Evening capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1888-1893, 1889-07-26
Killed By Poison.


w. Wells, medical examiner of the
Mutual Life Insurance Company.
One Of them is sort of journal OF
his suicide beginning with an at
tempt to kill himself by taking
morphine and cocaine. 1t was only
when both these failed that he re-
sorted TO the revolver He says Of
his reason for trying the drugs:
"The revolver would perhaps be
the best, but ] have strong preju-
dice against using IT. Besides, 1t
would alarm the house. ] want to
make my exit quietly, If possible"
He took the morphine first, he
said, wishing to study out for the
benefit Of medical profession all the
symptoms attending his death. He
was inclined to think that cocaine
would act too quickly for his pur-
pose. He took his first dose Of NOR
phine on Friday night at 10 o'clock.
He writes:
"As near as can estimate took
ffty-eight grains of morphine be-
tween 10 and ~ o'clock, it required
nearly that number of injections, as
my syringe only holds half a
drachn. The actual number of in
jections was ffty-four. j drank
three and "A half drachms Of the So
luton, indicating that the quantity
was rather larger than estimated.
"At2a. m. feel the morphine
strongly. No soporiiic effect is yet
manifest. My skin has been COW
cred with an itching prickly rash,
very fugitive in character disappear
ing quickly or passing from one
place to appear elsewhere, extend
ing, shifting, blending and disap-
pearing so that | could not follow.its
changes. My hand shakes SO that
| can scarcely write. This is copied
at $50 o'clock on Saturday night,
my former scrawl being illegible to
any one else"
He went on giving his physical
condition, his feelings and his
thoughts for twenty-four hours.
His thoughts wandered from one
method of killing himself to another.
At one time he was inclined to think
that the injections of morphine
would do the business for him; ut
another he inclined toward cocaine
and wrote this:
"Some time ago | read Of II victim
of the cocaine habit who took an
overdose and died after protructed
and horrible agony. must try it.,
however, before 1 can use the revol-
ver.n
AT A :50a m. Saturday DR.. Wat
ers wrote:
81 presume no one ever had so te-
dious an exit. Pam Mt II loss to un-
derstand it. OF course, | knew
that could take II large dose of NOR
phine without danger"
AZ q p. m. on Saturday, just
twenty-three hours after taking the
first of the morphine, he took five
drops of cocaine. Half IN hour af-
terward he wrote that he had an
"agonzilng effect" ."
Toward midnight on saturday
it dawned upon him that he could not
die by cocaine either, lie wrote
this then:
at seems that misfortune and
failure attend my efforts even In
ending my existence. Now, II oc-
caine fails why may not the revolver
also? The cartridges are ten years
old. Yet they have always been
well wrapped in the original box,
and may be good yet. The revolver
never has been fired. | have only
eight hours in which TO effect my
purpose before shall be disturbed,
Wonder If any amount OF morphine
could kill mc2"
Atelght O'Clock Sunday morning
he was not dead, He was very
thirsty, ~ II result of violent perspi-
ration.
"What would | not give tor II
soul-throbbing glass of brandy or
champagne@n he wrote, He adoed
this;
"l am II tough one, 1t seems. |
wonder II ballet through the
heart or one through the brain
would really kill me? must try IL
for cannot endure the suffering
have at present II Is now $50 n.
m. am no nearer death than |
was at : O'clock.
1T is nov . O'Clock. | will not
fool with death amy longer will
try the revolver. shall ainl for the
heart lust below the lifth rib one
thing forgot. \ symptom not
mentioned heretofore was my ina
biliIy to judge Of distances, Every
thing appears nearcr To me titan It
naturally is, In taking up anything