SUDDEN DEATH by Editor

Seventh-day Adventist Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Sep 1, 1881

SUDDEN DEATH.

By Editor

GEORGE AUG. DITTLEHURST, a native of Pennsylvania, aged about 28 years, a carpenter by trade, died suddenly on the sidewalk in front of the American House on Friday afternoon of last week, between the hours of 4 and 5 : 15. Deceased had been drinking excessively for some days before his death. Three weeks before he died he was in the county jail and had an attack of delirium tremens. After coming out of the jail he promised to reform and for several days kept sober, but the demon drink had the best of him and he returned to his bad habits.

Friday afternoon he was seen to take a quart of whisky, and drink a pint of it; then he went to the Benicia Brewery and drank some beer which he helped himself to while the barkeeper was out. At a quarter to four o'clock, or thereabouts, he was "fired out" from the American House saloon, and lay on the sidewalk. His death took place while asleep it is supposed.

Dr. Newmark made a post-mortem examination which revealed the fact that death had resulted from heart disease. The right ventricle of the heart had burst laying that vital organ open. The liver was considerably diseased, caused no doubt, by chronic alcoholic indulgence. The jury at the Coroner's inquest brought in a verdict of death from heart disease.—New Era of Benicia.

Anybody but a Coroner's jury would have said that he died from whisky. If he had run a knife into his heart it would doubtless have caused severe disease of that organ, yet a jury would scarcely render a verdict of heart disease in such a case.