Birmingham age-herald., 1895-07-02
TOO MUCH LAUDANUM
CAUSES THE DEATHoF MRS. VIVA HARDING
Sad and Untimely Death of Young Woman Her Husbands Futile Efforts to Bring
 Her Back to Life.

In a small room in the third story of the brick building situated on the corner of Avenue B and Twenty-first street there lay yesterday morning d woman ehrouded in the sheets of the dead. Around her body sat her mother. hus- band, her 9-year-old son and four ladies of the ncighborhood, who had been called ill to administer the last sad and sacred rites 10 the dead.
 Mrs. Vina Harding, 2S years old, the wife of Scott Harding. a printer in the employ of the American Newspaper Union of this city. had taken, accord ing to her husbands statement, an overdose. of laudanum to alleviate cramps from the effects of which she died.
 From the statements made by MT. Harding to tue physicians and the coro- ner, the facts adduced are that Mrs. Harding was subject to cramps of the stomach, and was in the habit of taking laudanum for the disorder, which she claimed gave her immediate relief. Mr. Harding dissuaded her and lastly pos itiVely prohibited it's use to her. but she would get it and hide it, and when ques- toned about it denied having any. Sun day afternoon she was again attacked and she sent negro grl to the nearest drug store and obtained a two-ounce vial of laudanum and took a dose. Not feeling relieved and taking advantage of her husbands $ temporary absence she swallowed the remaining contents of the bottle just as her husband came in the room. He at once noticed that some thing unusual had occurred and detected the pungent scent of the poison and charged her with drinking it. She at first flatly denied the charge, but on be- ing reproached for her denial she fin ally confessed, and stated that she had repeatedly taken laudanum to ease the cramps and that she usually slept off the effects of it. MT. Harding started for doctor, but his wife recalled him and insisted that he should not go for any doctor or apprisa the neighbors as she would be all . ght in the morning after good nighCs sleep MT. Hard ing, however, was not altogether satisfied and walked and rubbed her for several hours. finally falling asleep about F o'clock
 He awoke about a. m, and, placing his hand upon his wife felt a cold clammy sweat upon her which frightened him. He arose at once and called in some Of the neighbors, while a physician was sent for, who proved to be Dr. H. A. Alex ander who did all in his power, but she was too far gone for any available effort to bring her back to consciousness. She mumbled a few words and gasped several times and finally fell into that long sleep from which no mortal awalles.
 As soon as the physician arrived MT Harding al once went to Avondale after Mrs. Grubbs, the mother of Mrs Hard ing, who returned on the first dummy with MT. Harding only to find that her daughter had breathed her last.
 pr. Alexander made out the death cer- tificate as having died from an overdose of laudanum, taken to relieve the cramps.
 Coroner Dusenbery was also sent for and arrived about II o'clock and after taking a sworn statement from MT. Harding, which is substantially as stated above, gave a verdict in conformity with the one given by Dr. Alexander.
 The body was yesterday afternoon taken to the home of her mother, Mrs. Grubbs, at Avondale, from where the funeral services will take place at 10 o'clock this morning.