The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1897-01-09
DOUBTLESS a. SUICIDE
The Attending Physicians Testimony
Points to Self Murder.

Points to SeIf-Murder.
sr. LOUIS, Jan. 2-There can be lit
tie doubt that Joseph b. McCullagh-
took his own life.
According to the sworn statement OF
DIR. Charles Hamilton Hughes for two
years the late editors physician, Mr..
McCullagh made what appears to-
have been an attempt at suicide as
early as December %.
THAT afternoon" said DIR. Hughes.
in his statement before Coroner Wait
Friday morning, Il called on Mr.. Nc
Cullagh and left a ~four-ounce bottle
containing two ounces of digitalis, or
foxgloye, a very poisonous medicine,
which is administered for the purpose
of regulating the heart, and which IS
recognized by the medical fraternity
as a valuable heart tonic.
During the night Mr.. Nc Cullagh
drank a little more than an ounce of
the drug-a dose that was quite suf-
fcient to have caused death. But his
stomach was too weak to retain it.
The medicine caused violent purging
and vomiting, and most of it was
elected from his system. Part of it
was aborbed, however, and the action
of his heart was considerably weak
ened.
1.-The next morning, the day before
Christmas, 1 called again." said DIR.
Hughes, and was greatly SUI prised
and alarmed when l discovered that
so much of the drug was gone. L
asked him if he hao taken it and he
said he had. He admitted that he
knew the deadly character of the
drug, but did not seem to be at all
concerned about the matter.
Igave him medicine calculated to
restore him to the condition of the
day before, and the matter was not
discussed afterward.
Il am satisfied that Mr.. McCullagh
could not have taken the medicine by
mistake. There was no other bottle
in the room at all resembling the one
containing the digitalis, and there Il
no other medicine at hand that would
have produced d fatal result.
Il at once connected the circum-
stance with a conversation we had
only a few weeks ago, in which he
lncHIlOHCu ADTdldln LlHCOlU.
Mr.. McCullagh maintained that, in
the light of history, the assassination
of Lincoln vas a fortunate thing for
his fame. 1t is Il good thing he said,
for a man to die at the right time
As a general proposition he maintained.
that when a n Outlived his period
OF usefulness, it was time for him @
die.
still he did not seem to apply this
theory to himself, for he would never
admit that he was not a well man."
There was no pathological condi.
ton of his organs that would have re-
suited in death at an early date.
Bright's disease was not established,
and there were no indications of soft
ening of the brain. His principal
trouble was a cerebral strain, due to,
OverwOrk, which might have been
cured had he been content to follow
instructions.
II had known Mr.. McCullagh for 3d.
years. had been his physician since
October, 1894, and knew his physical
condition intimately.
considering all the circumstances.
surrounding his life and death, my
impression is-and it can only be an
impression, since nobody witnessed
the deed-that he committed suicide
Coroner Wait interposed a theory,
and asked DIR. Hughes if he thought n
man of Mr.. McCullagh's intelligence
would resort to such means of self-de--
struction,
1T is not a question of intelli.
gence," said DIR. Hughes. at is d
question of mood, of impulse. Men CT
the highest intelligence resort to self
destruction when they are sick. The
slightest annoyance may cause men to-
do things that are not insane. but rash
and impulsive, when in bad health,
that would otherwise pass unnoticed."-