The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1908-05-13
JOSEPH melvin IS
DEAD At HOSPITAL
Decendent Was Formerly Railroad
Engineer and Came to Hammond
from Abbottsford, Wis, Two Years
Ago, the Family Being Located at
Present on Holman Street.

Joseph H. Melvin, age "A years,
who conducted a bakery and lunch
room In 267 South Holman street. died
at ST Margarets hospital shortly be-
fore o'clock yesterday evening as a
direct result of taking an overdose Of
morphine.
A contributory cause of his death
was acute alcoholism. Mr.. Melvin is
known by his neighbors on South
Holman street as hard drinker. Sew
eraI of them say that they have fire.
quently taken it upon themselves to
intercept Mr.. Melvin as he was about
to go into one of the saloons in the
neighborhood and in this manner pre-
vent his securing the liquor which they
knew was bringing about his ruin.
Took Fatal Sedative.
Recently and especially yesterday
morning he had been drinking hard
and yesterday afternoon he suffered
so from nervousness that he decided to
take a sedatfve. He secured a quar-
ters worth Of morphine from one Of
the local druggists and took the en-
tire quantity in one dose. Whether it
was prescribed by a physician is un-
known.
If he had been used to taking the
drug the dose might not have been
fatal, but it is not believed he was
addicted to the habit and as a result
the reaction was so great that it re-
suited in his death a few hours later.
Desperate Effort to Save Life.
The effects of the drug were felt first
at about $3.50 p. m. and his death oc-
Cured at about o'clock in the even
ing. DIR. Kelly and DR.. VIM. D. Weis
were called in on the case and worked
desperately to save the mans life, but
were unsuccessful.
When Mr.. Melvin returned to his
home after getting and taking the
morphine, his wife noticed that he
looked very pale.
What's the matter?H she asked.
We'll. therell be a commotion in a
few minutes answered Mr.. Melvin.
Coroner E. NJ. Shanklin ordered a
post mortem examination last night for
the purpose of determining the exact
cause of the death. Drs. Kelly and
weis made the examination and first
examined the heart. They were un-
dD1e TO mia al abnormal cOnQlLlOn
which would lead to the belief that
death had been caused by heart trouble
Death Due to Overdose.
They then examined the stomach
and discovered that this organ was IL
a bad condition as a result of Melvin.
excessive drinking, but there wa:
nothing abnormal outside of that A
superficial examination was made O.
other organs and it was finally decided
that death was caused by the over
dose of morphine.
The Melvin family came to this cit,
from Abhotsford Wis. where they live,
for a short time. Their home is il
Big Rapids. Mich. Mr.. Melvin wa
formerly a conductor on the Wisconsin
Central railroad and fortunately 70
his bereaved wife he had $1,000 in
surance in the Railroad Mems Union
Sympathy For wife.
Sympathy is expressed on all side
for Mrs. Melvin, who is known as
hard working woman and a most es
Unable person. She has continuall
made friends ever since she came t
this city and went into the baker
business with Mrs. Margaret Hasting
with whom she was acquainted befor
her arrival here.
The inquest over the remains vii
not be held until this afternoon at
o'clock when Coroner Shanklin will re
turn from Lake Station and the fu
neral arrangements will not be mad
until after the inquest is held.