The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1877-09-20
From a Southern papcr.1
An A frnoanna SlaNGcM.

A few days ago DIR. G.. a. Hentz received
copy OF Richmond paper, with q piece
marked for his particular notice, over wnlco
was the heading. .t.A Husband Helps his
Wife to Death" Wondering why that
should require his attention, when he was
suffering the anxiety OF a father whose roma
child-a bright little girl OF three summers
lay apparently at deaths door, he read the
announcement that o beloved sister, en-
bowed with her mothers talents, whom
consumption had just carried to her
grave, had been aided to aer grave
by her doting husband, in order, MS was
stated, to end her suffering. There is
in vogue practice termed euthanasIa,"
which is no less in law than murder, though
the motive is termed humane one. The
brother-in-law Of DR.. HentZ was charged
with having committed this crime. The
article appeared in the Richmond paper,
credited to the st. Louis Globe, from whose
editorial columns it had evidently been
taken. Apparently the GLOBE had received
the report from some one who had seen or
read these words, alleged to have been said
by DR.. Keyes she might have lived re-"
DAYS longer" DR.. Reyes is not reported to
have said anything to indicate that out
for anv act OF his her life would nave
lasted brief period longer, but the
Globe writer says it appears that Mrs: heyes
was morbidly sensitive to bearing suner,nS,
as was her mother, Mrs. Caroline Lee iicntz.
Tbj. is known to be utterly false By all who
knew these ladies, so remarkable for their
meek submission to the trials OF the world
and their patient enduring of their many
protracted sufferings. Instead OF desiring
| to hasten the end OF his wiie's sufferings
by death he had made the prolongation OF
her life bis first object, TO the utter disregard
! OF all pecuniary interests. He left lucrative
practice in Rio Janeiro for that purpose, ana
! his last move was to come to Quincy, IN the
hone that the change Of scene and the skill
OF her brother might avert the dreaded end
a little longer. 1t is made to appear to the
public that Mrs. keveS died after an illness
Of but five weeks. Instead OF that, 1t had
Leen evident for many years that cor
sumption bad set upon her brow the seal OF
death. The only fact that can be made
basis OF so monstrous charge against
DR.. Krycs is that she ceased to breathe
Immediately after inhaling chloroform.
In his own family and in his practice
he had frequently used the anesthctic with
out injury. In this instance it was done
with the same expectation. That its appli.
cation was iniudcious at the time, or that
it fastened death one moment, DIR. Hcntz
I thinks there is not shadow OF reason to
believe. The only effect upon the people OF
| this community created by the report is
sympathy for bercaved family, and OF
Indignation against the author OF it.
| The circumstances attending the death OF
Mrs. Reyes have been given the family.
The public have no right to know them.
Every effort will be made to discover the
perpetrator OF this atrocious falschood, and
teach him that narrowing the feelings Of
mourning friends by such 4 dishonorabIc,
cowardIy method cannot be done with inn
punity.
An Atlanta paper gives the letter OF Or.
Keves which led the Globe into its most
unfortunate blundcr. As matter or justice
to that paper we give this unhappiy-w ordcd
letter:
THE NOOK, CALHOUN COUNTY, FLA,
Friday, August 10. 1877. !
The shadow has fallen. At 6 o'clock this
morning Julia died. She might have lived
a few days longer, but could not get her
to take any food except cream for several
DAYS. and not enough stimulant-not Us
once. talked with her about dying; she
said she had no fear OF hereaftcr-no dread
only the pain OF dying. She begged me to
give her chloroiorm when the time came
and let her die easy. l had just gone
out into the yard, leaving the girls max
ing some change in her dress, which
she insisted should be done. When
[ returned l found her stranyling with
the mucous. I tried to get her to take some
stimulant, but she would not. She begged
me to give her the chloroiorm. TO give it,
[ was afraid; to withhold it, was to see her
slowly stran9le. When found she would
take nothing-She begged us to let her die
casy-l gave her the bottle Of chloroform.
She breathed a little Of it; put a few drops
on her handkerchief, then passed her hand
caressinsly over my beard, gasped few
times, and-a great shadow was over the
house!
She lonsed so to be with little Mat. She
seemed to forget, at times, that she had any
other dear ones gone before. We buried
her in the same enclosure with the dear
cLild she loved so fondly. 1t is beautiful,
quiet spot between the two lakes.