A Fatal Mistake.
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Jas. Hammond Swallowed Carbolic Acid and Died in Fifteen Minutes.
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Jas. Hammond, a laborer, who had been in the employ of J. Van Buskirk the past season, went home to his boarding place at Wm. Swindlehurst's about 4 o'clock last Friday morning from the village, where the day before he had attended the Fair and in the evening the dance. During the day he was drinking a little, a very unusual thing for him to do, and when he went home he took a bottle of whiskey with him. He went to bed on reaching home but before retiring he placed the bottle of liquor on a stand on which was also a bottle containing carbolic acid. The two bottles were of equal size and not dissimilar in form. He arose at 11 o'clock and took a drink from what he supposed was the bottle of liquor. In a moment more he said to Mrs. Swindlehurst:
"What was in that bottle."
"Carbolic acid," she replied.
"Oh, My God! I'm gone." he cried, and these were his last words.
He died in about 15 minutes from the time he swallowed the awful dose.
Dr. Ludlum, who was at Springport, was summoned but poor Hammond was dead before the physician reached the house.
Hammond came from Middleport, N. Y., last spring where he left a family consisting of a wife and six children. A disagreement over property matters had separated them. During his residence here he has been a quiet, industrious citizen and he was not addicted to the use of intoxicants, so far as known.
His relatives were wired and three brothers arrived here Sunday, coming up to Tawas on the freight and driving the rest of the way. They decided to bury him here and the interment took place Monday morning in the Catholic cemetery.
Coroner Beede held an inquest on the remains but no new facts bearing on the case were discovered and a verdict was rendered that deceased came to his death from poison accidentally administered by his own hand.