Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1892-04-10
WAS III A SUICIDE
Robert Rivers Dies in a Mys-
terious Manner
WITH MORPHINE BY HIS SIDE
His Friends and Physicians Unable 70
Tel the Cause Of Death--Coto-
nrf PenEaEden 10 invesugzse.

There are some perplexing elreum-
BtAncee surrounding the death OF Hoo
srr Rivers, winch occurred last Thurs
4zy morning about 4:So O'Clock At 5
s'cloek, DR.. Joseph Albright Was
awakened 81 nis rssidence, No. So
scribner street, and Informed tnat ne
was wanted at No. 33 West Bridge
nreet, where q man vas dyiag- Arriv-
Ing Al The Number gwen, re found kiy-
srs gasplng his last. HIS respiration
vas ar, when 10 should have been
sientesn or twenty The doctor tired
10 arouse Dim, bet n vain. tie admin
altered ztlmulants, but Was 10 more
successful. Rivers died a. 4:3O. his
brother, Frank Rivers, With whom he
szs stxylug, said that on Thursday
afternoon nc had removed R0os n from
No. so Kent street, where he had been
boarding. he was suffering Win All
sbcess, for which DIR. Mcpherson had
krealed him, having lanced It twice anu
Dtherw Sc prescribed Tor hlni- IN the
evening of that day ne suffered con
slderabie pain. but b fore retiring, said
he felt somewhat betLer and MAS sure
that when nc laid down and bad some
rect De would DC all right. Mr.. and
Mrs. Frank Rivers went 10 bed, but the
latter did not disrobe. just before 3
O'Clock she tiptoed into Roberts room
10 sec how ne was getting along. Ills
breathing was iaoofed and stertorous-
She concluded ne was sleeping and re-
turned TO her ROOM she continued 10
hear the heavy breathing anu became
alarmed.
his Head on the bed.
She awoke her hu-band aud together
they went into the room. Rot'ert was
living WITH MS head hanging
over the edge OF the bed.
his hands covering his face.
Near by Was wal OF morphine,
part Of the contents OF which had been
taken. DR.. Albright knew nothing
further than this ABOUT the case. He
did not know whether the drug was
taken with suicidal intent or not. Tie
aid he did not inform the coroner be-
cause Undertaken William Koch, whose
establishment Is located on Bridge
street., and VINO had charge of the re-
mains, told him Il Was not necessary.
Frank Rivers said that his brother
had not appeared despondent. That
on the contrary ne was To the best OF
his knowledge happily situated. He
was 80 years o. age. worked IN the
brush factory and appeared satisfied
with hfe. His opinion was that his
brother had taken the deadly drug tor
the purpose OF alleviatlng the pain
which be was suffering, and had taken
On overdose.
John Taylor, Rivers room mate al
No. 90 Kent street, said that the de-
ceased first complained asst Monday.
He did not think that he had taken
any medicine other than atprescribed
by DIR. Mcpherson. William Koch, III
undsrtaker. on beng asked why ne
Aid not report the case to the coroner,
aid it was not his business to investi
rate the cause Of death.
Doctor Albright secured burial per
nit yesterday and assigned the cause oil
feath rs ''morphins poisoning" The
luneral was TO be held today at
Yclock but Coroner Penwarden's notice
vas directed to tue case last night and
hs will hold an inquest before the body
, buried.