The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1889-09-22
DIED In AN OPIUM JOINT
4 Prominent Railroad Contractor Killed
BY Smoking the Deadly Drug.
aed Endlng OG the Life OF r. ~. Matthews
-Mis Firxs Exvsersence NJ HIT
ttng the d EnSis
Fatally.
Special 70 the Standard.

log CABINS. i Dey OTe OccuDieNI uE1fb1IIy ny |
the workmen of the nciRhborin9 Parrot
mine, but the smallest and N hut
Of the whole group Is Occupied by u Chi
naman named Ali Chung and his wife.
The cabin is about twelve feet long by
ten feet wide, IL about seven feet high. OF
one story, and built of logs. The inter
stices between the logs are plastcred with
clay. There il no sign or writing on the
house or doorway tai Indicate whether IA
Chinaman ar u white man lives there,
hut the miners of the vicinity know il as
the wash house Of Ali Chung. To the NC
cret few il is known as an opium joint.
The interior of the hut ID divided by n
thin partition Of rough scantlinRs into
two rooms. The front room In about
eight feet deep, and Ia crowded fall of
miscellaneous household goods. At one
side stands a cook stove, it's pipe leading
the ceiling. A large ironing board occu-
hanging over IT,. The walls are decorated
with a undre miscellaneous articles
known TO the Chinsse.gi picsIres Of
common wooden chairs arr. near the
stove. Behind the stove a doorway cut
through the partition leads into a small
with bed clothing. and without head
tire width Of the four-foot room. A mass
of trash il heaped upon the floor at the
foot Of the bed, and hung ON IN walls and
Into this opium joint at : AS o'clock last
evening walked Mr.. Matthew'S, of Minne-
Pacific railroad, and one OF the best
known railroad men In western Montana.
He was i'm perfect health, in the full vigor
Of manhood, ~ years old. weighing 225
PHHSniss; r"s X 3 s a'cIiosi o this %"s morning
the corpse Of Mr.. Matthews from the joint
Mr.: Matthews was a member of the con,
Hyrn,Sssr- A.ra ~ AHnttnvya RrpfbssrS n
Kerrick. He left the camp OH the North
ern Pacific railroad near the city at 7:aO
of Whiting the pipe" as he told Frank Sui
Ivan, foreman OF thef firm. Mr.. Matthews
was accompanied on his fatal visit by T.
&. Krech, the firms bookkceper. Mr..
Matthew's had never tried opium smoking
before and made the venture for n lark.
ar experience. He had heard "a great deal
about it's effects and decided to try ii. ALI
Chung did the washing for the camp and
had invited Matthews to come down and
On entering the joint Matthews first sat
down and smoked al cigar. After about
where the Chinaman, All Chung. was pre-
pairing the hop for the pipe for smoking.
t mt ninc wi ngan AZ chnns had prnSarsd.
The pipe contained old opium. which had
becn used once. After four or five min
ali the emil He described his sensa-
tions as most delightful. Mr.. Krcch says
Matthew'S strongly urged him to try IL. He
Thought Matthews smoked ten or twelve
pipesful up To 10 o'clock. He kept talking
i'm a fantastical manner. describing his
heaven OF anything he ever experienced.
i. Mon hs"T S.r.s T". les lead fo @ sa ss d life sSas he he
might enjoy Il. About five or ten minutes
after smoking the last pipe he became
appeared serious and Krech and the
They succeeded in arousine him in about
AN hour. Matthews, then being able to sit
up ON the edge OF the bed s1;, The net tn Il, 2 nan
tie. The bottle. which was shown to u
STANDARD reporter, is of Chinese manu-.
straw. II contains a dark, thick liquid,
which gives forth a most horrible smell.
II Is prono1nced by Chinanhen to Ok a
like worccstershire sauce. The him
man was all the time confident that
in a minute or two, he again laid down
and at once lapsed into a state of stupor'
availing. He died. Mr.. Krech thought,
about 2:45 O'Clock i'm the morning. All
Chung told Mr.. Krech it was opium that
Matthews had been smoking and Mat
thews gave the Chinaman's wifeS1 for the
opium. Krech says he himself fell aslecI
the morning and remained asleep until /:
o'clock, when the Chinaman had aroused
him. who said lac could not hear the man
Word was Immediately sent to the rail
road camp and at 3 30 o'clock Frank SUI
livan. the foreman, was at hand. Mat
thews was then unconscious but Sullivan
thinks he was still breathing He took him
out of doors into the fresh air, the air IN
the hut being sitting. In about five min
utes he felt of Matthew'S again and found
him to be cold. w. ID. Matthews. brother
of the dead man, arrived at 4 O'Clock IN
the morning. He thought at the time hs
could feel IA little pulse i'm his brother
wrist.
Coroner Howard was summoned as sooi
as possible, and pronounced the maj
dead after a brief examination. The bod!
was removed to Sherman's undertaking
rooms i'm Galena street, and a jury wa
I'm for an inquest. which wa
held at the office of DIR. Howars
early this morning. The testimon!
s~ubstantiated the story as IL In give
above. Ali Chung, the proprietor OF tn
Joint, said that the deceased only smokes
three or four pipesful at the outside. n
said that he went 10 sleep and PRESENT.!
made a ''heep" noise. He died aboa'
3o'clock in the morning. The Chinama'
was positive that opium was not the cals'
of his death. He admitted cooking tn
opium FOR Matthews when he asked Tor 4
Miss Jennie, the Chinaman's wife. san
that Matthews smoked four or nve pipes
ful Of opium. He laid down on the be
and the Chinaman heard u noise INK
snoring before he died.
Nick Abegg, who lives the third doc
-. IT, a. the two nlea