A FATAL ERROR.
TWO LADIES POISONED BY A DRUGGIST IN HOBOKEN.
Morphine for Quinine—One of the Victims Dead, the Other Dying—Plunged in Grief—The Druggist Attempts to Take His Own Life While Under Arrest.
NEW YORK, Aug. 31.—In a brown stone house on Hudson Street, opposite Castle Point, Hoboken, resides C. F. Holz, a wine merchant, doing business at the corner of Broadway and Duane Street, in this city. Mr. Holz’s family consists of his wife, three daughters and a son, and this morning his home became the scene of a painful tragedy.
About a week ago the family returned from the Catskills, where they had been spending the summer. Marguerite and her sister Ella were under treatment for malarial fever. Dr. August E. Loewenthal, a young man twenty-four years old, who was engaged to Marguerite about six weeks ago, was in attendance. Last evening her symptoms had not improved, and Dr. Loewenthal summoned Dr. Conrad, of this city, to a consultation. The result of the consultation was a prescription for tea grain doses of quinine.
Mr. Amende, druggist, of No. 268 Washington street, prepared the prescription, which was duly administered to both patients. At two o’clock this morning Ella was taken suddenly and violently sick with sharp pains, and Dr. Loewenthal was summoned at once. There were symptoms of morphine poisoning and Dr. Loewenthal sent for assistance. In a short while five other doctors responded and a diagnosis of the case resulted in the conclusion that the patient was suffering from morphine poisoning. Dr. Loewenthal, in order to make doubly sure, hastened to the drug store where the prescription was prepared, and it was found that Mr. Amende by mistake had put up ten grain doses of morphine instead of quinine.
The doctors worked assiduously over the victims, administering antidotes and using the stomach pump until half-past six this morning, when Marguerite became suddenly worse and at 7 o’clock she died. Ella is not expected to live.
Mr. Amende, the chemist, has not been seen since Dr. Loewenthal called upon him at 4 o’clock this morning, and there are rumors that he has left town. Mr. Amende, Dr. Kudlich, Jr., said to a reporter this morning, was considered one of the most careful and intelligent chemists in town. He has lived here many years, and was highly esteemed. He was of a nervous temperament, and it would not surprise me to hear that he had committed suicide.
Mr. Amende owns considerable real estate in Hoboken, and is a bachelor about forty years old, and is a manufacturer of surgical dressings and appliances, as well as a druggist.
Recorder McDonough sent Detective Gallagher to secure the fatal prescription. It was not to be found and the clerk said Mr. Amende must have it with him in his pocket. A copy of it in Mr. Amende’s handwriting was found in the prescription book.
Dr. Loewenthal, Jr., is prostrated with grief and refused to leave his room this morning. His father is a physician of many years’ standing in Hoboken.
THE DRUGGIST TAKES POISON.
HOBOKEN, N. J., Aug. 31.—When an officer this evening went to the residence of Amende, the druggist, whose blunder caused the death of Miss Holz, he found that gentleman very despondent. He told the officer he was ready to accompany him to the station house, but a moment later he informed him that he had taken poison and fell unconscious to the floor. Physicians were at once summoned but his recovery is extremely doubtful. He had taken five grains of atropha, the usual dose of which runs from 1-100 to 1-64 of a grain. Six physicians are bringing to bear all their skill upon Miss Ella Holz, whose condition is now considered almost hopeless. The body of the eldest daughter, Gretcher Margaret, has been prepared for burial. The parents are heart broken over the sad affair. Mr. Amende is well known in medical circles.
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