Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1875-12-24

SUDDEN DEATH FROM CHLoRoFoRM-
The wife OF the Right Hon. Hugh Childers, a
prominent liberal and q member of the
Gladstone cabinet, died very suddenly on
december 1. while visiting at Mr.. Dalgetty's
place, LOckesly hall, in Hants, England
Early in the morning Mr.. Childers spoke to
his wife. and receiving no answer he went
round the bed. She was lying on the pillow
face downward, with her head between the
pillow and the side of the bed, and, in her
hand was four ounce bottle which had
contained chlOroform, but was then empty,
or nearly so; strong smell of chlorofOrm
pervaded the room. A small "drop" glass
and q glass stopper were found under her.
Mr.. ChllderS felt near the heart, and discov-
ering no pulsatiOn he called his daughter
and alarmed the house. A physician was at
once sent for, but life had been extinct about
two hours. 1t had been her custom to keep
in her room small bottle containing eight
or ten drops of chloroform, from which she
would take a sniff, though often for months
together she had no use for 1t, and he knew
as matter of fact that she had none in her
room for the last two months. She dreaded
sleeplessness as totally prostrating her. Mrs.
Childers had brought the bottle of chloro-
form with her from the town as matter of
precaut1on, as she would be away till the
end of January. 1t was In the washstand
drawer on the Monday night, and he sup
posed that, being restless, she got out of bed,
got the drop glass and chlorOform, and the
night being bitterly cold, carried them back
TO bed, intending there to measure the ten
drops. The bottle had glass stopper, and
she probably went to sleep with the bottle in
her hand, and the heat forcing the stop
per out, the contents flooded the bed. The
physician was of opinion that if the bottle
had had cork instead of a glass stopper,
Mrs. Childers would now have been alive.
Boston has no VIM Is. Astor to die and
leave untold millions, but ii has nearly half
hundred milliOnaires, aud any quantity of
men worth half n lion dot Ia RS each. Prob
ably the richest man here is Weld, of the
shipping firm of Weld & Co., East India
merchants. At last accounts he was worth
S1S,OG0,O0O. He owns more ships than any
other man in America. Several years ago
this firm was brought up with a round turn
by Uncle Sam, who had detected the firm i'm
demanding the customs revenue. The troU-
BILE was finally compromised. Perhaps the
been Joshua Sears, whose estate is valued at
$780, 900, eco. The property is in the hands Of
three trustees. Among our other rich men
are the Hemenways, the Lawrences, the
BrOokses. and others / might name. The
house OF Hemenway Is worth fully SO 900 900.
He has made his money in the South Amert-
can trade, dealing principally In wool, cop
per ore and nitrate Of SOde. Only few OF
the merchants Of the old school are now 10
taken their places to increase the fortunes
left them, and, as chips, they exhibit most
successfully all the characteristics of the old
blocks. Those men never NEEDLE with fancy
stocks, but invest In the old, reliable, SUBJ
stantial kinds, which produce 10 per cent. in
terest every time that a coupon is presented.
ALL these men, although residing In very
elegant mansions, live very economically,
and deem 1t q religious duty TO read the
Daily Advertiser thoroughly every morning.
BOsf0n Letter.