Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1882-06-29
SEEKING DEATH.


A MOST DETERMINED SUICIDE
John t. Parrish Poisons Himself at th'
Black Horse Hotel on Account of
Domestic Difficulties.
Yesterday afternoon John T. Parrish
house painter, aged about 65 years
poisoned himself by taking ten grains o
morphia, and died from the effects of the
drug about one o'clock this morning.
The suicide was a most determined one.
From evidence taken before the coroner 4
jury and from other sources We learn that
Parrish went to the drug store of 3. S,
Muhlenberg yesterday forenoon and asked
Mr.. Martin, the salesman, for 20 cents
worth of morphia He was asked if he
had a prescription, and on answering in
the negative was asked what lie wanted
with it. lie said he wanted TO try an ex.
pertinent. Mr. Martin refused to sell him
the drug, when he said he would get it
somewhere else. While at Muhlenberg's s
store he complained of his wife from whom
he had been separated, and was told that
fhe could not get along with her he had
better 60 to tho West where he came from
recently. He left the store, but returned
again in the afternoon and again asked
for the morphia. He was again refused
and left the store. At later he called at
the drug store Of J. Ii. Kaufman, and
tried to purchase ten grains of morphia
He was asked il he had physiciau's pre-
scription, and when he said he haG not he
was refused tho drug. Having found that
he could not get the poison by direct
means, he resorted to Induction, and, call
ing at Frey's drug store, he represented
that he had been sent for the morphia by
Lebanon physician, who wished to use it
in his practice. He obtained the drug and
took it to the Black Horse hotel, entering
the house from the rear. AS he came up
tho yard, MIR. John B. Slough, the pro-
prictOr, noticed that hc was crying, and
asked him what was the matter with him.
He answered that he was in great trouble,
and did not want to live any longer.
Taking tumbler of water from the bar
room he walked up into his own
room. His emotion and his general ap-
pearanca and his remark that he was
tired Of life, induced Mr.. Slough to think
that perhaps there might be something
wrong with him, and ina very few min-
utes lie followed him to his room. On the
floor he found the label of tue paper in
which the morphia had been wrapped, and
Parrish told him he had taken dose. Mr.
Slough insisted On his coming down
stairs, and then hastcned across the street
to Frey's to ascertain whether Parrish had
purchased mOrphia there. MIR Frey recog-
nized the label, and the description given
Of Parrish answered to that of the man to
whom the morphia was sold. Physicians
were sent for, and pending their arrival
Parrish was walked rapidly up and down
tho yard to prevent stupeiaction
from setting in. Dr. Reed was
the first physician to arrive
l., Al
man could not live, having taken 10 grains
BY O'Clock he was unconscious. At
later hour DIR. King and other physicians
visited him, but he was beyond the reach
OF all surgery, and died at one o'clock this
morning rs above stated.
Parrish was an Englishman by birth,
crme to this country when a young man,
married a wife, by whom he had two sons
who arc yet living in New York in COM
Portable circumstances. His wife died and
he became addicted to drink. Some fifteen
years ago, or more, he came to Lancaster !;
and married a daughter Of Edw jacobs, !
10y whom he had four children. 1t is said ,
lie quarrcled with his wife and left |
her two or three years ago, and
went West. Last Monday week he !
returned to Lancaster, but his wife re-
fused to live with him. This greatly cx
asperatGd him, and he made threats to her !!
that he would kill himself and her too. |
From the following letter from his wife to
Alderman McConomy it would seem that
he had succeeded in getting poison from !
some other source before he bought the |
morpha Mr.. McConomy, however. did |
not receive tho letter until : o'clock last
evening, 10y which time the drug had done
its fatal work
MIR. McCONOMY You will please be
kind enough to have my man arrested lie
left me niue months ago, and because I
won't live with him, he came out to the
bouse drunk last evening at 1 o'clock
and threatened to kill me and to day
while [ was walking away from home he
fetched poison to the house and says he
will poison himself and me. l am afraid
of my life with him. would have como
myself, but he says he will lay for me.
The bearer is my son ask him !; he will
tell you how he left me with four chill
dren and put three in the Home was
not able to keep them. l should like to
have something done with him. His name |
is John T. Parrish, and boards at Black |
Horse hotel. Mrs. L. PARRISH.
475 High ST., Lancaster.
At 8 o'clock this morning Coroner
sShihSh pNuOiiOu tIC ADiiO"tIS Ju1y W |
hold au inquest on the remains J. X. |
Smaling, w. S. Sutton, ]. M. Good. John |
Rudy, Samuel SloLsh and Thomas +. Nc. !
ElligOtt. DIR. Compton acted rs coroner's |
physician. The jury returned a verdict of
suicide from the use of morphia
Mr.. Slough, of the Black Horse hotel,
secured the services Of physicians and did
all that could be done to save the mans
life.
G. ". Brown and other painters for
whom Parrish worked say that he was a
very sober and industrious man, but more
than once limited at seif.destruction, owing
to his domestic troubles.
This morning Parrish's body was taken
\ to the almshouse for interment, his wife
saying that she was too poor to pay the
funeral expenses.
The Auditors.
Dr. VIM. Compton, coroner physician,
was before the county auditors this morn
ing and he was asked number of ques
tions in regard to the manner in which he
made examinations and drew fees during |
the reign of Coroner Mishler. Scarcely |
anything new was shown and not nearly |
as much as this paper has often shown. |
The doctor was asked if he had an az
rangement by which he divided his fees |
with the coroner. He stated that he had |
not, but he had made presents to coroners |
which he thought he had right to do if |