The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1879-09-26
DEATH or FRED COLE.

The following sad news of the death of q
young man, just in the prime of life, is from
the Oregonian of the 22nd inst. Fred was
born, we believe, in the house just north Of
the M. E. church, and his father, Hon
Geo. E. Cole, now postmaster of Portland,
was in the hardware business in this city in
an early day. The sad tidings falls with
crushing effect upon many friends of the
family in this community, who deeply sym
pathize with the grief-stricken father and
sister, in this sad hour of bereavement:
Yesterday afternoon many persons were
startled by the announcement that George
+. Cole, famiharly known as Fred Cole, was
dead. On inquiry it was learned that his
death was caused by use of morphine, taken
to allay nervous excitement to which he was
subject. Some years ago he received an
accidental wound from pistol, sthe shot
passing through his body. For a long time
his life was despaired Of While he was in
that condition the use of morphine became
necessary as an anodyne. His recovery was
very slow, and the use of morphine was
$ continued-he after time administering it
himself. The habit of it grew upon him,
and for relief to his nervous system, which
never recovered from the shock occasioned
by the wound, he was accustomed to use
morphine at intervals, taking it by hypoder-
mic injection. Like other forms of the
opium habit, the use of morphine is always
extremely difficult to break off On Satur-
day night he retired to bed as usual about
o'clock, his residence being with his grand
mother, Mrs. Cardwell, on Alder street. near
Eleventh Mr.. Charles Cardwell was room
ing with him. About 10 Mr.. Cardwell en-
tered the room and went to bed. Nothing
unusual was observed. Shortly after IL,
however, he was awakened by the difficult
and stertorous breathing of his roommate.
Aid was summoned and Fred. was aroused,
though with some difficulty. He said he
had only taken little morphine, as he was
often accustomed to do, in >fder to obtain
relief from nervous unrest, and begged
everybody to 60 to bed and he would be all
right in the morning. DIR. w. B. Cardwell
at once feared from his appearance that the
matter was more serious /; SO he with the
father of the patient began using vigorous
means to prevent fatal results. By o'clock
yesterday morning they thought the danger
was passed. But after a few hours there
was a decided change towards alarming re-
suits. A call was made for additional med
ical assistance, but it was without avail,
and at a quarter to twelve the patient pass
ed away. 1t is probable that he had made
use of the morpine while not in such posses
sion of his facilities as would induce him to
have proper care of consequences. Perhaps
he had used it a second time while already
under the partial influence of it. At all
events it is manifest that he had used it
while not sufficiently on his guard. He was
thoroughly honorable young man, very
attentive to business, and held place of
large responsibility in the postofice, where
he discharged his duties well. He was
twenty-one years of age ON the 9th of March
last. The burial will take place at 2 o'clock
P. NJ. to-day, though we understand there
will be no public funeral. In consequence
of this sad event the money order Office will
be closed after II o'clock to-day, and the
general postofice will be closed from two to
half past five.