The Wichita daily eagle., 1904-05-27
CUT THROAT
and MAY DIE
Former Newspaper Man Ad-
dicted to Drug Habit.
HE BECAME DESPONDENT
Asked the Physician to Let
Him Die.

Oklahoma City. May 26.-With his
throat cut from ear TO ear and windpipe
completely severed, Z. NJ. Darst at one
time one of the bright young reporters
of the Atlanta Constitution and a vet
eran of the Spanish-Americh war, is
lying at the point of death at st. Antho-
Jny's hospital in this city, with little pros
pect of recovery, says the Oklahoman.
Despondent at the recent death of his
wife and because Of the fact that he
could not resist the opium habit, Darst
attempted to dispel what appeared to him
the nightmare of life by cutting his
| throat with a razor at about 4:30 o'clock
yesterday afternoon at the ]. ]. Prewett
street.
| Concerning the awful affair and prob
| ably tragedy Mrs j. ]. Prewett when in
terviewed by an Oklahoman represent
ative last evening made the following
statemnt:
Mr. Darst, who had been boarding
with us for about six weeks, and who
was employed by the Homer E. Manly
company, printers and stationers. came
to the house at about AIS o'clock this
! evening and went upstairs. l thought
it a little singular that he should be-
coming home at that time of the day,
but gave the matter little thought, be-
cause l knew he was addicted TO the
use of narcotics and his actions were
at all times peculiar / later learned
that he went into the room Of another
boarder, adjoining his own. and picking
up razor shaved himself Upon COM
pieting the job he cut his throat and rush
ed into his own room. His room mate
Mr.. Doss Harwell, who has employment
as a night watchman, had just arisen
and was dressing when he was Mortified
to see Darst enter the room with blood
flowing in crimson stream down his
neck, which was slit from ear to ear.
Darst was carrying the razor in his hand.
and as he confronted Mr.. Harwell he
said: Good bye, Doss'' and fell forward
on the floor.
Mr.. Harwell was very much frightened
and nervous when he came down and told
me what had transpired. l at once tel
ephoned the information TO Mr.. Prewett
and he telephoned to police headquarters
and also to a physician
Policeman Ballard and Drs. Witten
Schafer and Cune reached the house soon
after Mr.. Prewett got home and at once
examined Mr.. Darst's wound. Mr.. Darst,
who was conscious and In the possession
of his faculties, told the physicians to let
him dies but they replied that they could
not do that Mr.. Prewett asked him why
he had done the rash act and Darst, who
seemed dspleased at the question, replied
that he had left two letters explaining
that, one addressed TO Rev. Frank E.
Day, pastor of the First Methodist
church. in this city, and another to his
brother, Rev. John Darst who resides
at some point in Virginia, Mr. Darst'ts
Old home is at Bluefield, Va, but his |
brother does not reside there.
THE physicians put Darst under the in !
fuence of a powerful opiate and sewed |
UP his windpips and neck. The windpipe |
was completely severed, but the jugular |
vein was not punctured. The physicians I
remained with him until about o'clock. /
when they called an ambulance and had |
him removed to St. Anthonys hospital /
Il had been told that the man was a |
victim of the drug habit, but felt sorry |
for him and could never feel that it |
would be right to send him away from
the house.