The daily gazette., 1877-08-13
SUICIDE.
WILLIAM SANDERS ENDS HIS LIFE By
TAXING sTRYCHNINE.

WILLIAM SANDERS ENDS Hrs LIFE BY
TAKING sTRYCHNlNE.
About five o'clock Saturday evening, las
Mr.. j. e. Richardson was proceeding
along West street, between Fourth and
Fifth, he discovered man sitting on
the steps OF the Quaker Church yard who
appeared to be sick and who, in response
to an inquiry as to what allied him rep1i-
ed that he had taken strychnine. Dr.
Wales, who happened along soon after,
examined the man and found him suffer-
| ing from the poison, when he administer
ed what remedies he had on hand, but
without much effect. Mr.. Thomas /.
Russell soon after passed by with his un-
dertaker's wagon and took the unfor-
tunate man to the Aims House where
he died shortly after his arrival.
Yesterday afternoon at the City Hall,
Coroner Rose held an inquest, when it
was ascertained that Sanders, for several
years past had been an inmate of the
Aims House, where his board had been
paid by the Society of Friends of this
| city Several months ago they notified
him that they would support him no
longer, as the physicians at the Aims
House certified that he was able to work
tor his living. He remained there, how
ever, and on Wednesday last he paid
Mr., Barlow, the Superintendent, two
dollars for weeks board, stating that it
was all the money he had. Saturday af-
ternoon, about four o'clock, he informed
Mr.. Barlow that he was going to leave,
after which he was not heard from until
he was discovered sitting on the church
yard steps.
| On his person were found three letters:
One to j. HI. Clark, of Newark to whom
he left his trunk, chest of tools, and
other personal effects; one to Allen
Gawthrop, of this city, thanking him for
various acts of kindness; and one to the
Coroner, informing him of his intenti or
to commit suicide by taking strychnine
and asking him to require the doctors to
make thorPRgh examination of his
Dr. Wales,i in his testimony, stated that
Sanders had taken about twenty-five
cents worth of strychnine, which he
(Sanders) said he had obtained at Nc
InalPs drug store.
| DIR. Quinby was summoned as wit
ness. but he declined to appear. stating
that he had treated the man occasional
ly for sickness previous to his death, bu
this fact had no bearing whatever upol
the cause of death. He was brought be
fore the jury on a cdpids, and made th'
above statement, when one of the jury
men suggested that the room be cleare'
OF all except the jury, witness and Coro
hOAt IL OioCl VIC OOCbOi lb liCCl,
lgive his testimony. This suggestion wa!
carried out, but the Doctor insisted tina
the jury had no right to make him dis
, close what affection he bad treated tn
! man for, as they had already ascertained
by post nortens examination, what wa
the immediate cause of his death. Ha
his testimony been necessary to establs
the cause of death he would have give
y it freely and without reserve.
The Doctor was not pressed for furthe
testimony, and after short deiberatio
! the jury rendered a verdict that Sander:
death was caused bp strychnine, admir-
istered by his own lands.
Deceased was a son of the late Ell
Sanders. of Christiana Hundred, and wa
about fifty-five years of age. For man
years he made his living in this city b
selling beef skewers. to the butchers. TIL
body, unless taken charge of by friend
will be inferred in Potter's field.