The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1918-02-05
Takes Overdose Of Deadly
Mercury Tablets Then
i Calls Help.
POSSIBLY SUICIDE;
ACCIDENT, HE SAYS
Tells Bellboy Not to Call
Doctor, That He's Going
to Cross Divide.

Strong, free from pain, yet virtually
doomed to die within fortnight w II.
bingham, d Chicago historian and once
Mlssolia newspaper man, is lying III
st. Patrick's hospital awaiting the fate
which he almost irrevocably brought
upon himself by taking an overdose of
bicholoride of mercury tablets in his
room at the Florence hotel last sun
day afternoon.
The poison has had little outward ef-
feet as yet, for it's work is slow. But
within week. according to authori-
ties upon bich.oride Of mercury poison
ing, Bingham must succumb unless
miraculous cure is accomplished.
bingham took enough to kill q dozen
men,, according to DIR. Charles Pixley
who was called to attend him. DR.
Pixley would only say, however, that
bingham is In IL very serious condi-
tioyl."
May Be Case Of Suicide.
bingham evidently took the poison
deliberately to end the "troubles you
wouldn't understand" of which he had
often spoken to bellboys and clerks at
the hotel, where he had been staying
since he came to Missoula several
weeks ago to collect material for his
tory of Montana. At about $50 Sun
day afternoon he called the office from
his room and asked for doctor. A
bellboy was sent hastily upstairs,
opened Bingham's door and found the
historian standing there with a bottle
in his hand.
"Never mind the DOCTOR" he said
Pm going To cross the Great Divide" ,
A doctor was summoned, however
and Bingham was taken to st. Pat
rick's hospital. The size of the dose
and the mans slowness in calling aid
aggravated the case, said DIR. Pixley
last night.
Says it Was Mistake.
bingham said yesterday morning
that he took the tablets by mistake
thinking that they were aspirin A few
days ago he told A. l.. Stone dean of
the university school of Journalism
with whom he has been working on
historical matter. that he had been
suffering with grip and had taken Il
great deal of aspirin
Came Here to Write History.
Little ABOUT Bingham's personal af-
fairs is known here. He came To Mis-
soula several weeks ago with creden-
tidIS Ilol1 Tue iAHitiIIdii
Society Of Chicago, to gather informa-
tion for history of the state. He had
worked steadily at this until Sunday.
bingham is married, apparently, for
he showed in the MOTEL letter to a son,
mentioning his troubles" and attribut-
ing them to "whiskey." His home is In
Chicago. He is prominent in Masonic
circles there, it is said.
Was Newspaper Man Here.
Back in the 90's Bingham worked in
the business offices of several Montana
newspapers, among them The Missoul-
ian. lie went east with plan to com
bine some of the leading papers of the
state in a news syndicate. Having no
Success in this venture he remained in
the east.
Poison Usually Fatal.
Bichloride Of meeury poisoning is a
subtle but almost inevitably fatal thing,
according to authorities. DIR. .Pixley
said last night that the poison usually
acts directly upon the stomach as a
Caustic and remotely upon the EidEeys,
suspending their function and eventu-
ally causing acute Brights disease.
Death may be caused by either effect.
The poison is unusual for the reason
that Ii acts very slowly and causes
practically no Jain. The first sensa
tional case of bichloride of mercury
poisoning occurred in Georgia, where a
man announced taking it and then dc
clared he would not die. Doctors as
sured him he was doomed. but h.
laughed at them. feeling no pain, and
gave big party TO celebrate his de-
fiance OF medicine. Shortly afterearo
7 he died of acute Bright's disease.