The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1897-09-14
Was His Own Sister.

Chicago, Sept. 13-In the dissecting-room
Of the County Hospital yesterday morning
was witnessed as dramatic a scene as ever
came within the range Of fiction The hap
pening was SO sudden and startling and
so surcharged with sorrow that the phy-
sicians and attendants were overcome,
though their practice and work have steel
ed them beyond most persons.
DR.. W. T. Kirby, one of the hospital ply
sicians. was about to perform an autopsy
on the body Of Minnie Heath, a young girl
who. weary OF the sorrow and horror OF
Ter life, had taken carbolic acid 10 end IT.
After her body passed through the coro-
Ier's hands, 1t was taken 10 the county
morgue.
Four weeks ago Dr.. Kirby received a
letter from a brother physician. specialist
pract.cing IN Chicago. The letter sad a
young man had just come from Louisville,
KY. to place himself under the care OF
the specialist for a slight, though stubborn
allment- The young man was medical
student, just entering on his studies. and
the specialist asked his friend, DR.. kirby.
TO allow him 10 visit the hospital and see
the institutions under intelligent guidance.
DR.. KIRBY wrote his friend to send the
young Kentuckian over and he would do
all he could for him. The visit was paid
one week ago yesterday. The student
showed deep interest in all that per-
tanned 10 his future profession. AS ne
parted from DR.. Kirby he said:
at suppose I must accustom myself TO
everything with which a physician has to
deal 1 tell you frankly should Ike much
to attend a post-mortem examination
DR.. Kirby told him when next he was
to hold an autopsy he would send for the
student On Friday night DR.. Kirby called
ase; nj
to tell his young Kentucky patient there
would be an autopsy at the hospital the
next morning on the body of girl SUI
eide. Promptly at 9 a. m, the student was
at the County Hospital physicians door.
Together they went to the cting-room.
There DR.. Kirby told his visitor that post
mortems were not pleasant things to the
uninitiated, and he jokingly added:
Now, don't faint"
The student laughed and said he was hor-
ror-proof Then the attendants brought
out a sheet-shrouded body and placed 1t
on the table. The features OF the dead
were covered. There was only half
light in the place. The medical student
stood at the head Of the covered form.
One of the attendants drew the sheet down,
disclosing the face.
DR.. Kirby heard a half-stif1ed exclama-
ton. He looked towards his visitor. The
students face was as white as the sheet
which shrouded the dead. The doctor went
towards him, but before he could reach MS
side the student had fallen to the floor in
sensible.
The attendants dashed water in his face
and DR.. Kirby forced brandy between his
closed lips. but 1t was no longer than usual
before consciousness came back.
When the student came out of the faint
he passed his hand before his eyes, stag
,sered TO his feet, looked again at the face
of the dead, and cried:
MY God. my sister,"
They led him from the room and in bro
ken words he told DR.. Kirby his sister had
left the Louisville home five years before
and from that day neither parents, nor
brothers. nor sisters ever had heard one
word from her. They long had believed
her dead.
Last night the body of the suicide IN q
costly casket was taken to the childhood
home in Kentucky.
Dr. Kirby will not disclose the name OF
the girls family, saying only that II is one
which, in Louisville. is synonymous with
wealth and the highest social standing.