Daily Republican., 1880-06-26
"EY HIS OWN HAND i"
Jacob &. FOaIk Commits sntcfdS
by Taking Temper
nBce Lecture.


aHce Lecture.
"If ever take to drinking again
Pm afraid I'll kill myself" has been
an expression which Jacob c. Poulk
has often used to friends about uowD,
when telling them OF the trouble he
bad in avoiding intemperauce. he
had drank heavily in his tiue and
when this temperance wave struck this
city had signed the pledge. Under
Murphy's banner he labored in the
cause Of temperance, and made many
speeches around town. During the past
tort.night he forsook his resolutions
and had been drinking considerably.
Yesterday hs went to his home at No.
AIS East Eighth street about l2.40
o'clock, and when asked by his wife il
he wished any dinner, he replied in the
negative. He drank cup of coffee. 1t
was noticed by those present that he
acted strangely. lie was somewhat in
toxicated. In few minutes he passed
ont into the back kitchen.
After remaining there short time
he returned to the dining room, and,
sitting on chair, commenced to play
with his grand d-children. Mrs. Foulk
went into the kitchen, and was horri-
fed to find two empty phisls, labeled,
'laudanum" upon the table, together
with couple Of glasses containing q
few drops of the deadly drug. She
realized the awful truth that her hus-
band, while in the kitchen, had taken
the laudanum from his pocket, poured
It into the glasses and drank the po-
tion instantly. One Of the bottles was
from J.. K. Hartman's drug store at
Fifth and Poplar streets, and the other
from A. Kut lman's at Fsurth and Wal.
mt streets.
Mrs. Foulk at ence sent for DR.. s. L
West, and Drs. Kirchner and Brown
wers also shortly summoned. Before
DR.. West arrived the unfortunate man
had fallen over on the floor in an in
sensible condition, and the physicians
found him beyond the reach of medical
aid. He could neither speak nor
swallow. The face was congested
and purple in color. The pupil
Of ths eye was extremely contracted
and the man was inssEsibls to light or
touch. He was taking respirations at
the rate Of three or four per minute.
The physicians rssOrted to all methods
of resrscitation bat to no avail, and he
died about 3 o'clock.
The deceased was about sixty years
of age. He leaves wife and three
sons and two daughters. All of them
are grown, and one Of his daughters is
married. Some years ago he Was "a
active Republican worker, and under
Postmaster LAWS was a letter carrier.
By trade he was worker in iron. He
has not worked at his trade for some
time, but was until recently engaged
in selling tickets TO Philadelphia at
Front aud French streets. Recently
the p. W. & B. R. R. Company refused
70 allow agents to dispose of tickets by
the package to outside parties and this
threw him out Of employment. 1t was
possibly this which caused him to take
to drinking. Ho was quiet and in
offensive man and had but few enemies.
Last evening coroner Bu;9 held an
inquest. Tho jury was as follows: l..
W. Palmer (foreman,) Samuel r.
Lawson, (Secrstary,) Johu Butz, John
Worth, James Carpenter, J. q. William
son, David r. Curlett, Curtis Y. Eaton,
x. Cole, Erhy Davis, L. H. Nelson and
Conrad Aust6Imuhl. Mrs. Cordelia
Foullr, wife of the deceased, and DR..
West were examined, when verdict
was rendered that the deceased came to
his death from an overdose Oflaudarum
by his own hand.