Aged Man Took Morphine And Fought In Order To Die

AGED MAN TOOK MORPHINE AND FOUGHT IN ORDER TO DIE

Thomas Ward committed suicide Friday by taking morphine. He was an old man, 75 years of age, and had probably had the rash act under contemplation for some time.

He lived at 711 N. Fourth avenue, with Mrs. Alsa Knisley, a relative of the Guthries, and Ward had lived in the Guthrie house for some years before Guthrie's death. Mrs. Blythman lived in the same house. About 1:30 a. m. Friday the two women heard the sound of a fall in Ward's room, off the sitting room, and found Ward partially unconscious on the floor. They tried to revive him and finally at 5 o'clock sent for Dr. Elliott Herdman, the city physician, who worked over Ward for a little over two hours. When Ward would partially revive he fought off the efforts of the physician, spitting out the black coffee it was sought to give him. Finally he was taken to the hospital, but efforts to save him were unavailing nad he died about 9 o'clock.

On the floor where WArd fell was a package labeled morphine from Eberbach & Son's and there was also a case knife beside him. At Eberbach's it was found the Ward had purchased 20 grains of morphine last Tuesday, saying that he knew how to use it.

Ward's wife has been dead for some years. He has one son, Charles Ward, of 511 W. Wells street, Detroit.

For some years Ward had been a city charge. As he needed medical treatment City Physician Herdman got him into a free bed at the hospital. He was there for four days when the authorities refused to keep him longer on the ground of the vast amount of trouble he made. He was then taken to the county house. He escaped from there and came back to the city, complaining bitterly of the board and of the lack of medical treatment and care. They came after him and returned with him in the county house last week. When night came he escaped the second time and walked a mile and a half to the motor line where he fell into a mudpuddle and was so exhausted that he lay there a couple of hours until found and brought to the city. Ward had since been attended by Dr. Herdman and had been assured that he did not have to go back to the county house.

Coroner Watts made an investigation and concluded that an inquest was not necessary.