The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1903-02-16
One Swallow Of Fiery Liquid
Makes Z. c. O'Neill Abandon
Idea of Self-Slaughter.
MOUTH BURNED BY POISON.
Substituting Water for the Fluid
Later, He Drank 1t to
Brighten Members
of His Family.

II carbolic acid wasn't such a nasty. burn
ing fluid Peter C. O'Neil of No. 34 Theresa
avenue would. in all probability, be a corpse
to-day. The reason advanced by O'Neil for
his failure TO shuttle off the mortal coil yes
terday. according to his original intention is
the same in substance as that given by the
inebriate who jumped into the river in win
ter, who said the water was too cold TO
drown In with comfort.
O'Neill says that when he took the first
swallow OF the carbolic acid the fiery liquid
burned his tongue and throat so badly that
he Immediately renowned all thought Of
suicide.
O'Neill had been drinking for several days.
and yesterday afternoon remorse seized him
and he procured a half-ounce bottle OF car
bolic acid with the determination of ending
his life. In the presence of his wife and
CHILDREN he raised the bottle to his lips.
babe them good-by and gulped down 4
mouthful of the poison.
ACID BURNED HIS MOUTH.
The fiery liquid burned his tongue and
throat and gagged him so that only a small
portion Of 1t went down his throat. The
pain was intense, and while his wife and
children were screaming for help he ran
out into the back yard and cooled his mouth
with a couple Of handouts OF snow and sieet.
Then. remembering that his wife and chill
his lips with the dramatic declaration that
he was going to end his life, he decided
that It was up to him to make the threat
good. to all appearances, at least.
So he emptied the remainder of the deadly
poison and filled the bottle with harmless
water. Staggering back into the house,
where his family were still shrieking and
arousing the neighborhood. he drained the
bottle and fell TO the floor just as a police
man arrived in answe to the general alarm
sent out by the neighbors.
N GETS A BATH.
The prospect of the stomach pump at the
Gispensary brought O'Neill to his senses. and
he. protested that he had not taken any
poison. The policeman, however. looke at
O'Neilfs scared tongue and without further
ado carted him to the City Hospital. He
was very sheepfsh when he reached the hos
pital and attempted to explain that it was
all a Joke. He was very sick of the joke
after the attendants had washed out his
stomach.
.O'Neil admitted to a Republic reporter
that he had taken a small amount Of the
carbolfc acid with suicidal intent.
Il had been drinking pretty heavily" he
said. for the first time in q long while. and
to-day l became so disguised with myself
that 1 thought the best thing 1 could 10
would be to end myself. The first mouthful
of the acid burned me so badly that I
changed my mind. I went. outside. enptied
the rest of the stuff and took a big drink
of whisky: Then 1 thought I might as well
family had seen me take the first dose,
SO ! hned the bottle with water. went back
and. swallowed it all. I'm sorry now that I
made such a fool of myself"
ONeill is 35 years old. The physicians
say that he Is in no danger, as the amount
OF acid he swallowed was only sufficient TO
cause a very sore tongue and throat.