The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-04-18

Morphine Given Instead Of Sui
fan0l.
ALRIGHT YOUNG MAN THE VICTIM
wallace Kerr, An Attorneys Clerk. Dies
From . Carelessly Sold or Pur.
chased Poison.

Wallace Kerr, young man quite well known
In Seattle, died yesterday afternoon OF morphine
poisoning at his lodgings, No. COL Seventh
street, the drug being taken by mistake. Ger
for the mistake, but just where to locate the
blame has not been determined, and probably
never will be-
Mr.. Kerr, who was only = years old, came to
Seattle from Massachusetts, year ago, and for
the past ten months he has been in the employ
of the law firm of stratton, Lewis d Gilman as
bookkeeper and stenographer. Wednesday be
felt unwen and asked to be allowed to 60 to
his lodgings. Half an hour later Mr. Gilman
sent Dr.. p. B. NJ. Miller to look after Kerr, and
the doctor reported that the young man was
suffering from Q slight attack of ID grippe.
Wednesday night Kerr slept but little, and his
roommate, Robert S. Coe, bookkeeper at the
Merchants National bank. attended him con-
tinually. Thursday night Kerr felt much better,
but was very restless and could not sleep Not
wishing to pass another sleerHss night, about
II O'Clock he asked his roommate to go to drug
store and get him twenty grains of sulfanol.
Coe went to N. A. Thompson's drug store, at sos
Third street, and got what he supposed to be
sulfonal, but what proved to be twenty grains of
sulphate of morphine. Kerr mixed the fatal
powder with water in q spoon and took the dose.
Mr.. Coe was very tired and went Immediately
to sleep. At O'Clock in the morning he awoke
and was startled by his friends labored breath
ing. 1t took but moment TO learn that Kerr
was all but dead. Hastily dressing himself he
ran for DR.. Miller, and che PARTICLES of powder
coated in the spoon the doctor found to be NOR
he was suffering from morphine poisoning.
DR.. Miller worked faithfully with Kerr and
kept him alive until o'clock in the afternoon,
when he died, not once having regained con-
sciousness.
His body was quickly removed to the morgue.
Mr. Coe is positive he asked for sulfonal at
the drug store and he says that he had no way
of determining that the powder was any other
drug, as the bottle that contained the poison
was not labeled.
Manager J. o. Hooper, Of the drug store,
waited on Mr.. Coe, and he is quite as positive
that the young man did not call for sulfanol. He
said last evening:
'Just before 1 closed up . young man called
and asked for twenty grains OF sulphate of NOR
phine. asked:
"'Sulphate Of morphine, did you say and he
said yes SIR I then got it and gave it to him.
always ask Q customer second time when a
poison 10 called for, and in that way keep from
making mistakes
Young Coe says he does not call to mind the
fact of the druggist repeating the question, and
he says that it would be quite impossible for
him to ask for ''sulphate'' of morphine, as he
never heard of that kind of morphine before
E. ]. Cope, commercial traveller, who was in
the drug store when the purchase was made,
says he believes that Coe called for sulphate of
morphine
The theory most generally advanced is that
Coe asked for sulfanol, but spoke the name Of
the drug indistinctly, so that the druggist mis-
took it for sulphate OF morphia- The drug
clerk then repeated what he understood the
order to be, and Coe. not listening attentively.
and supposing his order to have been heard
Alright, responded "Yes, sir" This Is nothing
but theory, but it is the one most generally
advanced by those who have investigated the
unfortunate affair.
Mr.. Gilman deeply regrets Kerr's sad death
and intends investigating the mistake. He says
some one surely ought to be punished.
Kerr's home 10 at Malten, Mass, and his
parents win be notified by telegraph Of his
death.