for the archives:
THE WASHINGTON TIMES; Saturday Morning; March 16, 1895
HE WAS ANXIOUS TO DIE
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Blue Ointment Not Potent Enough to End Carrico's Life
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BEGGED FOR STRONGER POISON
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The Physician Found Carrico in Convulsions
and the Would-be Suicide Asked to Be
Given Something to End His Pain-- He
Refused to Be Taken to The Hospital
and Was Abandoned - Now Out of Danger
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A pill box full of blue ointment, the foulest dose known to materia
medica, came near ending the mortal existence of James Carrico,
a "street arab," or huckster, who resides at No. 1222 Delaware
avenue southwest, about 1:15 o'clock yesterday afternoon. The
stuff was taken by Carrico with suicidal intent.
Carrico, who is about 22 years of age, had been out huckstering
in the sleet in the forenoon and came home a few minutes before
1 o'clock. Owing to the chilly weather he stopped in numerous
saloons, it is said, and imbibed in alcoholic warmers. When he
finally reached his domicile he was wet, cold and partly intoxicated.
To add to this he found his wife had gone out visiting.
SWALLOWED THE CONTENTS
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In a closet he found a pill box filled with blue ointment, which he
says he purchased on South Capitol street. He swallowed the
contents of the box and then lay himself down to die. When his wife
returned, about fifteen minutes after he had taken the poison,
Carrico was curled up on the floor behind the kitchen stove, suffering
with violent convulsions.
Mrs. Carrico rushed out to the sidewalk and, after calling several
neighbors, ran into the patent-medicine establishment of Dr. G. T.
Greenlaw, corner of 2nd and M streets southwest, only a few doors
from her home. The doctor responded and, upon seeing Carrico's
serious condition, advised the wife to send for Dr. Price, which she
did.
In the meantime Policeman Bruce and Sergt. Barry telephoned for
the Emergency Hospital ambulance. Carrico continued to have
violent convulsions at short intervals, besides being in an
unconscious condition.
"He was frothing at the mouth and snapping his teeth like a mad
dog," said Dr. Greenlaw, "and reminded me for all the world of a
man in the throes of Hydophobia. In one of his periods of
consciousness Carrico looked up at me and muttered between his
teeth: 'Doctor, for God's sake give me something with which to kill
myself and end this pain and misery.'"
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HIS WIFE KNEW WHY
When asked by Dr. Greenlaw what made him take the poison,
Carrico replied: "It doesn't need any explanation. My wife
knows why I took it."
Finally the man became so violent that Dr. Greenlaw had to
summon help to hold him, as he was trying to tear the flesh from
his arms with his teeth.
Finally, when the Emergency ambulance came to the house in
charge of Dr. Church, an attempt was made to place Carrico in it.
He refused to be placed on the stretcher and said with an oath:
"I will not go to the hospital."
The ambulance left Carrico's place, and Dr. Price took him in hand.
At a late hour last night Carrico was out of danger.
Blue ointment, with which the huckster attempted to end his life, is
a deadly poison, especially to insects. Its chief ingredient is metallic
mercury.