New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-11-03
LIEUTENANT SCH WAIXA CEAD
rOI-ND UNCONSCIOUS WITH A LACDANtM
BOTTLE BY Ills SIDE.
1T IS THOUGHT THAT HE TOOK AN OVERDOSE VI
THE DRUG BY Academia sKEToh
OF HIS CAREER.


po.,o,, o,s Nov. o-Lleutenaut Frederick
schwatka the Arctic explorer. died here at oo 'l''n
morninc He was picked up on the street a'o"'
a.. m In an unconscious condition. Beside MN was
found an empty laudanum bottle. "h'H io"''u "
w,s living on the SIDEWALK In apparent druhReh
stupor All efforts TO arouse him were iu'ne .''
twoounce phial found him wa about nan 'u"
of laudanum He was carried to hol'i "neIe
further attempt TO awake him was made Du' "''no"'
| avail lie manifested symptoms Of opium poisoning
and a musician was summoned. who. after nasty
examination ordered that he be taken To The hosp'
where after a few minutes he expired. lie never
regalncd consciousness. The body now Hes III '''
morcue where Inquest VIII be held t"'morro"
morning Dr. g. II. Wheeler the attending rhys'iah'
when asked rs 10 the cause OF death. said that he
would Insist upon Il pOst-mortem examination. ana
before that was had he could give no opinion NJ
though the symptoms Indicated opium poisoning 'hr'
might be other causes. such as apopl'Ny. lie WOuIh
rather think that Lieutenant SclweIha carried l"ud
anum for some other purpose than suicide. rs h. was
n man we'll vcrscd In the 81 medicine. Lieu
tenant sohwatla had Just returned from visit 10
salem. ore. his former home.
Lieutenant s"hwntka had Of late vears been troubled
with n stomach complaint and WIS In the habit OF
taking hudanum 10 allay the pain Last might he
attended a meeting Of The sicn,on club. and willie
there complained TO friend that hi, 'tomach vas
killing him" lie then went u drugstore and
purchased a twoOuncc bottle OF laudanum rcmarllng
10 the clerk that he was graduate II a medical
college, and that he was accustomed t. taMAe hii,rh
or twenty drops of lauGanum when his stomach wa,
troubled WAcn last seen last night BE- appeared IN
a cheerful mood and gave no evidence that he con,
templatcd suicide. TIL" theory that he committed
suicide IS fast giving way 10 one that h" took an
overdose of laudanum by accident
The life which was thus sadly ended long before
its time was a romantic one Frederick ,chwa'Ea
was n man Of many gift, and attalnmcns. he bore
the reputation OF being Il good companion aud good
friend. and his acquaintance In the Army and
In civil life yesterday there was nothing but sorr""
expressed for the dark ending Of what might have
been AL honorcd and useful Ne for many year, TO
come. He explorer. soldier. author. lnwyer AID
doctor, and proved his fines for nch profession
During his early Efe he printer. aud Ills father
was a cooper. lie born IN GaIena. ILL.,. on
September 90 lsio. and educated at Williams
University. In Salem. Ore, 20 which town he came
with his parents In 1859. lie worked al The TRADE
of printer until 1867, when his great ambition was
realized md he was accepted Rs cadet a. west
Point. He graduated In lsTl aud received AL
appointment as second lieutenant IN the sd Cavalry.
On March 20, 1879, he was made first lieutenant In
the ID Cavalry. While he was In the Army he also
studied medicine and law. In 1875 he was admitted
TO the bar Of Nebraska and he received bis mellcai
degree In 1870 at bellevue Hospital Madlcal college
In this city.
II while he I'm n second lieutenant. how
ever, That he conceived ard worked ont the lG.a a."
Successful execution OF watch made lin famous. lie
heard and becam. deeply Interested la the story =
Captain Thomas +. Barry. who. while On whaling
expedition IN Ropulse Eay, In l-7l and 1913. WAC
visited hy LsquimauN. who described straLs r. who
lad travelled tAroulh That re.iOn evcnl years before
The EsqulmauN said HAT these Lad buried
papers In "A caifn where silver spoons ard other ar
tco, had been found Lieutenant ncAw.taa. f.eiins
convinced that thc stau ger IA; mcnbr,s Of
John Frankln's ilfat,d exp di'loa. Determined .
.carch for tho relies aud, obtaining Of absence
he fitted out an expedition. CA June H. LIS &C
companl,d bv William H. Glider second IA com
mand. be- sailed IN the wlaler Eoti~n Tor King VIII
Inns Land. tn" party returned on september -.
l-sO having discovered aud buried the skeleton. Of
many members Of SIR John Franklin.
parry. The expedition. hiVing t.us
moved most OF the mystery surrounding ue fl/
Of those brave mon. made #, originator popular
hero Among the discoveries made by L"uicnont
-chwatka on this voyage the finding Of ,tr
grave Of Lieutenant John Irving. third o.G.cs q the
IvrFG' ara IN naaiu"i. - "1ny p,H'r rv.S, PLb,.
which wac a copy - ne Cr']i@r r~oid th1i "a'
OF sir Leopold M,Cintock's eSIed ion. tbs oun
tanned two recurds-Onr under date Of April Is.
lsAs, stating that >ir John Franklin had died on
June :. lS41 hi, expedition also marked by
the Longest slcdgc journey record up 10 that time
1881 statute miles. During us Journey brhrh
Of l'ncks River WINS discovered aud named n!ie.
President Hayes
Aicr~ arL L.cutenant echwntla explored the cour,c
II The Nuhon Riv't IN Alaska and IN July, lsei, ho
rcjOnod his regiment. la August, l-s5. he '.lghed
lines ALASKA eAplo ring expedition. lie ,ceNed the
u inris, medal from t.c lmi.rl.! Geo-rapmcni 80
| cety OF Russia ard was an honorary member OF the
| Geographical societies u Berlin, Geneva and Rome
| lie wrote a number Of books, among thom being
Along Alaska'. Great River" Nmrol I'm the North
and The Children in the Cod lie had alsO lie
livered many lectures during TIE last few years.