The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1899-06-22
w As SHE A SUICIDE?
The Coroner's Jury Was Unable to De-
eide What Caused the Death
of Ida Hughes.
There Was Nothing to Show That She
Died From Opium Poisoning
PHI as Was First Reported.

as was First Reported.
Ida Hughes, an inmate of brothel
north of the village, died Tuesday UNI
der peculiar circumstances and al
though an inquest was held the jury
was unable to decide what caused her
taking off.
T The testimony of other inmates of
the house was to the effect that at
about 1870 Tuesday morning she COM
planned OF pains in the left side of her
abdomen resembling cramps. At her
request DR.. S. D. Sour was summoned
to attend her. According to his testi-
mony he saw her somewhere near nine
o'clock when she told him she thought
she had pleurisy as she was subject to
it. He prescribed for her and before
he left she asked for an examination
for an ailment peculiar to her sex.
The doctor was unprepared and told
her he would get his instruments and
return. He did so and when he ar
rived at 9:45 he found her sleeping
heavily and unconscious. He made
every effort to arouse her but without
avail and as her symptoms resembled
opium poisoning he questioned others
Of the household who informed him
that she had acknowledged to one to
have taken two drops of laudanum and
to another three. Antidotes were
given and the doctor remained with
her for four hours. Her breathing was
very shallow and her respiration was
only one in As to so seconds. Arti-
fetal respiration was resorted to
and remedies given but without effect
and at 6:15 that evening she died with
out regaiuing consciousness.
The witnesses examined we're Kate
E. Young, Flossie DeForrest, William
Young and Frank Young. Their tes-
timony corroborated Dr., Sour's tes-
timony and from them were CLEANED
few additional facts. Ida Hughes, as
she was known here had told one that
her name was Title Shaw. She was
i an Ohio orphan and was reared in. an
1orphans home in Indianapolis She
was SO years of age and had been in
Minneapolis for several years. She
had been in Princeton but short time
coming here from a resort on First
street. Frequently when the oppor-
tunity offered she drank to excess and
at times was. afflicted with melancholy.
During these periods of mental de-
preston she frequently remarked that
she wished she were dead and is said
to have declared Monday that she had
nothing to live for.
The bottle partly filled with lauda-
mum was exhibited and bore the label
OF F. C. Danielson's drug store but
there is no record of the sale.
An autopsy was performed by Drs.
Sour and Milestone, who found clots
of blood in the heart. inflammation at
extremities of the. stomach and some
traces of organic disease but nothing
that would denote death by opium
poisoning.
DR.. Milestone when questioned as
to possible cause of death said he was
unprepared to give an answer. The
pupils of the eyes were greatly dilated
while opium poisoning would cause the
reverse to be true, nor would corrosive
sublimate have that effect
The contents of the stomach were
not preserved and no chemical analy-
sis was possible so the jury was unable
to decide upon the cause of death and
brought in verdict of death from an
unknown cause.
While it is the general opinion that
Ida Hughes committed suicide in fit
of dependency the testimony before
the inquest would not substantiate this.