The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-07-02
DRANK LAUDANUM TO DIE.
EX-POLICE DETECTIVE KAVA-
NAUGH ATTEMPTS SUICIDE.

lowed a BottIefuI of the Poison.
His Act Discovered in Time 10 Save
His Life-..It Was n COwardIy Act"
He said. s.But IL Might Have Been
Better Had 1 Observation-Disclosures
ency the Cause of the Act.
Ex-Police Detective John Kavanaugh
created a sensation yesterday morning Dy
attempting suicide.
The news Of the attempt spread through
the city with great rapidly and the mat
ter was generally discussed on all sides.
Kavanaugh gained so much no;orioty
during the administration Of Mayor Mc-
Donough by his work in detecting and
prosecuting the Sunday liquor sellers,
that he became generally known 10 every
body. That he was regarded with dis
like BY a great many was shown by ths
comments on all sides concerning his at
tempt on his life, many Of which were IN
kindly. TO say the least.
Kavanaughs attempt at suicide IS at
tributed to dependency. caused by the
fact that he has been unable 10 obtain
regular employment since his discharge
from the police force and was cOnse-
quently. in destitute circumstances. with
out prospects Of lettering himself. Ac-
cording 10 a statement which he made to
a Morning News reporter yesterday lie
made up his mind Sunday to make away
with himself His family was In Button,
S. c., and he had been staying with his
old friend and associate, ex-Police De-
tective George Bossen.
Yesterday morning he started out to
purchase laudanum with which to do the
work to which he had made up his mind.
He had taken several drinks, and on ac-
count Of his condition, was refused the
poison at the first place at which he APP
piled. He succeeded in securing two 4
ounce bottles of laudanum at Solomon's
drug store, with which he returned TO
the house of his brother-in-law, ]. w.
Fuoughner, on Houston street, facing
Green square. on his way through the
square he met a friend, Jerry Shechan.
Waterman at the lower cotton press, to
whom he showed one Of the bottles and
stated his intention. Sheehan endeavorcd
10 dissuade him from his purpose and not
succeeding, endeavored to take the bot.
tie away from Kayanaugh. In the strug
gle the bottle was broken. Not knowing
that he had another bottle Sheehan let
him go on his way.
Kavanaugh went on to his brother-in-
laws house. AS he entered he said some
thing 10 Mr.. Foughner, whom he met in
the hallway, to the effect that he intended
10 FIX" himself. Foughner paid no atten-
tion to him, and Kavanaugh went up stairs
and locked himself in a back room where,
as was subsequently discovered, he drank
a large part of the contents of the bottle
which he had hid away In his pocket.
Something aroused Mr. Foughners sus-
picions and he went up stairs to see what
his brOther-in-law was doing. He found
the door locked and was unable to gain
admittance. He called but received no
response. He was endeavoring TO effect
an entrance into the room when Kava-
naugh opened the door and extending his
hand, with the nearly empty laudanum
bottle, said
We'll John, I've fixed myself"
Mr.. Foughner realized the state of af-
fairs at once and sent for physicians. Drs.
Dunn and Warning arrived in a very short
while. When they arrived Kavanaugh was
in q stupOr and they thought at first that
the case was hopeless. They set to work.
however, with the usual remedies. Hot
coffee was given to cause him to vomit
up the stuff, an electric battery was APP
piled and the patient was taken from the
bed, tossed about, beaten and slapped, in
order to restore and maintain the circu-
lation of the blood.
Peter Brown, an old friend of Kava-
naugh's, who was with him at the time he
killed Dennis Garrigan in Washington
square four years ago, was one of the first
20 arrive and labored faithfully with the
stricken man. With the aid of three stout
negro men, Brown enforced the heroic
treatment prescribed by the physicians.
IL
before there was any assurance that the
r4tleut was revivlng. 1t was a close cali
AID ne only pulled through by a bare
chance. Had he been allowed to remain a
half hour longer before his condition was
discovered IL IS doubtful If he could have
been brought around.
When a Morning News reporter called at
the hoEse late yesterday afternoon Kava-
naugh was on the road to recovery. He
knew what was going on around him and
spoke in short sentences, dropping off into
ntful dozes every two or three minutes.
Brown was by his side and saw to it that
his patient was allowed to sleep only
few minutes at a time. Talking in dis
connected way kayanaugh said: Il look
ed for you for two or three hours yester-
day. / intended TO tell you all about 1t
so that you would know why 1 did 1t.
had made up my mind to kill myself"
why did you do it?' he was asked
81 am not going to tell you now" was the
reply. II would have told you yesterday"
Were you drinking?"
81 had had few drinks" he replied" 1T
was cowardly act" he said a little later
II might have been better off if 1 had sue
ceeded, though"
The prospects last night were that Kav-
anaugh would be all right by this morn
ing. His career is too recent to need
any rehearsing. Together with Detective
BosseA, he was exceedingly active in MAX
ing cases against the Sunday liquor sell
ers during Mayor McDonough's admins
tration. This made him many bitter enc
mics, who do not forgive him even now.
One of the first acts of Mayor Myers ad-
ministration was the discharge of Detec-
tives Bossell and Kavanaugh Since that
time Kavanaugh has had no regular EN-
ployment, and to this is ascribed the de-
epondency which caused him to attempt
his own life.