The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1903-02-09
Won OOnh0ff's Body Scared All
Over by Hyperdsrmic Needle.
WIFE WAS ALSO A DRUG VICTIM
She Expired In Hospital While Undergoing
an Operation Brilliant Prospects Ended
by Sad Death In Lonely Room.

New York. Feb. 9.--After Coroner's
Physician Schultze looked at the body
of DR.. Edward Won Donhofr as il lay In
the morgue yesterday afternoon. he de-
cided il was not necessary to hold an au-
tCpsy TO ascertain the cause or death.
From head to foot almost, the skin show
ed tiny scars. which had resulted from
the insertion of a hypodermic needle.
which sent morphine and other drugs
into the mans system.
1t was this addiction 10 drugs which
had caused the death of DR.. Won Dom
hoff. who, years ago. had given promise
OF making a mark in his chosen profes
sion. Taken from the miserable little
room he occupied at No. 1893 West Tenth
street. on Friday night having taken too
much of some drug. he was hurried 10
Bellevue hospital. and there he died The
ambulance surgeon who diagnosed his
case said he was suffering from opium
poisoning.
Known for years in old Greenwich VII
lage. the doctor was n reticent man and
OF late years had led the life OF hermit.
A decade ago he found il necessary to
replace his natural nose by an artificial
appendange and whenever he appeared in
the street the boys shouted after him:
There goes the sawbones with the
wooden nose"
TO n few friends the physician said he
was educated at Heidelberg. having been
sent there by his parents, who lived in
Berlin, and that during his university
years no students went the pace that
kills more rapidly than he. a score of
years ago he served as a surgeon in the
German army.
Then IT was he came TO this country.
with many letters from influential friends
abroad. lie also said he had obtained an
appointment i'm the United States navy.
n..1 Ir.I lx.sN L.
what capacity he never said
Then he settled I'm Louisville where. he
said, no became a demonstration of sur
gerry I'm the State Medical college, and
soon became known throughout the state
as a surgeon of the highest distinction.
Then he came TO New York. for here was
a young woman with whom he had fallen
I'm love. She married him about ten
years ago, and they went To- live in the
Ninth ward i'm the vicinity of West Tenth
and West Fourth streets. His business
picked up, and they removed TO more eN-
pensive apartments, at West Fourth and
GhstSpherb did rs
they gripped him with new hold. and
the hypodermic SYRINGE became his only
solace.
For himself he did not seem to care. but
when he learned that. following his eX-
ample. his wife had become victim OF
the drug habit. he lost all hope. One OF
the children died, and the mother. send
ing the second TO her parents. went TO
Germany with her sister. few years
ago the miserable doctor told some OF
her friends that she had died I'm Hei-
delberg hospital. She had gone there to
submit to an operation. had not told the
physician she was a victim of drugs and
had succumbed TO the anaesthetic.
This was the last blow TO the doctor.
He lost his practice and from his fine
apartments he went to the little room
in West Tenth street. His landlady heard
aiheavy fall in his room on Friday night.
She ran up stairs and a young man who
was with the doctor begged her to call
the nearest doctor. She hastily sum-
moned Or. j. r. Foland. of oil Hudson
| street, who advised that he be sent 10
Bellevue.