The New York herald., 1868-04-12
C0RONERS' INQUESTs.
A Singular Suicide.

W lIllO CduSc vi tilc utdtu vi
Mrs. Lydia Purcell "a woman of advanced yearsJ
lately residing at 262 Seventh avenue and which hap
pened last Tuesday. held yesterday afternoon
at the Sixteenth police station, West Twentieth
street, by Coroner Rollins. The sudden and unac-
countable manner of this woman's demise In
duced the medical gentleman who had attended her
to make post mortem examination, and on SUBJ
mtting the contents of the stomach to the usual
tests SUFFICIENT quantity of Paris green was found
to satisfy him, and subsequently Dr. John Beach.
Deputy Coroner, who also investigated portion Of
the contents found In the stomach, that by the alb
sorpton into the system Of the deadly poison named
dissolution had been brought about This fact fully
established In the mind OF DR.. Millard he ut once
notified the police, and Coroner Rollins was request
ed to hold an INVESTIGATION Al the inquest no cause
latons were pleasant and her children held her in
the highest esteem. She was intelligent for her sta
self Others Yet there Is little doubt although the
jury brought In as will be seen aqualifed verdict de-
curious phase in her conduct on taking sick, was that
she did not refuse the presence OF physician. She
sen, o lot r reb ha n IVA a
scribed by the doctor, not knowing what would be
their effects and not until she had swallowed twenty
drops OF valerian, dose that would not nure in
FAINT did she complain Of thirst and an intense
burning sensation In the region Of the heart.
Vomiting and purging Immediately set In and con-
tinued with more less violence until death put an
end to her sufferngs She was quite sensible to the
last moment; and yet, while sinking slowly into her
eternal sleep. she made no explanation Of her con-
duct thus throwing upon her husband and children
and her physician and druggist suspicious that,
most injurious. Happily the love and respect In
which she was held by her family were known; and
the characters Of DIR. Mard and the druggist are
above suspicion no blight on the good OF either
can rest.
The jury, on listening to the testimony las follows,
rendered a verdict I'm accordance herewith
Richard Purcell sw0rn-I live at 262 Seventh
avenue; deceased was my wife; she had been ailing
and frequently applied 70 PHYSICIANS but did not
IN inDrOVe. In the latter mart Of Last
went into St. vincents Hospital, where she remained
nearly month; never could gain any clear infor-
nation as her disease other than that she had
eruption OF the bowels since leaving the hospital
she has been much better; left home on last Monday
morning at quarter past six O'Clock; she then ap-
peared to he well as usual; when l returned, at
quarter past seven O'Clock In the evening, found
her very SICK with number OF women around her;
sent them all away except one; deceased appeared
in faint condition though perfectly sensible; found
that Dr. Miard had been sent for again. and at
ten O'Clock he arrived and prescribed for her;
do not know what he gave her, but Immediately
after she took the first dose she began to vomt CON-
planning OF great thirst and burning, as she described
IT, at her heart; nothing seemed to stay on her stom
ach; on the next morning the doctor again called;
at about O'Clock In the morning the fuid raised
was green; do not know whether the doctor gave
her any medicine when he saw her the second time;
the vomiting continued most of the day, and at five
minutes TO four p. NJ on Tuesday she died; at about
half past twelve O'Clock the night Of her sickness
she said II was a hard thing to leave this world,
adding that she would not get well again; about
December last she sent for Paris green for the pur
pose OF destroying roaches have frequently her
use il for that purpose; have not seen her use any
OF 1t for over two months; on Sunday evening she
showed me the effects Of the poison some reaches;
never have heard her threaten sefdestructon; she
was not low spirited, nor had she any cause to
destroy herself, so far as know.
Rebecca Purcell sworn-Deceased was my mothers
on Monday evening was sent for by mother, as she
wanted to see me; when arrived she said she had
| reached mothers house Or. Millard arrived; he
questioned her, after which he prescribed; went to
Crawfords drug store, In lSeventh avenue with the
prescription and got three bottles; out Of bottle
was TO give twenty drops as directed; as soon as
she had swallowed the dose she n, said Dear child
which gave her, In ten minutes after taking the dose
she began to vomit; its color was sea green; during
the night she vomited and strained considerably;
her bowels commenced moving soon after taking
the medicine, and they continded moving four or
five times during the night; she also complained OF
alarming about half-past nine O'Clock on Tuesday
morning the doctor was again sent for; he sent by
my brother two powders which were to be taken at
afteen minutes interval: I gave them accordingly,
and about ten O'Clock the doctor arrived he told
how deceased was aiIected afer taking the drops as
returning said there was no mistake about the
medicine; do not think he gave her any
two or three times during the day; de.
ceased gradually grew worse and died at I'VE
minutes to four o'clock on Tuesday afternoon; only
gave her once OF the twenty drops as prescribed by
DR.. Mard, and once ten drops out OF the small bot
te she did not refer TO anything that led to the I'm
have often Paris green in the house. which was
used by her to destroy roaches on Friday evening
she told me she would be eaten up with reaches.
william Purcell sworn deceased was my mother;
know nothing different relative TO her sickness
other than has been stated; when Dr. Mlard arrived
on Friday morning he prescribed some powders how
many OF these deceased tooksI do not know.
Henry B. Mard, M. D., sworn IL was called to
see deceased o little after ten O'Clock on
Monday night; l arrived at the house Of
deceased about halfpast ten O'Clock and
found her lying on q sofa and was informed that
the Immediate trouble aintng its, also that she
mad been In St vincents Hospital for rupture some
months ago. knew nothing Of her condition other
wise; examined her carefully and concluded there
was nothing alarming, and prescribed ammoniated
valerian dose twenty drops; then Hoffman's ano
dyne dose ten drops and spirits OF camphor; next
morning near eleven O'Clock, deceased's son came
TO my ONCE and said his mother had been vomiting
freely during the night and that she could not Keep
anything on her stomach; sent by him two pow.
dtrs OF ipecacuana-quantity twenty.dfth part OF
grain each--and reached the house OF deceased
at twelve O'Clock and found her in partial COZ.
lapse, and then had the history of the previous
nqht 10 was similar to what has been stated by the
previous witnesses; finding all the symptoms OF
cholera morbus questioned deceased az 70 her Diet
and administered oxidote cerium TO stimulate neIi
returned about hafpast one and found that the
yomit. had suD3ldeu. but all the other