Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1898-12-15
VERDICT.
STATE OF WISCONSIN,
GRANT COUNTY.

GRANT COUNTY,
An inquisition taken at the city of Lancas-
ter, n the county of Grant, on the 18th day
of December, 1898. before Geo. b. Wheeler
one of the justices lie peace of Grant
county. upon the view of the body of DR..
Fred f. Strong, there dead, by the jurors
whose names are hereunto subscribed, who
being duly sworn to inquire on behalf OF
the sta z, when. in what manner and by
what means the said DR.. Fred E. Strong
came to his death, upon their oaths do say:
That the said DR.. Fred EStrong came to his
death by an over dose of some anaesthetic
administered by his own hand. without sui
cidal intent
In testimony whereof the said justice of
the peace and the jurors of this inquest
have hereunto set their hands the day and
year aforesaid.
GRO b. WHEELER, Justice of the Peace.
WM L. WEBB,
H G. NATHAN,
c. II BAsFoRD.
w. j. DYER.
ROBERT BROKER.
5. r. GREENE
Jurors
The circumstances are these. The
doctor had not been feeling
well for several days and complained
Of feeling sick at the stomach on Sun
day night. He had been practically
without sleep for three nights and
was very much exhausted. On Mon
day morning he went to his office as
usual and about / / o'clock telephoned
home that he had a trip to make into
the country. No one seems able to
tell whether he made the trip or not.
e., - -
afternoon he stepped into DR.. Reeds
office across the hall from his own Of
flee and chatted for few minutes,
and at that time complained of feel
ing sick. Mr.. Martin Jewell went to
the office to get the doctor to make a
professional call about 7:30p. M, but
he declined on the ground of illness.
That is the last so far as known that
he was seen alive.
In the afternoon several persons
tried to enter his office but found the
door fastened. Fumes of ether were
noticeable in the hall and it is pre-
sumed that he was trying to get the
rest and sleep which he so much need
ed and which refused to come to him
naturally. with the assistanceof drugs.
He did not 60 home for dinner or
supper His father and mother were
at his home aud had been mp much of
the night taking care of the baby who
was not well. His mother looked in
TO his bedroom at about o'clock He
was not there. His long absence
worried her and she persuaded her
husband to 60 to the office. He did
so and made the terrible discovery al
ready narrated.
No doubt the doctor WEAKNESS and
the fact of his having eaten nothing
since morning made him more sus-
ceptible to the influence of the anaes-
thetic than he would have been in a.
normal condition ana the dose intend
ed only to produce sleep and bring
rest was sufficient to snap the brittle
thread of life.
The DOCTORS wife, Mrs. Strong, was
in Chicago. She went there TO have a
surgical operation performed which
was done only last Friday She came
home as soon as she heard of the doc
tors death. She arrived here Wed
nesday :. IL o'clock accompanied by
Mrs. Twichell, and Fred and Miss
Helen Strong
DR.. Strong was man highly re-
spected as a doctor and a citizen He
was member of the Masons. Knights
of Pythiss, and Modern Woodman
lodges. The funeral will be held from
the residence Friday at Oo'clock a. m.
The Masons will have charge and 9th
er orders will Join in the procession.