The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-05-27
MRS. ALICE CUMMINGS DEATH
Coroner Holds an AutOpsy-Traces of
Morphine.

Coroner Brayton was called yesterday to
investigate the sudden death Of young Mrs
Alice Cummings, which occurred early yes
terday morning at the home of her step
father and mother, Mr.. and Mrs. Donnelly
357 SOUTH Meridian street
At 3:45 o'clock yesterday morning the po-
lice We're notified of the sudden DEATH and
the bicycle patrolmen went to the house.
They notified the coroner, and later Dr.
Brayton, DR.. G. L. Ferguson and Dr. TAYLOR
conducted an autopsy, which disclosed the
fact that death had resulted from morphia
poisoning
The story of the life of the young woman
is an interesting one. She was a mere
child, sixteen years old. Last winter she
attended the meetings at the Rescue Mis-
sion, on South street. becoming deeply in
terested in the work the mission is doing.
She was introduced to a man who gave the
name of Walter Cummings, an ex-conVict
On Jan. Cummings made affidavit the girl
was eighteen years old and procured mar
riage license. They were married by Mr.
Wheeler. of the mission, and went to spend
the night with family by the name of
Stephenson. The next day the girl re-
turned to her mothers home. She told her
mother shocking story of the brutality of
GUS prostration, and was sent to the City
Hospital, where she remained a week. The
husband disappeared the day after the mar
riage. but not until he had boosted of his
accomplishment in winning Miss Clifford
Chat was the girls maiden name)
ON former occasion, when G. Il. Fer
guson was superintendent of the City Hos
pital, Miss Clifford was patient there, and
her case attracted the attention of all the
prominent physicians Of the city. She was
w fnd
for weeks by rectal aenema. When she re-
covered she told DIR. Ferguson that IL she
ever became i'll she wanted him to attend
her, and at her death she desired him to
make an autopsy.
After Cummings had disappeared and the
young woman had recovered from her at
tack of nervous prostration, she went again
to live with her parents, and was employed
at the Dugdale can factory as can inspector
She regained her health and strength
Wednesday night she came home and was
in her usual good spirits until the family
retired. Her stepfather and mother slept in
a. room off the sitting room, and she slept
on couch in the sitting room. At about /
o'clock Donnelly heard her breathing heav-
lily and carried her into the bedroom with
her mother, while he lay down on the couch
Both parents went to sleep again, and at
3;45 Mrs Donnelly awoke and noticed that
her daughter was cold. She telephoned to
the police station for a DispenSary ply
stefan. Two patrolmen came and called
Dr. Taylor, but the girl was already dead
During the autopsy Mrs Donnelly stood
by and watched it, and this caused some
hard comment to be made. Drs. Brayton
and Ferguson praise her for the nerve she
manifested, and say she is not to be CEN
sured for it. The autopsy found all the or
gans in normal condition, with the excep-
ton of a fullness of the cerebral organs
such as would be caused by morphia poison
ing.
From his acquaintance with the character
and disposition of the girl, DR.. Ferguson
thinks she might have taken an overdose
of morphine, but that it was hardly likely.
She used a great deal of this drug during
her severe illness, and became acquainted
with il, possibly too we'll to take too much
as horrible nightmare, and became melan-
choly at times when she thought of it,
seeming to feel that she had been forever
disgraced by it,
The body will be shipped to Buffalo, N. Y,
for burial. Yesterday Mrs. Donnelly re-
ceived a Geographic order from her brother
in New York for funds for the purpose of
taking the body away.