New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-06-27
A DRUGGISTS FATAL ERROR.
TEN GRAINS OF MORPHINE GIVEN FOR
QUININE.
THE POWDER TAKEN By YOUNG MEKOhANi
WHO HAD A HEADACHE-flVb rhi
CLANS COULD NOT SAVE HIN.

CLANS COULD NOT SAVE HIN.
What appears 10 have been the fatal mls''he
of drug clerk yesterday cost the life ol -l'i'in
Mundt. a young business man Of TINS Guy az"
well known as a member of the S'ecKief AH'0-
citation. Mr.. Nrundt, who was twenty-sN yc'''
old and unmarried was one of three sohs oi h"ls
mund NJ Mundt. a shirt manufacturer oi w
and 1913 Franklin-st The father taxes no do'i'1
part in the business which has been m"n"s0D
Jointly by Martin, his two brothers. olo
jr and Arthur, and Charles Lyman WIZ "
ried one of Mr Mundt's daughters. All WV
brothers lived with their father ana Sou'e
sister, Nellie at the family home, NO. zoo "''V
One-hundred- -and-twenty -frst-st. So far as known
Martin Mundt had no trouble ana no enemy IA
the world had never had days illness IN MS
life, and was blessed with sangulne, hopeiui
and happy disposition. On Saturday afternoon
lie drove out with his brother-ln-law ana the
drive was supplemented with walk flnaliy ne
returned home for the night at O'CLOCK Ills
hand was casped to his head. Asked what the
matter was, he replied that his head burned and
ached as if il would fall off his shoulders
Martin was not used to headache or any other
ailment and grew irritable and hedul under
the in1iction At last he dashed across ST.
Niohoas-ave. to the drugstore Kept oy
William Glonner at the northweS corner OF one
hundred and -twentieth-st 1t is only Sin weeks
since the store was opened Gorner is i'll and in
capacitated for work, and the store is run by MS
wife and in her behalf managed by Ernst Belt
man Two persons were in the Itore when Mundt
entered il. They were Bietma ana his assist
ant Thomas Nichol, who had ben employed there
only two days. Betman finishing prescrlp-
ton, and when Mundt asked for ten grams Oh
sulphate of ouinne the manager called to NlchoH
to serve the order. Now it d@s not appear 'hat
Nicholl had any practical experience with poisons
or medicines, or any legal qualification as drug
gist He had been once know to Bletnan as
soda-fountain hand at BreerS store In ohe-
but for some years he
had disappeared On Friday lie had appeared at
Glopners store, told Bietman that he had been
working in Pennsylvania without specifying what
part of Pennsylvania, and begged for job
Nevertheless, he alOwed to I'LL
NJ. Nundts order. lie disappeared behind tile
prescription COUNTER and a moment later reap
peared with a package laoelled "Sulphate of
Ouinine-ten grains. Contrary to the general
rule, the quinine was maze up III the form OF
a powder instead of pills or capsules.
With the package in lis hand. Mr.. Mundt
walked into the kitchen Of bis home, dissolved
the powder in a glass half filed with water ami
drank it off. Then he went up to bed aud was
seen no more that night. AT IL O'Clock his
brother Arthur, who occupied the same room
with him, found him apparently in sound sleep
and breathing heavily. Arthur did not notice any
thing strange until about o'clock in the morn
ing, when. waking suddenly, he startled by the
ASPECT of his brother. Martin lay on his back
with his arms drawn up and his hands clenched
convulsively His breath came heavily and IN
Quick short gasps. One glance in the race.
buish-white ard at the eyes wide open ana
staring. with the pupils dilated, was enough Tor
Arthur He had read the Carlyle Harris case
and thoughts OF morphine poisoning al once
flashed across his mind In minute ne hau
,orssd tho house and then Drs Ludden Nor
timer. Sheppard, Larkin, and lastly Dr' hiAia,
the family physician, were quickly in attendance.
DR. Ludden, who lives at No 21O west Ohe-
hundred and twenty was nrst at 'ne
bedside. and saw at once that young Mund' was
suffering from morphine poisoning. FOR nearN
four hours the five physicians worked uhoe"S-
incly over Mr.. Mundt, but, despite their efor'S,
the patient never recovered cohsciouS"e''' ~"N
at 8 o'clock he was dead
Dr Rixia on his arrival, shortly before
o,clocl, had told Arthur and S Mundt TO scour the
negbborbood for an electric battery. Ihe Drothers
went N the store kept by a. Carpenter, theh reg
Mar drupgist at NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
I'M. failed 10 get what they wanted. lheh ueS
made for Glonner's store and, after lepea'eu MUM
mo THE door was opened by Betnin .,
man-thc man VINO came mere iaoV - rs ,"nr ~
a.ked for sulphate of auininc-is dying from NOR
mime poisoning" eNciteiy exclaimed A!lui;; j.; ,
served that man said Alchot, fo0 0"lIs ,he room
the store in his shirt and trousers lioh .no
where he slept; he asked for sulphate OF q"'ii'"'
and gave il to him ..ot made BY
Then, according TO the statenleii staN ~, nrescrin
Arthur Murdt, Nichol went behind the piesor,lpI
ton counter looked at the TN canister hayc
hack and exclaimed, My God must nave
given him morphine by mistake ,o.rin battery.
tho hrQ
but when Arthur Mundt asked Nlcholl 10 20 WIZ WV"
him to the house the latter according 10 MS =, nso
replied, have no liiic Dr; M hiAia old ,Ii'' worn
ont and had no wire attachment
On the floor by the bedside. the doctor hau io'nn h
a druggists envelope with Glonncrs nam hdlie "nder "O
head and the suphatc Of quinine lhDei uh'el @
meath When Mr.. Mundt was dead, I)r NiAid,l M dln
cording 10 his story, walked over 10 .hine Ti1,
powders of ten grains each Mr. Glonner ana
Metman were in the store, and as Ihe bIi,o rim
spoke Nicholi came out Of the rear room sooua
Liefman started 70 fill the doctors G o.Gcn
and took the morphine out Of the rcgni"a,vn reg, ,arn'
fat bottle with the regulation red labels ana warn
ing skull and crosShones on the neck,, ni, rou rave
Is that the bottle out OF when YOU, ea;d
morphine to that young man last hig"''
Dr. EiNia. .0...oro, y,..o,. ~rds is a serious
matter foD you, replied the doctor i;ns Mrs,
is dead As the last words left his Hps -o mI
Glonner fell back in her chair screamins ssrr;na %na
laughing bystericaly; while Nlchou III" Wy
into TIE rear room -, ,oicbhor-
Coroner schultz who lives in the helghnyI,, gau,I,,
hood received notice of Mr.. Mundts dca'. S"o, S,,m
after o'clock but did not respond 10 .i.' 81 rht
mons until o'clock ia the eyeninG- ourn1ts :
hours afterward. On hearing Arthur " Nv Ward
statement he ordered Nichols arrest, anu ro the
Detective Sullivan was put on the cas-. Hioholl
Coroner Blctman ridculed the idea that n Hi0'f Ur
could have committed any blunder in serSIns IN W. a
Mundt, inasnuch as the quinine was KEEP, pprnhne III
lin canister plainly labelled, while u'e n rlo'p were
separatcd from each other by the lengths ;,o Ol
Of the counter This argued Bitman mage TIchoIs !,
possible for Nicho 10 confuse the t"99' vr,ar.isv
side of the story h,,T not yet been hearu; ,be no
morning he dsaI,pe red and Tate at nle1' '"e p''
lice were hunting ~ him.
,topI. q icE, E0R ENGLLSH E4HID-Io.