The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1898-12-01
THE CASH IS ROLLING IN MYSTERIOUS SUICIDE bold DAYLIGHT ROBBERY
SOLDIER ENDS HIS LIFE WITH
CARBOLIC ACID.
Believed to Have Been Insane-Body
Turned Over to the Coroner for
Civil Inquiry.

The case of suicide of Private Fred
erick Wardell, Company X, First New
York volunteers, has been turned ov-
er bv Major Sague to the civil author
tiles and will be thoroughly inv sti-
gated by the coroner's jury
4 post murtem examination held
Yesterday afternoon discloses the fact
that death was caused by carboiic
acid.
The poisoning and death took place
at the Mcdonald home in Waikiki.
Wardell and Mr.. Tator, the secretary
of the Camp Y. NJ. c. A.. had spent the
night there. They had often stayed
there before. About 0:2O in the
morning Mr.. Tator discovered that his
friend was in a bad way and immedi-
ately gave the alarm. Major Sague
summoned medical assistance from
the King street hospital.
When the surgeons arrived the pa
tient was beyond help. He was un-
conscious and so far gone as not to be
able to swallow medicine. Death re-
suited in a few minutes.
The greatest mystery surrounds the
case. The surgeons agreed that death
resulted from poison of some kind,
and decided upon an autopsy Mr.
Tator, who was the only person pres
ent at about the time of the poison
ing, made straightforward state
ment of all he knew. The autopsy
disclosed the character of the poison.
1t was last night that Major Sague
decided to turn the matter over to the
civil authorities. This is in accord
with military law in such cases.
Wardell and Tator were close
friends and were together a great
deal. They were frequent visitors to
the Mcdonald residence, and their
stay there Tuesday night was nothing
out of the ordinary. At that place
Wardell had received medical treat
ment from a town physician, a friend.
He was taking medicine from him the
night before, and the ailment with
which he had been suffering was thor
oughly under control
Tator had been up with the sick
man several times during the night
and saw him between Z and in the
morning. After breakfast he return.
ed to the sick room to find WardelI in
the last agonies of death. There was
a strong smell of carbolic acid in the
room. At first Tator was dazed by
what had transpired, but soon thought
of and tried TO administer an emetic
Inc patient was even then too far
gone to take it.
At that time there was no time to
think where the poison had come
from or how it had been procured. II
later developed that it was some car.
boIic acid kept in a bottle in the room
for disnfecting purposes. Wardell
knew where it was, and undoubtedly
left his bed while alone to get it. He
! took a terrible draught of the hot
stuff, as indicated by the quantity
that had disappeared from the bottle
and by the scalds upon his lips.
Mr.. Tator is heart-broken over the
awful fate of his friend. As his ties
timony is the most valuable to be haC
he has been asked to remain in camI
and talk to no one. This detention
means nothing further than that. II,
will repeat the story before the cor
oner's jury.
Mr.. Tator was at home a medica
student, and has proved since in cam
a most competent and valuable nurse
He is besides a Christian and literar,
worker in the camp. At Camp Black
San Francisco, and here, he has bee
"A leader in all Y. NJ. c. a. and churcl
enterprises in the lines. He is uni
versally esteemed by officers and b.
men.
Wardell was the oldest son of IA dat
ryman at Poughkeepse, and tn
pride of his parents. They gave hir
up to the war with great reluctance
and men in the regiment who know
say the blow will be severe one ur
on them. All the facts brought out a
the coroner's jury inquiry will be sen
by Major Sague to them.
The young man was a bright fello,
and was liked by everyone His con
pany and many men in the other con
mands take his sad ending very niue
to heart. He was 90 years of ag,
There are indications that Warde
was suffering from some mental d,
rangement. He disputed with tn
camp physicians as to the characte
of his ailment, and has contended a
along that he would die, although Il
was not in bad way.