The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1909-01-01
DEATH DUE TO
MORPHINE AND
CARBOLIC ACID
Chemists Report Clears Up
Mystery in Death of
Charles SeinSoth.
GRUES0ME CELEBRATION
IN COMMITTING SUICIDE
ATE CHRISTMAS DINNER AT
NIGHT AND CAREFULLY
DILUTED POISON.

Q = 6, (: Z: . . . o. q g . . . . o . g
In my opinion, the death Of 9
z. Charles Seinsoth was caused by g
(. the administration of poisons. .
: Morphine, in small amount, was @
9 taken first. Owing to the amount 9
: and nature Of the contents of the e,
/. stomach (and probably lack OF g,
= rest) the action of morphine vas .
. necessarily slow. A second poison, .
g earbolic acid, largely diluted with 2
? water, was then taken into the :.
g system. Pathological effects re- q
e suited in due time, death being .
{. caused by the neurotic (abs0rp- g
2 tive effects of both pGisOns, aided 2,
e by the corrosive action of the car 9
{, bolie acid. Extract from report 9
. Of State Chemist Herman Harms. g
The mystery surrounding the cause of
death of Charles SeinsOth, the 16-year-
old messenger boy whose lifeiess body
was found lying in Second North street
near the Capitol hin grounds, Thurs
day morning. Dec. "A, was in d measure
cleared up yesterday in a report mace
by State Chemist Herman Harms 70
County Attorney Willard Hanson, COW
eIf1g the complete Pathological inves-
LEGATION.
After an exhaustive chemical analysis
of the stomach Of the dead boy. and rs
contents. it has been definitely estab-
lished that death resulted from two
pOisOns, morphine ana carbolic acid.
While clearing up the mystery as 70
the cause Of death, however, the report
OF The analysis adds some w0nderInent
as to the boys actions on the night
OF his suicide. Reading between the
lines Of the report he had gone to his
death, not only determinedly, but with
a preparedness. and fiji a manner tnaE
borders on the gruesone. With his
self-purposed end but few hours
away, he was not to be cheated cut Of
his Christmas dinner. and to his feast
ne added as the dessert the potieEss ~
death.
With the traces Of csrboIic acid and
morphine found IN the stomach were
also the remnants of the dinner 10
which he sat down alone. and these
showed that he had partaken of roast
1 turkey, cranberry sauce, chocolate
| candy, coffee and other foods.
Remarks of Chemist.
In his remarks and summary, State
/ Chemist Harms says:
The analysis indicated the presence
of two poisons. namely, morphine and
I =
only in small amount, while quite an
i excessive quantity tone and one-half
! teaspoonfuIs) Of earboiic acid was re-
/ covered.
THE stomach contained an abuDd-
ance of liquid food. This no doubt, re-
| tarded the actions Of the pOisons TO 4
large extent both through absorption
ana corrosion- The coffee present nue.
| trslized the morphine, more or less,
I 4 81
acteristic more OF less fatty nature pre-
vented to a large extent the energetic,
powerful corrosive action OF the car
bOlic acid.
NO evidence of doping. by choral
hydrate or other drug was evident.
neither had the boy taken any beer.
whisky, brandy nor other alcoholic
stimulants, nor drugs containing alce-
| hol The morphine was taken into the
system in its pure form and not in the
form of an opium preparation as shown
BY the absence of Meconic acid
The analysis confirms the theory ad
vanced by The Herald that Seinsoth
was neurasthenic, and while in one Of
his moods of nervous depression had
sought death through suicide.
seinsoth's Last Day.
Seins9fh was last seen alive on the
Wednesday afternoon preceding the dis
covery Of his body. He had been en-
ployed as b messenger in the office Of
City Superintendent Irwin Of the Bell
Telephone company. and about 1 o'clock
on Wednesday afternoon had been sent
to accompany a negro. Charles Wash
ington. while the latter obtained money
with which TO pay q telephone bill
Washington. who is q Pullman car poT-
ter. found that he could not obtain the
money at the company's Offices without
/ his pass book which was at the depot.
When he secured this the Offices were
closed. and tnen Washington left the
boy standing on the corner Of Second
Continued on Page 2.