The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1894-10-01
DIED FROM VANITY.
Bell White of Chicago Dies in
the Operating Chair.
She Was Being Treated for
Facial BIemishes.
TOO MUCH COCAINE.
Performers of the Operation
Have Been Arrested.

CHICAGO, Oct. belle White, %
years of age, daughter of BENJAMIN
S. White. a wealthy umberman- died
at Woods hotel yesterday morning
about 10 o'clock while under treat
ment for the removal Of facial b1em-
ishes. Death was caused, it is sup
posed, by the use of cocoaine to
deaden the pain from the application
of an electric current which consti-
tuted the means of treatment The
operator was DR.. Sophie Santa of the
DR. Sophie Santa company. Eliza A.
James, the business partner of DR..
Santa, was assist ting in the operation
a the time IN one hand DR. Santa
held the electric needle and in the
other sponge saturated with q four
per cent solution of cOcoaine, which
she applied at intervals to deaden the
intense pain caused by the needle,
She had almost completed the treat
ment, when Miss White gasped for
breath, and before the operator could
assist her, she slid from the chair to
the floor, dead Aid was hastily SUM
moned and restoratives applied, but
without avail, the young woman hav-
ing died almost instantly. DR.. Tall
man, the only physician called, arrived
too late to be of any assistance, and
as the people in room Al, where the
dead girl lay, acted in rather
strange manner, he informed the po-
lice and DIR. Santa, with her assist
ants, were locked up until the exact
cause of the young wOman's death is
known There is no thought. how
ever. that the death was the result Of
anything but an accident DR.. Tall
man described his visit as follows
ssWhen L reached the room 1 heard,
through the closed door, a woman's
voice repea ting Is she dead?' /
1xr A n
elderly woman opened the door
When she saw me she banged the
door shut again. / felt something
was wrong and l forced my way in.
told the woman I was a physician. and
brushing her aside, found two men
making vigorous efforts to revive
woman. As soon as / looked upon
the woman 1 saw she was dead
said you can not do anything; that
woman is dead
1.-The elderly woman who opened
the door began lamenting and cried
out: I only used a 4 per cent solu-
ton That would not have killed her
a per cent solution Of what?
asked She replied. cocaine She
said the young lady was sitting in
chair while she was at work re moving
the outer cuticle from her face To
deaden the pain she kept brushing
the face with the solution of cocaine
Seeing that my visit was Of no avail
i LETT the room had neard enough
to warrant me in thinking that the
interested people intended to hush up
the affair if they could I telephoned
to the Harrison street station and adj
vised the arrest of all the parties in
the room at once by way of finding
out the truth.
IAN amusing incident occurred
when I left the room that has its
serious aspect in showing to what ex-
tremes of danger a woman Is willing
to GO in order to beautify her face.
In the corridors was an old woman,
well dressed. She stopped me and
asked if there would be any danger
to her in taking the treatment She
said she wanted to get rid of her
wrinkles and was ready to try the
treatment. / told her of the fate of
the young woman and she replied
that she knew the girl had died in
the chair, but she believed herself
strong enough to bear the pain with
out hinching. obviating the necessity
of cocaine
The father of Miss White is a BUSH
ness partner of Don j. feathers, the
welI-known capitalist of Grand
Rapids, Mich