The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-12-30
TOOK MORPHINE AND DIED.



Charles H. Helwick, barber at No.
22lz West Broad street, suicided yesterday
by taking morphine, at his residence, No.
227 Bryan street.
Helwick lived with his brother-in-law,
W. +. Corbett. His death was a great
shock to his family and friends, none of
whom supposed him to be in state of
mind which would lead to such an act.
He appeared to be in the best of health
and spirits, and had not been drinking
heavily, although he was a man who
drank regularly. His business had fallen
off. however, on account of his neglect,
and it is supposed that dependency on
account of this prompted the deed.
Helwick bought a bottle of laudanum at
r. ]. Dukes drug store. at Bryan and
West Broad streets Monday night. The
empty bottle was found in his room early
in the morning. If he took the laudanum
with suicidal intent it failed to do it's
work. About o'clock Helwick sent his
little boy to A. y. Perrses drug store,
just across the street from his house, for
a box of morphine tablets. The druggist
refused to let the boy have the morphine
and sent him back to his father with
note. The boy returned with the state
ment that his father said no note was
necessary, that he only wanted the NOR
phine for cold The boy was then given
a box containing thirty-six tablets of NOR
phine of one-fourth grain each, the price
being 70 cents The little fellow carried
the box to his father.
About an hour later Helwicx's mother
in-law, Mrs. Corbett, went into his room,
and seeing him covered up in bed, inquired
MI ~ was ma 10 10
was trying to sweat off a cold. Mrs. Cor
bett put some more cover on the bed and
went out. About 1880 O'Clock young man
came into Mr.. Corbett's place, at Bryan
and West Broad, and asked where Hell
wick was, saying there was a crowd of
people waiting for him in his shop With
out supposing that there was anything
wrong, Mr.. Corbett went to his brother
in-law's room, in the adjoining house, to
see IL he was there. He saw him in bed
and supposed that he was asleep. When
he caught hold of him, however, he saw
that something was wrong. II did not
take a minute to realize the condition of
his brother-in-law, and he at once gave
the alarm.
The druggists at Perrse's and Dukes
drug stores were called upon for assist
ance, and physicians were telephoned for
Mr.. Duke and MIR. Perrse responded at
once, and a little later Dr. r. G. Norton
and DR.. ]. B. Reed came in. Mr.. Duke at
once gave a hypodermic injection to pro-
duce vomiting and applied the stomach
pump. The empty box, which had con-
tanned the morphine tablets. was found in
the room. Helwick was in a comatose
condition when found. Nevertheless the
physicians and others continued to labor
with him almost to the time of his death,
which occurred about an hour after his
condition was discovered.
The deceased was Al years of age. He
was of a hearty, jovial temperament and
the last man in the world who would have
been suspected of an intention to commit
| suicide. He leaves three little children,
his wife having died some time ago. The
funeral will take place at O'Clock this af-
! ternoon.
Coroner Goette made an investigation
and decided that an inquest was unneces-
| sary.