The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1895-08-11

Louis Stearns, we'll known young
man of this city and the proprietor of
cigar store on Second South street.
east of the Mint saloon, died yester-
day about $50 from the effects of an
overdose of morphine.
Stearns met with an accident while
a member of the Sixteenth infantry
which cost him an arm. While on
picket duty he lost his cap and in
reaching for it his weapon exploded
and blew the member off. The injured
stump was amputated and Stearns
was discharged.
But the operation was not successful
and some five months ago the second
operation was performed by DIR. Pink
erton. For some reason it gave him
great pain and he has of late been
using morphine to deaden the anguish.
Church Castle, the prescription
clerk in Cries Bros. has been furnish
ing him with the drug. Castle sleeps
with him in the rear of the cigar store.
! A day or two since Stearns asked him
what a reasonable dose was, and
Castle replied that from an eighth to
a quarter of a grain was all he ought
| to take. Stearns replied that the night
before he had taken grain and a
half. To this statement Castle made
answer that amount was by far too
much, and he must not use it in that
way Or he would not give him any
more.
| Yesterday morning. when Castle
went to his work he left Louis sleep
ing quietly in rear of the place. The
| boy who assists in the business took
charge of the trade and when Castle
called at II o'clock he reported
Stearns as sleeping yet. At L o'clock
| Castle came back and fearing some
thing might be wrong told the lad to
go in and wake him up. The boy came
back and stated he could not; that
Stearns was sleeping soundly just as
he had been all morning. Castle then
went in and discovered something was
wrong. Physicians were summoned
and all efforts made to arouse him
from the stupor, but it was a futile
attempt; he died in a short time after
ward.
The news came like a shock to the
many friends of the unfortunate. He
was we'll known here and especially
liked by all with whom he came in
contact.
The coroner took charge of the re-
mains and held an inquest at which
verdict was rendered to the effect
that the deceased came to his death
from the effects of an overdose of NOR
phine administered by himself with
out suicidal intent
AS per orders of the probate judge,
the sheriff took charge of the effects
and the store. Deputy Gibbs was Sc
lected to attend to the place. The
stock will be kept in this manner I'M
til some arrangements are made look
ing to settlement of the estate of the
deceased.
An inventory of all stock on hand
was taken last night by the officer in
charge.
Stearns was a German and has been
in this country for some years. The
only relative he has, as far as can be
ascertained. is Nathan Stearns, who
lives at Frankfort-on-the-Ma He
was notified Of the sad event last
night.
The dead man was tolerable welI-to
do, having received several thousand
dollars from relatives in the old coun-
try some time ago. He left some money
in the bank and it is said his stock is
all paid for and he is out of debt.
The deceased was a member of the
L. o. o. F. and his funeral will take
place from the temple on Market
street this afternoon at o'clock.