St. Paul daily globe., 1893-06-15
LET The CORONER SAY
Whether Mrs. Kpey's Death
Savored OF Anything
Suspicious.
She Dies Of Typhoid Feve1
While Under a Christian
Scientist.
DR.. Beals' Guarded Statement
OF His knowledge Of
the Case.
May and May Not Be a Mat
ter for Official Investi-
cation.

Mrs. John Krey, living at the corner
of South Robert and Annapolis streets,
died June II of typhoid fever and with
out having received any medical treat
ment or advice as to the severity of the
disease. During her fatal illness she
was visited by certain persons who
practice Christian science, the believers
III curing by faith. but their efforts to
replace the ravages OF disease on the
system by words of advice were futile.
DR.. Octavius A. Beal. who has an Of
flee at 4lS South WabaSha street, was
called in after the death of Mrs. Krey to
render decision as TO the cause of her
death for the health department. He
made an examination of the remains
and decided from the external condition
of the body that she had died from
typhoid fever, with perhaps heart fail
ure having set in during the latter por
ton of the illness. He merely gave it
as his opinion that the cause of death
had been typhoid fever and his certif-
cafe Of death was not the result OF a
careful examination of the body
the neighborhood over the death of Mrs.
krey and the lack of medical attend
ance, as the facts have not been made
generally known. Some neighborS,
when questioned last evening by re
porter for the GLOBE. had just heard of
her death, but had been given no par
tcular5.s They had heard that Mrs.
krey was believer in Christian SCI
ence, but their information was limited
to hearsaY remarks. The reporter
called on DR.. Beal last evening for the
purpose OF finding out the truth of the
rumors and obtaining his opinion about
the disease and death. The doctor was
reluctant to discuss the matter for pub
licatiOn, but he said:
DR. Beal's Opinion.
at is merely my opinion that Mrs.
Krey came to her death by typhoid
fever, and probably heart failure was
the Immediate cause. | have been the
family physician for them for number
Of years, and | know that Mrs. Krey
was believer in Christian science. In
number of instances believe some Of
the practitioners of that doctrine have
attended her during slight attacks Of
illness, but it is not my impression that
any other members of the family have
been so treated. There are several
families in the neighborhood who be-
lieve in this doctrine. | think the peo-
pie who attended Mrs. Krey came from
Minneapolis"
"Do you think you could have saved
her if you had been called IMP" asked
the reporter.
That is something | cannot tell. We
can only judge of the merits of medical
attendance from the results. Her nus
band told ME that he had spoken to her
about calling me in, but she said she did
not consider it necessary. The fever ls
a strange thing to those who are not
familiar with it. 1t saps the strength
slowly but surely and person has no
pain at times although in dangerous
condition. Had she been suffering
severe pain am sure that | should
have been called in. Christian science
is all right in case where a person
simply imagineS that he Or she is i'll, but
it is without value as cure when dis
ease is present"
Not Necessarily Fatal.
Would you suppose. from your ex-
animation of the body and from what
you heard from the members of the
family about the illness, that you could
have cured herw
"Well, should not have thought it a
necessarily fatal case. | should have
considered it simply an ordinary case of
typhoid fever" was the reply of the
doctor. The disease is not necessarily
fatal think that something should
be done i'll connection with these faith
curiSts who give people the impression
that they can cure them. | consider
that their treatment is without merit"
Mir. Krey is business man of West
St Paul, and is in comfortable circum-
stances. Tue disease, from the state
,nent of the doctor. was not an aggra-
waited case, and it could have probably
he"n cured if doctor had been called
A the proper time. 1t is expected
". an investigation will be made by
lne authorities.
Coroner Whitcomb has not yet been
Informed of any peculiar circumstances
i'll connection with the death of Mrs.
hrey, but he will probably be informed
OF tile facts today by DR.. Beal. whose
duty it is to report them.