Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1894-04-17
THE CORoNER's INQUEST.
Inquiry and Result as to the Death of W.
$ knOwitOa.

INJURY ana Result as to the Death OF w.
$. Knowitoa.
Coroner Halves impanneled a jury
composed of j. W. Day. foreman;
Henry S. Powars, $. j. Guvsinger,
Martin Prick, j. X. Brandenburg
ami II. c. Harris. to inquire into the
death of W. S. Knowlton Yesterday
afternoon. Mrs. Minnie McKibben
was the first witness called. She
testified to having known the de-
ceased about two years. He arose at
noon Sunday, ate dinner and went
out. He returned about 5 O'Clock and
seemed in his usual health. He ate a
light supper and retired to his room.
About 8 o'clock he called to Mrs. Nc
kibben to take broken glass out of
his room. Just before that, how
ever, the deceased had called for a
Mr.. Steele to come and sit with him.
lie appeared to be nervous. About
midnight the witness heard deceased
walking the floor of his room. She
next saw the deceased about IL
O'Clock Monday morning, when w. 0.
Negus called her and said that he
thought Mr.. Knowlton was diving.
Witness went To the room and saw
that deccased's face was very white,
and she called her mother.
Mrs. George p. Simpson. mother
of Mrs. Mckibben, was called, and
her testimony corroborated with that
OF her daughter.
W. d. Negus was called to the
| stand, and testified to having known
MIR. knowlton for about seventeen
years, and was his brother-in-law.
He noticed that the deceased looked
badly, and was very nervous the past
two months, and seemed to he failing
for the past two weeks, and heard
him complain of stomach trouble and
sleeplessness. He had called at de-
ceased's room at IL o'clock Monday
morning, and from all appearances
thought he was dying. Witness had
heard that the deceased was in the
habit of taking chloral to produce
sleep, and knew of his worry over
business affairs.
William Dill was put upon the
stand, and testified to having known
the deceased for about ten wears. and
helped him from time to time. For
the past year he had been boarding
with Mr.. knowlton at Mrs Simp-
sons. Witness on several occasions.
sal up with deceased. on one occa-
sion Of which he noticed a vial in his
room. on the label OF which was the
directions: lone teaspoonful every
two hours" The patient took at
] Ia, a hi L.. Nf he
the vial in one dose, and went to
sleep at once.
About noon Sunday the doctor
said he was called in great haste to
the Simpson boarding house. as it
was thought Mr.. knowIton was DIV
ing. Witness went at once to his
room and found him apparently
asleep and breathing heavily. On
arousing him he sat up in bed and
expressed surprise at seeing witness.
and DIR. Eyster charged him with
having tai en- chloral, but he strcnu
ously denied it, saying he had taken
nothing. In half hour he arose.
dressed and went down stairs and
talked nationally.
Witness left. requesting deceased
to call at his office in the afternoon.
which he did. He did not see him
again until Monday at noon. when he
was called to the boarding and found
the deceased living on the bed dead.
and concluded that he had taken an
overdose of choral. as he had found
a val in closet. and from the
symptoms described by the family
DIR. Trursaale's Evidence.
DIR. Calvin Truesdalo testified that
ne had been prescribing for Mr..
knowlton for three weeks past for
nervousness. The patient was very
restless. and would 90 out and get
chloral and liquor aud then tell wit
ness he had taken nothing; was more
or less delirious. found he could not
be controlled at his boarding house,
and ordered him to st. Anthonv's
hospital, and kept him there so that
he could not get away. This was the
week before last. He was kept there
one week, and had regular attacks of
total responsibility. of which he re-
covered entirely, and became rational
Deceased was released from the hos
pital on a promise that he would
drink nothing but what was pre-
scribed for him, and also on the
plea that he had important business
to attend to. Witness had deceased
call at his Office every day. which he
continued to do until Saturday, when
he failed to call, but he had been
about the city and conversed with
people.
The jury returned verdict that
W. S. knowiton came to his death
from the excessive use of choral.
| The Funeral.
The funeral will be held from the
Simpson boarding house, the Negus
mansion, which had been the scene
in years gone by of SO much happi-
ness to Mr.. Knowlton when it was
his home, at 2 o'clock Thursday af-
ternoon. Buford post. 243, &. A. r.,
of which deceased was member
will oiliciate at the grave.
1 ern--