylvania Volunteers.
He was a member of Company C, Captain J. J. Bierer, and was mustered into service on
September 9th, 1861, and served until the close of the war. He was not wounded while
in the service, but contracted a chronic disease from which he was suffering at the
time of his death. Upon this he based an application for a pension, but it was never
granted him. His body was buried in the East Latrobe cemetery.

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