The Van Buren press. [volume] (Van Buren, Ark.) 1859-1914, 1897-07-24

body was bent, he had become slouchy
in his gait, his beard was untrimmed,
his hands and face looked as though
they were strangers to soap and water,
his eyes were watery and had a peculiar
look as though they did not see what
was going on round them. though wide
open; his speech was hesitating and in
distinct: and yet ! could see that it was
Lanyille who stood before me, scarcely
able to make himself understood. and
swaying from side to side as he tried to
stand erect.
"Lanvillel' exclaimed. What is the
meaning of this?
Hushl' he answered. Ny name
here is Lewis-Mr. james Lewis. look
like a drunken man, don't /? But / am
not drunk; | have acquired the opium
habit. and this is my usual condition.
| cant talk with you. however. till I
have had my morning dose. Excuse me
moment And before could recover
the power of speech. he had taken Il
hypodermie syringe out of his pocket.
had filed it from small vial and was
preparing to use it when l checked
him.
NO said. you shall not take that
stuff here. And this l continued, is
Edward LanviIle. physician. scientist.
philantnropist. and, above all. gentle
man; or. rather, was Edward Lanville.
You were wise to change your name.
But this must be stopped. You
ut shall not be stopped.' he ex-
claimed; L know what | am about.
have right to make beast of myself
If | choose. | love morphia. l should
die without it. And then, while my
attention was engaged with his speech,
he succeeded in injecting the contents
of the syringe under the skin of his
arm.
ITO say that was overwhelmed with
pain and disgust would not express the
full extent of my emotions. He saw
that I was greatly moved. The NOR
phia, however, in a few moments
seemed TO have steadied his mind and
body and to have given strength to his
articulation.
az wish you wouldn't distress your
self, i he said. L am past cure
now Let me alone; only want to die
In my own way
mo, | will not let you alone. | an
swered. 4 shall stop you if have to APP
peal to the authorities. | shall go be-
fore the court to-day and apply for a
warrant for your arrest. will have you
locked up
"'You can't he replied, with a faint
smile. so long as | commit no act of
violence or disorder | am within the
law, and can do as please
Before | could fully conclude what
would be best to do he darted out OF
the room. Since then have often seen
him. Prayers, threats, arguments are
equally Intellectual with him, and he
/ has continued to fall lower and lower
! His morale is gone, but he manages to
keep clear of the police and to main
tain a sort of blind affection for me.
"a few minutes ago he came to my of
flee in worse state than | have ever
seen him. He had just strength enough
left to tell me that he had taken n suf-
fieently large dose of morphia to de-
stroy life, but that moment after
ward he had repented and had hurried
to me for assistance"
BY this time we had arrived at is
Office, and in a few moments | was in
the room in which the so-called Mr..
Lewis had been placed. He was lying
on a sofa, breathing heavily. His eyes
were closed, and at each expiration his
lips were pulled out like those of man
smoking a pipe / knew that this was
often serious sign. His face was
livid, his breathing slow and difficult,
his pulse weak and beating only about
80 a minute.
| spoke to him loudly, shook him
roughly. and even stuck pin into the
skin of his hand, but there was no re-
spouse. He was in a state of stupor,
apparently from the effects of some
narcotic poison. But there was still
the decisive test to make as to whether
or not morphia or opium in any of its
forms was the poison.
for candle. Then bending over him
and raising one eyelid with my fingers
| examined the pupil. 1t was contract
ed to the size of a pinhead. The other
eye gave a similar result. Now, in
opium-poisoning the pupils are always
strongly contracted, and l vas sure,
therefore, that he was under the infu-
ence of that drug. Evidently he could
not live.
1t was impossible TO employ the usual
measures for keeping up vitality by
forcing the patient to move about. He
was too far gone for that. However,
! sent at once for the remedies | want
ed to use, but before the messenger re
turned he was dead
The case was evidently one for the
coroner, and that official was at once
notified. He arrived promptly, held
his inquest, and after IA thorough eluci-
dation of all the facts in the case the
more than ordinarily intelligent jury
rendered the verdict of Suicide from
morphia-poisoning."
Preparations were made for the flu
neral which, j decided, should take
place the following day, and from the
house in which the man had died.
There was much food for thought and
conversation, and ! and | talked
over all the circumstances of DR.. Lam
ville's life and death. 1t was, therefore,
after ten o'clock when | started for
home.
had telephoned my wife that was
detained and would not be home in
time for dinner. l found her. nevcrthe-
less waiting for me with a letter which,