The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1880-05-06
A Victim of the Opium Habit.

DIR. Miller, of the Metropolitan Ho-
tel, reported at the New York coroner's
office this morning, April 10th, the
death from an overdose of opium of
Mrs. Deutch, whom he had attended at
234 West Eleventh street. The history
of the lady's life and death is remark
able. Some six weeks ago a stranger
who said his name was Newhall, called
upon Dr. Miller at his Office and asked
if he would undertake to cure o con
frmed opium eater Of the habit. The
patient, he explained, was lady friend
of his III whom he took great interest,
though no tie of relationship bound
them together. After the doctor lad
been treating her for some time and had
gotten her successfully beyond the first
and worst stage of the journey toward
physical and moral regeneration, she
confded to the doctor, as to a friend,
Ter sad history, in which he found a
hidden motive of her vice and sin. 1t
Immediately appeared that the name of
Newhall was false one, and that the
patients professed friend was in reality
her husband, and Deutch was his name.
Her maiden name was Van Buren,, and
she was direct descendant of the his
torical Van Buren, family. Her father
was the once well known DR.. Peter Van
Buren, of this city. Born to social dis
tinction, she estranged her family from
her by her wiful marriage in 1876 to
the man Deutch, whom she described
as a man of wealth, but Of most eccen-
tric manners ard habits. Together
they travelled abroad, but whenever they
stayed he always insisted upon his wife
retaining her maiden name. The intro
duction of her as Mrs Deutch to DR..
Miller was the first instance OF his de-
waiting from this rule. His love for her
protested in the beginning soon cooled,
and he neglected her. Mrs. DeStch had
to provide for her own support. The
climax was reached, she said, when Re,
unknown to her, procured divorce papers.
She succeeded in obtaining possession Of
these and left them in the hands OF Judge
Nanderpool, with the intention OF con-
testing the unlawful decree. In these
unfortunate relations she acquired the
fatal habit of drinking laudanum. She
exhibited to the doctor letters from her
brother General 7. 3. Van BUren, con-
sul-general to Japan. One that was
written TO Deutch handled that gentle
man without gloves. The writer ac-
cused Of wrecking his sisters lie and
happiness and declared that nothing but
her opportunities had moved him to
refrain from calling him (Deutch) to
account for his action in manner more
satisfactory to him than written recrim-
nation. He demanded that he here
after treat his wife as a man should or
take the consequences of his (the
writers) righteous wrath. Mrs. Deutch
was progressing favorably towards re
covery until Monday morning, when she
rose, slipped out unobserved, and OBJ
tanned at drug store bottle contain
ing more than an ounce of laudanum
and drank it. When the doctor arrived
at the house last night she was dead.
To his amazement he found that Deutch
her husband had left. Where he went
is not known to any one in the house.
One of Mrs. Deutch's brothers is Judge
Van Buren, in Chicago, another is the
well-known criminal of that name in
this city. About William DeHtch, alias
Newhsll, DR.. Miller knows nothing ex-
cept that he did not pay his bills.