The Grenada sentinel. [volume] (Grenada, Miss.) 1868-1955, 1905-05-06

brother here lost his wife two weeks
ago. Apparently she died of a cancer.
from which she had suffered greatly
for two years. We, however, think
that she died of an overdose OF NOR
phine or laudanum %purposely admins
tered by her physician. This doctor
only the day before had told my
brother his wife would linger in agony
for six months, yet she died the FOL
lowing night. He questioned the phy-
stefan, whose answers were so con-
ficting with each other and whose
embarrassment was so apparent that
my brother is strongly of the opinion
hat the doctor for some reason best
known to himself gave her that which
killed her. My brother does not re-
gret her death, for she suffered I'M
s~peakable agony and often begged him
to kill her to relieve her from pain.
But we are much distressed over the
affair, for it seems to is that murder
has been done. Yet # we consulted
our own wishes we would say and do
nothing. But there is the law. So we
decided to come to you and abide by
your decision"
do you charge him with MURDER"
/ asked. do you want me to arrest
him, notify the coroner, have the body
exhumed, and, if the chemists analy-
sis warrant it, have the matter
brought before the grand jury?"
They didn't want that-not for a
time. They wanted me to send tor the
physician.
And why should l send for him?'
was my natural query.
Because" said the business man,
whose commercial rating was up TO
the AS" you are the mayor of this
city and we citizens in trouble, and
we ask you to help US"
The next day | called the physician
up on the telephone and asked him il
he would come to my office. He said
he would, and in a short time We were
in M private room, with both doors
locked behind us and my secretary on
guard against intrusion Of any kind.
l had never met the doctor, and
hardly knew how to approach the sub
ject. While maneuvering for an open
ing he surprised me by saying:
Il think | know what you want TO
see me about. l happened to drive
past your house last night when two
gentlemen came out. l recognized
then. The wife of one of them was q
patient of mine. She died about two
weeks ago.. You want to ask me
about her DEATH"
Yes" l replied. Did she die of
cancer?"
No"
"Of what them"
He leaned forward, spread his arms
out over the table and, looking me IN
tently in the eyes,, slowly said:
Mr.. Mayor, the poor woman went
to sleep and never awOke. l gave her
the morphine which put her to sleep
and l made no effort to awake her"
Well" l said, somewhat startled,
lis that the way O cure your pa
tients?"
Listen. q moment" he said, his
face paling, Il know what | have
done, and under like circumstances
would do the same thing. Hers was
an utterly hopeless case. She had at
the best but a few months to live, and
every minute would have been in
creased agony Her sufferings would
move a stone to tears. She often i'm
plored me to increase the dose OF
morphine which l administered TO
ease the pain for a few minutes. Only
a little more, DOCTOR she would beg,
just enough to put me to sleep so
that / won't wake again. The after
noon of her death she asked me for
the hundredth time how much longer
she would have to live. When | told
her she prayed | might be wrong, that
death would come sooner. .
Her physical pain at that instant
was more than even l, accustomed to
such sights, could look upon. She
beckoned to me and whispered: Are
you going to give m some ~morphine?'
l nodded my head and soon was ready.
She asked me for the hyperdermic
syringe, and whispered: Put IN
enough to put me asleep SO l can see
how much it will take l did SO. She
again took the syringe. and thrusting
the needle beneath her skin, pushed
the plunger down and l made no effort
to stop her. She went to sleep. She
had cured herself"
That is to say" l broke in. "she
committed suicide"
mo. not that"
Then you committed murder"
mo. l cured her. In her case the
only cure was death. 1t is my office to
relieve suffering. There was but one
way to relieve her. What l did was
done before by physicians, and will be
done again and again. And it is right
that it should be done"
After the doctor left me | did some
of the hardest thinking my brain had
ever experienced. My situation was
unique. 1t rested with me to have
him arrested as a criminal or to &C
cept his view and do nothing.
ov+ tho coca of pOTrSp WithOUf