The morning call., 1893-03-15
HE TOOK A NIP.
How Charley Winter Came
to Drink Acid.
HE IS NOW FADING AWAY.
A Curious Porter Who Drank Poison
Because He Thought 1t Was
Good Liquor.
HE IS NOW FADING AWAY.

! Charles Winter. a well-known German
| porter, is lying on his bed suffering untold
! agonies, and the doctors who are in at
/ tendance have told him that be has only a
very short time to live.
Winters case is very peculiar one. he
! is dying from the effects Of curl Osity.
| Strange as this may read, it is neyerlhe-
| less 4 fact that the hankering which caused
! so much trouble 20 old Adam and grand
mother Eve and has prevailed throughout
the world among trail mortals ever since is
tie only reason why man who, two weeks
ago, was the very picture of health. is now
4 mere shadow of his former self and to-
morrow will perhaps be a subject for the
Coroner.
Winter was employed for the last two
years in Max Vogelsang's well-known re-
sort, at 5l5 California street. as porter.
He was a big, strong. healthy man well
! fitted for the place and considered a faith
! tul, honest euplOye.
So when V0Eesaug left for Eurore a few
! months ago and his business was transferred
! to Max Duenow, the latter was glad 10 re-
| tain Winters services.
Duenow. who is a bachelor, occupied
rooms over his place of business, and
| among the pOrteTs duties was that Of
| taking care OF these rooms.
Being somewhat Of a sporty and gay
! young man Duencw some time ago pur-
chased one of these newfangled Edison in-
yentions, namely scarfpin, which is
| attach ed to q cOntriyance with a button at
! the end OF it and which can be made to
/ surprise the beh0ders by suddenly becom-
/ ing Illuminated.
II was just to have fun with the little and
| big German girls of his quaintauce that
| Duenow used to wear that pin occasionally,
| hut before he had used it much he dscOT-
! cred that the electric battery which sent
! forth these sparkling rays over which his
| Teutonic lady friends giGgled so much
! needed to be replenished occasionally.
| Sulphurc acid was the stuff with which
he was told he had to fill the little rubber
| pouch he carried CONCEALED under his vest,
| and a bottle of that acid lie therefore pur-
| chased.
This bottle was duly labeled "poison, e"
and the Gus Omary skull and crossbOues
was plainly displayed.
But TO make sure that no fatal mistake
would be made, Ducnow called his porter
| up, and showing him the bottle containing
the acid, told Of its dangerous contents,
warning him to leave it alone.
Then feeling secure he placed the stuff in
| his closet, where numerous bottles contain
/ ing liquor were also stored.
Next morning when Winter was busy in
/ DuenOW's room he remembered that mys-
| terOUs bottle the latter had been so particu-
| lar about. That must be some extra fine
| whisky the sly proprietor is keeping FOR his
friends" reasoned the porter, "and | sup
pose he thinks he can fool me by telling me
| il is poison"
Going to the closet the porter selected,
among all the bottles which contained bour-
! bon, rye, sherry, port, gin and other liquors,
the one marked poison" and chuckllug to
| himself over his own smaTtness he pulled
the cork and took big swallow Of the for
hidden stuff.
! There was yell Of pain and Winter fell
| prostrated on DuenOw's bed, vomiting sui =
| phuric acid all over it and burning hole $
| thereby into the clothes.
Aroused by the noise Duenow came
| hastily 10 the room, TO find his porter writh-
ing in agony and the bottle of acid standing
uncorked on the table, telling the whole
| tale.
OF course. there was nothing to do but to
| remove the unfortunate man to his home
| which is at 1918 Powell street, and there he
| was put into tue care of several physicians
For two weeks he suffered eXcruciating 2
| pains. The deathly poison e0rroded his en-
! trails, attacked his stomach, his liver, his
! lungs and his whole interior anatomy.
His ewes sunk into their sockets and his
| skin hung loosely about his body, while big
| holes were eaten through his flesh every
! day.
| He was more dead than alive Yesterday,
! and according to the opinion Of his doctors
| Il VIII be big surprise to them if lie lives
| through this day.