The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-06-24
MYSTERIOUS DEATH
OF ALFRED EWING
Well.Known Young Man About Town
Died from Poison.
SUPPOSED TO BE sELF.ADMINIsrERED
He Was Out Late Tuesday Night, and
Returning at Early Morn, Went to
Bed; Arose shortly Afterwards, and
After Being out for Time, Came
Home, Spoke About Funeral Ar-
rangements, and Within a Short
Time Was Found Dead in Bed.

Albert L. Ewing, jr., died very sud-
denly at 9.45 o'clock yesterday morn
ing at his home over Kann's printing
house, 307 Spruce street, and all indi-
cations point to death being caused
by poison.
Not q little mystery is attached to
Ewing's death. Coroner Longstreet
believes 1t was the result of an over
dose OF opium, taken incidentally.
Some of the circumstances, however,
would raise a doubt as to this being
the right explanation. When death
occurred Ewing was lying abed in the
same room with his wife.
Ewing was an agent for Hess e. Co.,
cigar makers at Rochester, N. Y, and
was a handsome fellow, only 25 years
of age and naturally he made many
friends. Tuesday night he had been
out very late and retired in the early
morning. At 730 o'clock yesterday
morning he arose from bed, dressed and
walked out.
A half hour later he returned and
stopped on his way upstairs to talk
to john Ross, a tailor with apartments
on the second floor. Ross says that
Ewing seemed to be in cheerful spirits.
He made on reference to trouble of any
kind and with the remark, 'I guess I'll
go and have a smoke and lie down
awhile" Ewing went upstairs.
MRS. EwING's STORY.
Mrs. Ewing is the only person who
knows anything of Ewing's actions
after this. Her story to a Tribune
reporter was not altogether clear At
first she said that Ewing smoked his
pipe and chatted at length. She her
self had not arisen from bed. After
ward she stated that Ewing entered
the room. took off his clothing and
threw himself on the bed. Mrs. Ewing
stated that he Immediately fell into
a sound sleep.
GLOW did you discover that he was
dying?" was asked of Mrs. Ewing.
She answered that she noticed the
blue color on his lips.
Mrs. Ewing sent for DR.. D. B. Hand,
whose office is nearby. DR.. Hand re-
sponded and administered emetics.
They failed to act, however, and about
9:45 o'clock Ewing breathed his last.
Coroner Longstreet was summoned
and at once held an autopsy. The
stomach of the deceased was preserved
for a chemical analysis. Coroner Long
street, however, detected evidences of a
large dose of morphine. The evidence
that this drug was used was borne out
by the discovery of small vial in the
recently worn clothes of the deceased.
The contents had been one hundred
quarter grains of morphine tablets.
The vial was empty.
The coroners jury Is w. J. Kann,
John Cameron, II. U. Hopewell, Jacob
Grier John Ross, and j. J. OBoyle
They will meet at the call of the coro-
ner.
SPOKE ABOUT FUNERAL.
Last night when the funeral arrange
ments were under discussion, Mrs. Ew-
ing said she would insist upon inter-
ment being made in Corning. "Al
wanted to be buried there" she said.
when he came in this morning he
said to me Name, If anything should
ever happen to me 1 want you prom
Use to bury me in Corning. There is a
vault there where my mother is buried
| and there Is just room for two more
in it. When I die 1 want to be buried
there and I want you to be buried
alongside me-
II told him would certainly do that
for him, and then advised him to go to
bed and not be talking of such dismal
| things. He insisted on talking this
way, though, for some time. He also
| told me that the only flowers he wanted
when he died was a tube rose and
| wanted me to place one In his hand
when he would be laid out.
II laughed at his talk and said well
we are not dead yet; time enough for
that when we are going to die He
went to bed telling me he had bought
some headache powders and pointing
out where they were on the stand. He
smoked in the bed and chatted for a
while and then fell asleep. The next
thing l knew 1 was aroused by his
heavy breathing and when l could not
waken him / sent for DR.. Hand. He
never regained consciousness"
| Mrs. Ewing says she was married to
Ewing in Binghamton five years ago.
| They had no children.