The Honolulu republican. [volume] (Honolulu, T.H.) 1900-1902, 1900-12-13

This Is the verdict yesterday renu-
cred by the coroner's jury sitting on
the consideration of the death OF the
late Thomas Niau Mitchell, who died
at the Queens hospital on Tuesday
evening. The verdict is terse and
perfect synopsis of the facts develop
ed by the jury. and the recommenda-
| ton expressed the unanimous senti-
ment of the jurors, the High Sheriff
| and probably does SO for all right
thinking residents Of the city.
High Sheriff Brown sat as coroner
and personally conducted the examina-
ton. George A. Bower. S. kubey.
/ Fred. Smith. c. L. Dickerson, C. Tolin
and ] W. McKeague were the jurors.
A large number of witnesses were ex-
amined. DR.. c. B. Cooper one OF the
| physicians to the Queens hospital.
who attended Mitchell in his last
| hours. was the most important OF ALL
| He saw the patient first about as soon
as he was brought to the hospital. He
/ seemed to have much pain in stomach
and bowels: the pupils OF the eyes
were widely dilated and not respon-
sive to light. saving he couldn't see;
/ that he was blind; he told the doctor
/ that he had taken some methviated
| spirits used in polishing calabashes 10
a pint of soda: thought he had taken
about half a glass. DR.. Cooper de-
scribed the rapidity with which the
disease progressed. In response to
t query by the High Sheriff the doctor
| said that he believed Mitchell died
| from poison, that methylated alcohol
was a poison. a deadly poison II TAX
en- in quantity. He said no postmor-
tenn had been held. because it was not
considered necessary. no doubt pre-
vailing as to the cause OF the man
DEATH When asked for suggestions
to the jury the doctor smilingly sus-
gested that thev do all in their power
| to induce the Board of Health to pre-
vent the free and indiscriminate sale
of wood alcohol or methviated SPIRITS
! DR.. Cooper drew the distinction oe-
tween the various spirits known as al
cohol. wood alcohol and methylated
spirits He said:
Methylated spirits consists OF 30
parts of grain alcohol and 10 parts 1T
wood alcohol mixed.
Wood alcohol is spirit obtained by
the destructive distillation of wood
fibre. The active poisonous principle
of wood alcohol is acetone.
Methvlated spirit is not a poison IN
the strict sense of the term. Its dan
ger lies in the amount and character
of the wood alcohol used.
Johannes Eckardt, superintendent
of the Queens hospital. told how Nit
chell had been received and in part
corroborated Dr. Cooper. So did DR..
Wood. who had been called in consult
alton. He described the symptoms
infinitely and he believed that methy-
lated spirits might cause such symp-
toms
Maggie Bray. sister. knew moth
ing about her brother having alcohol
in his possession. but said he was
heavy drinker He would give her no
information when sick and vomiting.
John Madeiros knew Mitchell was sick
and said he was always sick when
he boozed" DR.. Alvarez had been
called to see Mitchell about o'clock
Tuesday morning: thought dead man
had been drinking. He thought the
symptoms were those of alcoholism.
Akit Alana. a half Chinese brother
in-law, said Mitchell had brought this
stuff, pointing to bottle of methylat-
ed spirits which he had brought from
his house. where Mitchell temporarily
lived. Deceased had told him that he
had drank half bottle. meaning a
pint bottle: said it was alcohol; had
been out all night, coming home about
S o'clock in the morning. Witness
also had methylated spirits which he
had bought at HOLSTERS for polishing
calabashes: dead man might have
drank of that
Edwin Mitchell. brother. said he
had played cards with his brother and
others all SATURDAY. night, parting
from him at six in the morning; both
were sober then. he said.
C. Johnson. foreman at the Inter
Island boat house, said the Mitchell
bows worked for him. that they used
methylated spirits there, that one IF
the brothers handled it and that for
two weeks past the gallon denliionn
in which ii was kept had. through neg
lect. been accessible to Mitchell. Also,
that Mr.. keech had told him that he
had seen Tom Mitchell in the shop.
upstairs, on Sunday.
The jury was not long in arriving at