The San Francisco call., 1899-04-23
Thought to Have Died
of Consumption.
POISON FOUND IN THE BODY
DOUBTS AT HOSPITAL AUTOPSY
RESOLVED BY A CHEMIST.
Two Days in His Room i1srtly Un-
conscious Before He Received
Medical Attention and Then
It Was Too Late.

There is a mystery about the death of
Bonifacius Hirt, who was sent from the
What Cheer House to the County Hospital
last Thursday and died there on tie same
day.
Hirt was a printer, 63 years old, and had
roomed at the What Cheer House for the
past year. Up to a week or two ago he
had been of shiftless and Incorporate
habits, but he suddenly became more
careful of himself and remained by the
stove in the office of the lodging house.
He had been suffering for a long time
with consumption, and appeared to grow
weaker and weaker every day. ON Tues
day morning the bedmaker reported TO
the clerk that the door Of Hirt's room was
locked and that he had looked over the
transom and bad seen Hirt asleep.
The clerk decided not to disturb che old
man, and nothing more was seen of Hirt
until the next morning, Wednesday, when
the bedmaker had a similar experience.
The clerk and the bedmaker raped loud
ly at the door, but received no reply. Then
they stood on a chair and called to Hirt.
He replied, Pm all right but they could
not induce him to get up and open the
door. Finally, after half hour OF nara
work, the key was poked out OF the lock
and the door was opened.
Finding Hirt in semi-unconsclouS con.
dition the clerk notified the Board or
Health that the man was dying ana Ihdl Il
an ambulance should be sent to take MN
to the City and County Hospital. Inc
clerk says that he received an answer 10
the effect that the hospital was croWded
and that there was no room there Ior the
What Cheer House lodger. A second ana
more urgent summons was sent 10 the
health office and on the following morning
the ambulance was sent ana Hlrt was
conveyed to the hospital.
He died there on the same day, appa-
rently of consumption and an autopsy
was held by DR. Tillman, who found, IN
addition to the evidences of the disease a
puncture in the gullet which might have
been caused by a corrosive poison. Coro-
ner Hill was notified Of that fact and the
body was conveyed to the Morgue, where
the stomach was removed and handed to
Chemist Crackbon for analysis.
Yesterday morning Mr.. Crackbon re-
ported TO Coroner Hill that he had found
carbolic acid in the stomach of the de-
ceased in sufficient quantities to have
caused DEATH The What Cheer House
clerk said yesterday that no carbolic acid
or any trace of that or any other poison
was found in Hirt's room. The people al
the hospital seemed to be unaware that
Hirt had taken poison and ascribed his
partly comatose condition to the ravases
OF consumption.
Coroner Hill will hold an inquest on the
case tomorrow morning.
Hirt was receiving pension of $l2 pei
month from the Government, he having
enlisted in the Seventh New York Heavy
Artillery on September 5, 1864. Before be-
ing taken down with his last sickness he
worked on the German Demokrat. He
claimed to be the father-in-law of Cap
tain Spillane Of the Police Department,
The deceased was buried yesterday by
the G.. A. r.
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