The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1901-05-23
PETERSON IS MTUAEDTH FATAL CHEAP LIQUOR WHO PASSES THE DOPE?
SAID TO HAVE CAUSED ANOTHER
DEATH.
John F. Schmidt Dies With symptoms
OF Poisoning After Drinking Some
Bad Wine in His Home.

The death of John f. Schmidt is said
to be another example of loss of life
from drinking bad liquor. Schmidts
case is similar in many respects to the
cases of several Portuguese In the
Punchbowl district who died recently
with symptoms of methylated spirits
poisoning, after drinking some wine
left by the old winemaker Silva, who
was himself supposed to have fallen
victim to the deadly stuff he made.
Since Schmidt's death last Tuesday it
has been reported that he was poisoned,
and the matter is being investigated.
1t has been found that he displayed the
same symptoms as did the Portuguese
who were poisoned by Silva's bad wine,
after he had imbibed some cheap liquor
bought at a store near his home.
Mrs. Schmidt, wife of the deceased
was seen at her home, 61S Marmion
street, in the Kewalo district. She said
she had no definite theories as to the
cause of her husbands last Illness She
thought however brooding over lack
of work at his trade, that of black
smith, and a tendency to kidney trou-
bles, had both weakened him physically
to large extent. She could not say
positively that the wine her husband
drank had been responsible for his
taking off, although she did not dis
guise the fact that she felt it was one
of the causes of his death.
According to Mrs. Schmidt's declara-
tion, on Sunday afternoon, the family
was visited by a Mr.. Newman who
was visiting Honolulu, from California.
In order to celebrate the occasion
store and purchased a bottle of
wine. The wine was not very
good. 1t tasted like sweetened water,
with something else the taste of which
could not be described, added to the
liquid. That night Schmidt was taken
i'll. He had been respondent all day,
until the arrival of the visitor from the
mainland. He relapsed into his moody
state Immediately after Newman de-
parted, and did not rouse himself until
be told his family that he was feeling
very ILL., Domestic remedies were ad
ministered, but without effect. Mrs.
Schmidt wished to call a physician, but
her husband objected so strongly that
she did not send for one. When morn
ing came Schmidt remarked that 1t was
very strange, that while he could see
objects in the room with distinctness,
he found it impossible to recognize any
thing out of doors.
No Improvement took place in his
condition, and about 9 o'clock Monday
night, DIR. Walters was sent for. He
administered an injection in the right
forearm and left soon after. Schmidt
grew much worse. Cramps set in, and
his face, which had hitherto been flush
ed, now turned a CHASTITY white, and be-
gan to twitch spasmodically. AS. DR..
Walters was not at his office, Mrs.
Schmidt sent for DR.. Mays, who pro-
nounced the case a serious one, and
held out little hopes of his recovery.
Gradually the invalid sank into a
lethargy from which he never reused.
About O'Clock on Tuesday morning, he
no IN WadnASHaV a
the remains were buried in Nuuanu val
| ley.
The deceased was a German, aged
| "a years. He came to the islands some
| 10 years ago, and for many years work.
| ed as blacksmith in Honolulu, Lahai-
ma and some of the larger plantations.
| He leaves wife, and four children two
sons and two daughters, to mourn his
| demise. One of his daughters is mar
ried and living in California. The two
| sons are working at the same trade as
their father in this city.
DR.. st. G.. Walters the attending ply
| sician of Schmidt tells a somewhat diff
ferent story of the death of the black
smith from that told by the members
| of his family.
| According to the phsician one of the
boys came to his office on Monday night
and asked him to go to Kewalo with
him, where his father lay, quite sick
4. OpOH DeluB quGSllOllSu' liiS IVY duLib
ted that his father had purchased II
cents worth of methylated spirits Sun
day morning He said his father was
stone blind, but did not think the liquo
was the cause of his illness as he haC
on repeated occasions used intoXicants
/, When DR.. Walters reached the home o
Schmidt he found him in very de
pressed condition.
When DR.. Walters returned later n
found that the family had sent for DR.
Mays, who being unable to obtain {
history of the case pronounced thu
mans condition to be one resembling
apoplexy. The family gave DR.. Walter
, very cool reception upon his return
and seemed much better satisfied Wit
the term "apopleXy" than with poison
= DR.. Walters saw DR.. Mays later, eX
. planned matters to him and the latte
agreed that the attending physician
was right in his diagnosis. When ask
ed to sign the death certificate neithe
of the two would affiX their names I
a the document, feeling that the matte
:. was one for the authorities to investi
: gate.