St. Paul daily globe., 1895-01-14
AT THE Capitol HOTEL.
He Swallows a TumblerfuI Of
a Most Powerful
Acid,
AND DIES IN GREAT AGONY.
He Was Frightfully Burned,
and Yet Lived Four
Hours.

George Brown. Winnipeg ieweler,
ended his life yesterday by swallowing
tumblerful of nitric acid. He sur
vived for over four hours in great
agony. He died about 10 p. m. at the
city hospital. The motive is not known.
MIR. Brown took the fatal dose at the
Capital hotel, 455 Wabasha street, some
time between $50 and Bp. III. Fifteen
minutes. at least. elapsed before phySi-
clan arrived, and then it was far too
late to counteract the effect of such a
frightful dose.
Brown came to the hotel at 1880 yes
terday morning and asked for room
for the day. A room on the fourth floor
was assigned to him. and he at once
paid fer and went to It, His sole bag
gage was a hand valise. Brown re-
manned in his room until some time be-
tween 8 and O'Clock, when he left it
and went down stairs and out of the
building.
1t was few minutes after $50 p. m.
when he returned and informed the
night clerk. John johnson, that he
spoke Brown threw out $40 bill, which
the night clerk changed, and then as-
signed him to Room 10 on the third
floor. Night Clerk Johnson showed
Brown to his room and had his Yalise
and pipe and tobacco brought down
from the room Brown occupied on the
fourth floor. Brown asked how the
lamp worked, and after the night clerk
had explained it he left.
In less than fifteen minutes afterward
a boarder, named Fetzer, rushed down
into the Office aud said that there
Was q Man sick
in No. 10. He had heard him grOaning.
So had Representative john Al. GeIS-
sler, of Freeborn county, who occu-
pied a room only two doors dis
tant from Browns. Theodore Jams,
the proprietor of the hotel. hur-
ried up stairs. He first tried the door of
No. 10. 1t was locked. The left side of
the room opened upon e skylight shaft.
Mr.. Jams raised the hall window OPEN
ing OH the shaft, and reaching diago-
nalIy across pried open the ground glass
window of Browns room. As he did
so, shocking sight met his eyes.
Brown was rolling over and over
upon the floor and wildly waving his
arms. When he heard the window raise
he struggled to reach his feet, and, at
last, managing to do so, he leaned
against the wall and half-waIked
short distance toward the window, only
to fall back upon the floor and wave his
arms spasmOdically around his head. In
the meantime Mr.. Jams climbed across
the light shaft from the hall window
sill to the bedroom sill, got into the
room and opened the door. Mr.. Geissler
entered and the two went to Mr..
Browns assistance. They lifted him to
a chair, while he struck at them and
motioned them to cut his throat. He
could not speak The acid had burned
his lips until they were cracked wide
open, and the front of lis coat and vest
was
Also Eaten Away.
On the floor lay an empty siXteen-
ounce bottle marked ''Nitric acid" and
designated with the usual skull and
crossbones sign. In response 10 an inn
IleQldlG
Martel appeared, but the doctor was
powerless to aid the unfortunate man,
as the acid had been consuming Browns
stomach for at least fifteen minutes be-
fore tie arrived. Dr. MaItel gave Brown
some alkaIi doses, but the result was
mere etfervescence. IL was too late 10
save the mans stomach.
The patrol wagon arrived soon after.
and Brown was removed to the city
hospital. where he died about 10
O'Clock.
Brown bought the nitric acid shortly
after d. III. The clerk on duty at
Faber's drug store says that short
man with dark hair, eyes, NOUS
tache and short chin growth, entered
the store about 4:30 D. M. and asked for
eight ounces of nitric acid. There was
nothing in his manner to attract atten-
ton. Nitric acid being used for so
MANY different purposes. the clerk put
it up in a sIxteen-ounce bottle and
asked no questions. When he asked
the gentleman TO register his name, as
is the law, the purchaser wrote George
Brown" the same name and handWrlt-
ing as that on the Capital hotel register.
Thereupon he left the drug store.
1t seems that Brown drank the acid
out of a tumbler he had in the room. DR..
Martel did not discover this until he
happened to pour some alkali into the
tdmbler, when the presence of the acid
at once became apparent.
Deputy Coroner Wheaton viewed the
body at the hospital. From pap ers
found in the pockets, it was learned
that George Brown lived at 712 King
street, Winnipeg, and was jeweler by
occupation. His tools were found IN
his yaliSe.
Brown stopped at the Capital hotel
once before. He arrived there Dec. 81
last, and staid one night. The next
day he ordered his trunk brought there
from the union depot, but when it was
deposited OH the hotel steps he ordered
the expressman to take It back. lie
seemed to be suffering from the effects