The record-union., 1897-11-19
AN UNFORTUNATE COUPLE,
MORPHINE REDUCES THEM TO
SAD STRAITS.
Harry Crouch and His Young Wife
Fall Victims to the Insid-
ious Drug.

There has developed in San Fran
cisco a very sad case involving two
young people of Sacramento, members
of two of the most respected and
worthy families of this community,
that has plunged both houses into deep
sorrow, and will call out for them the
profoundeSt sympathy of the people
among whom they have so long been
| known.
The San Francisco "Post" yesterday
contained statements of the case.
These have been verified here by the
| Record-Union" so far as given be-
| low.
| few years ago Harry r. Crouch was
one of the best known young business
men of the city. Some five years ago
he married one of the most charming
of the girls of this county, the daugh-
ter Of 0. r. Runyon, the well-known
orchardist of Courtland, where she had
been reared by loving hearts and had
all the advantages the hard earned
wealth of her indulgent parents could
| give her.
| 1t was deemed an especially happy
union of young people, and they began
| married life with every promise of
| happiness and prosperity. Mr.. Crouch
was not successful in business, and fail
ed, but his failure did not reduce the
young couple to want, for the wife
| had means of her own, left to her by an
| indulgent mother on her death, since
| the marriage, and besides had the aid
of loving father
When he went out of business here
| because of non-success of his manage
ment, Mr.. Crouch and his young wife
removed to San Francisco, where they
were established well, and domiciled in
| apartments of comfort in popular
| family hotel The husband secured oc-
cupation as commercial traveller for
| time, but their friends presently
missed them from social circles, and
| they were little seen in public, and
appeared to have withdrawn into a sell
| fish seclusion.
1t now appears that few years ago
the wife was compelled to submit to
severe surgical treatment, and i'll health
followed, which necessitated the free
administration of morphine. This un-
happy circumstance generated in her
an irresistible appetite for the deadly
| drug.
About a year ago 1T seems that the
husband also contracted the opium
| habit, and it so fastened upon the two
that they became its very slaves.
Deeply devoted to each other, they were
Incorporate together, for they were in
separable, and so withdrawn that they
were rarely seen.
Their habits of course led to neglect
of personal regard for neatness and
carefulness of attire and conduct, un-
til they were required to leave their
quarters and remove to others. and it
is believed that this frequently hap
pened. Some few weeks ago they re-
moved to small apartments in a lodg-
ing-house on Suffer street, the Alex
andria. from which they We're about
to be elected. when the father of Mrs.
Crouch heard of their condition, and
hastened to the rescue, accompanied
by his son.
The heart-brolen relatives found the
young couple in a small, neglected
apartment with every evidence that its
occupants were insensible to their en-
vironment. But it was not a state of
destitution, as in San Francisco ac-
counts has been made out. Mrs.
Crouch was scarcely recognizable, the
drug having emaciated her to a fright
full degree, and reduced her to a most
pitiable condition. She, however, was
not So badly off as her husband who
was found to be a physical wreck, and
is proba bly, beyond the power of medi-
cal skill.
The wife was made to realize her
terrible condition: her grief when the.
truth was pressed home upon her was
pitiable. She had the will power. how
ever, to resolve to save herself if pos
sible, and put herself once more under
the protecting care of her loving rela-
tives.
She has accordingly been separated
from her husband. provided with the
best of care and placed under treat
ment, with every promise of her recov-
cry. AS for Harry Crouch his condi-
ton is deplorable. His emaciation is
extreme; his will power appears to have
departed. Every sense is slave to the
drug, and if his life is saved it will
be because there is always hope where
there is life, and because skilled ply
sicians are occasionally able to rescue
even sIch as he has become.
The San Francisco 'soPst'' says that
he is under treatment by DR.. Stephen
Cook of O'Farrell street, who expresses
only slight confidence of being able to
snatch this young life from the fear
full grasp of the opiate. His would be
more hopeful case but for the fact
that he never was strong of will over
self. Now that he is enslaved by the
4 se- i
ing ability.
For the two families thus afflicted by
the fall of these young people there
was expressed last evening on all sides
in this community only the profoundest
sympathy, accompanied by all the COM
forting assurance that sympathetic
heart c4u heSfnw