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Cut His Own Throat

Cut His Own Throat image
Parent Issue
Day
25
Month
October
Year
1888
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

On Tuesday forenoon, at about 10:30 o'olock, at the residence of John R. Miner on Liberty-st., a homceopathic medical student, named Arthur B. Smith, took his owu life by cutting his throat with a small amputating knife. Three doctors were called, who reaohed the unforlunate boy before he died. Ycung Smith, nearly naktd, was lying on his bed in a largepool of blood. He resited the doctors fuiiously, striking at them, and grabbing one of them by the beard, it required the strength of two men to loosen his grip. He quickly bied to death, his Upa working convulsively and he appeared to be trying to say. " O, my God, my God 1" Toung Smith was 22 years old, slender and a little above the average height. He has borne an excellent reputation among his fellows, who liked him exceedingiy. Ho was a member of the M. E. church. His parents are farmers, who live near Bath, Clinton county, Mioh., hia fsther's name being Charles W. Smith. He was in the second year of his course of smdy. Mr. Smith had a room in John E. Miner's house with another medical student named Jacob G. Smith, who lives iĆ¼ Circleville, O. This room-mate gave The Kegister an account of the horrible affair as follows : "About Oct. 11 Mr. Smith was taken sick with inflammation of the kidneys, and suffered great pain while he was confined to bed, which was nearly a week. He then was able to get out di.ors a little. Sunday morning last he complained of the pain again. He went to see a doctor and then took to his bed again. On Sunday I found him under the influence of chloroform which he himself had applied and the rag was yet over his nose. I hid the bottle of chloroform, and when he was restored to conseiousneas I warned him not to use it again. He said that he had used it to relieve his pain, but was glad it was taken away from him. Sunday afternoon he was in pain but was cheerful. " When 1 went to supper on Sunday, he took chloroform again, and would have died in five minutes had I not returned. I called Dr. Campbell of the homoeopathic department, but it was two hours before he became conscious. He was warned very seriously not to do it again, and I stayed right by him all night, for this began to look as though he meant suicide. "On Monday morning, Smith seemedto be better, and he told me to go to lectures as usual ; tLat he was all right. A triend remained with him all the iorenoon, and at noon when I returned he was j iking and laughing, although feeling a little siek at the stomach probably trom the effects of the chloroform. Another frieud stayed with him a part of the afternoon. I told him to stay till I got back ; but I presume tbat Smith got him to leave on some pre text, as he afterwards tried to get me away (rom the room. When I got back at 5 p. m. Monday, the door was locked. I pounded, but getting no response, and fearing the chloroform act again, I took a ladder and chmbed into the window from the outside. Smith was in a stupid condition. I could find no evidence of chloroform this time, and, indeed, of ny drug. Smith stoutly denied afterward having taken anything ; but he remaind in this stupid condition some time, and we suspect that he took opium. "Mr. Hoffman sat up with Smith Monday night and I slepton a cot in the hall. This morning I talked with him again about taking chloroform, and he seemel sorry for it. There seemed to be nothing unusual about him, and he was quiet enough, but I stayed by him pretty closcly. About past ten this morning he complained of being hungry; and sent me down stairs to see it the toast which Mrs. Miner was preparing for him was ready. I returned soon and went into an adjoining room to get a guitar, thinking 1 would play a little to amuse the sick man. Mrs. Miner followed me up stairs with Smith's breakfast on a tray, and went into the room. In a moment I heard her exclaim, ' O, Mr. Smith !' I hurned back and found my room-rnnte with hia tfaroat cut."

Article

Subjects
Old News
Ann Arbor Register