Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-07-03
BOTH TOOK POISON
Marrow Escape From Death of a Man
and Woman.
DR.. STEELE ATTEMPTED SUICIDE
Taken to Hospital and His Life
Saved.
OTHER CASE MYSTERIOUS

OTHER CASE MYSTERIOUS
DR.. Alfred Steele, whose profession calls
him to exert his efforts to save life made
an attempt last night to end his own life,
but no did not succeed. He followed the
example Of his father. he says, although
the latter succeeded in his effort. Three or
four years ago. SO the doctor says, his
father committed suicide at a house on e
street northwest between 9th and 10th
streets. by taking chloral. The doctor Is a
young man, not yet thirty years old, and he
is q cripple. 1t is said that he has never
had the use of one Of his legs, and that he
has always walked on crutches. Recently
his eyesIght has been failing him, and this,
he says, caused him to seek rest in the
grave. Just what he had taken when he
was found in a semi-conscious condition Is
not known, but he had bottle containing
mixture of morphine and strychnfne, and
had taken some of the contents of this
bottle. Another bottle contained some
choral, but he says he had not taken any
of this drug.
The affair happened on the street about
o'clock, and caused considerable excite
ment. In less than an hour after he lad
taken the poison the police had him on the
the stomach pump was relieving him Of the
poison. By this heroic treatment the poi
son was removed and the doctors have
every reason to believe that the patient
will recover. DIR. Steele lives at 1909 New
Jersey avenue, with his mother, and has
scores of friends in the neighborhood. He
was always particularly kind to children,
and his act last night brought sorrow to
their hearts. Early in the evening he was
about the house, and there was nothing
about his actions to indicate that ne was
especially Respondent. He left the house
between and o'clock, and walked over
to the drug store at 4th and Q streets.
Drank the Poison.
When he left the store he stopped on the
pavement near by and drank some Of the
poison. Instead of returning home and go
ing to bed TO die he walked west, prob
ably intending to go to the house of
friend or to stop on a grass-covered lot
and wait for the end. But he was taken
sick near the corner of 9Th and o streets,
and persons who saw him carried him into
1i07 5th street and physician was sum-
moned. The patient had nothing to con-
ceal, and he promptly said he had taken
poison for he had no desire to live longer.
Word was sent to the second precinct po-
lss station and Y few minutes the suf,
the, hospital. Realizing the patients Sc
r;ous condition Driver Rhodes lost no time
in reaching the hospital. The treatment
restored
him to consciousness, and he pleaded with
the driver to let him die.
Don't take ne to the hospital he plead
ed. Il don't want to live
why not?' the driver asked him.
Because my eyesight is falling" he re-
sponded, and everything seems blurred"
Then the doctor proceed to tell some
thing OF his family history, among other
When the hospital was reached the un-
fortunate cripple had not charged his mind
about wanting to die, but this did not af-
leet the hospital doctors. for they soon ap-
piien the stomach pump and relieved him
OF the poison. which would soon have ac-
complshed the deadly work intended had
1t been left there.
Genuine Surprise.
Ihe young doctors act was a severe blow
to his mother and friends. for II was In
the nature Of a genuine surprise to them
Although the doctor had been a crinnIa
all his life he had a mother who was de-
voted to him, and he never wanted for
anything. This morning his condition had
greatly improved, and the doctors could see
no reason why he should not fully recover
The doctor attempted suicide once before.
Another Cnse.
An hour or more after the ambulance
had made this run another emergency call
was received.
"A woman in Pierce street alley has
taken poison" was the complaint this time
And added the man who made. the COM
plant, "her mother thinks she is dying"
Driver Rhodes went to house No. 122 in
the alley and found that a young colored
woman named Maria Walker was ILL., She
was in convulsions and appeared as II her
lease on life was snort one DIR. Merriam
had been called there to see her and had
given her something to relieve her suffer-
ings. The driver thought the young wom-
q accOmnliSl
tor had failed in, but during her conscious
moments he learned from Maria that she
thought an attempt had been made to end
her life by putting poison in some beer.
Another girl put in the poison" she
said. Il saw her do 1t.
What color was the poiSOn?"
II can't tell the color, but saw her
sprinkle something in the beer"
She refused to give the girls name. At
Freedmen's Hospital the stomach pump
was applied and the contents of her stom-
ach We're removed. If there was any poison
there the physicians did not discover 1t.
Maria seemed to get better, and about l
o'clock this morning she was taken home.
Soon after daybreak she again became i'll,
and at times she was apparently uncon-
scious. 1t became necessary for Mrs. Wal
ker to call in Eeighbors to assist her with
the patient, who was violent at times. 1t
appears that late last night young COL
ored man living in the alley rushed the
growler" and treated several of the females
with whom he was on friendly terms. The
'growler rushers' in this section get
enough beer for cents to treat a whole
family, so that the young man was able
to treat Maria and several other friends
LAS soon as 1 tasted the beer" she said
this morning Il noticed that 1t was bitter,
but had swallowed some Of 1t before l
could get the glass from my mouth"
Soon after she had swallowed the beer
she was taken i'll. and her mother says 1t
Ia the first time she was ever afflicted in
this way. 1t was reported that another
girl who had indulged in some of the beer
had been dangerously Ill all night, but this
was denied today by the people living in the
alley. Maria is still sick, and serious con-
sequences are feared.