The Sunday Gazetteer
Sunday, January 9, 1887
pg 1

ACCIDENTAL POISONING
Fatal Effects of an Over Dose of Morphine

The intelligence which became public Friday morning that Mr. Walter Harben had died the night previous of an over dose of morphine, created consternation among the young men in our city. It was known to a few that he had been drinking excessively all the week, but no one imagined he was suffering seriously as a consequence. His brother, Mr. W. N. Harben, had left him Sunday in charge of his store in Denison while he went to Gainesville to wind up the business of the year of his branch establishment in that city. He had been drinking through the holidays but on Sunday he sobered up, and assured Will upon his departure that he would remain straight until he got back. We were in Gainesville Thursday evening and met Mr. Harben upon the street. The first words he said to us were: "Have you heard anything about my brother?" We replied that we had not and asked why. "Well, nothing," he answered, "only I received a telegram just now stating that he was very sick, and I was just deliberating whether to hire a team and drive over or wait for the train in the morning.
The fact is he has been drinking pretty hard and is sick over it, but I dare say it isn't anything serious." We told him that we had left town
at 3 o'clock that afternoon but hadn't heard of anything being wrong, and this seemed to reassure him and he left us stating that he would go over with us in the morning. Friday morning we were coming down to the depot when Mr. Harben came up to us saying:" My God! do you know I have just been telephoned that my brother is dead?" We walked down to the train together and took a seat in one of the coaches and, in answer to our inquires, he stated the following: "That his brother had, in the past few years been in the habit of taking morphine to allay nervousness and other distressing symptoms resulting from intemperance; that he would drink to excess and then sober up by using the drug and that when he did take it he had to be watched to prevent him from taking too much. He said that since he was 21 years of age he had been fearing that death would result from this habit, but all his efforts to break him of it had been futile."  He seemed be utterly overcome by the weight of the blow and bitterly reproached himself for not going to Denison in time to see him alive. On arriving in Denison we learned that the deceased had been occupying  a room at the Colonnade hotel and that Thursday about 1:30
Dr. Wilson had been telephoned to visit him; that he had requested the doctor to administer to him three grains of morphine, stating that he had been used to taking doses of that quantity, and added that he had been drinking deeply and wanted rest. The doctor gave him about half a grain of the drug and left him, but he was subsequently seen by two of the hotel servants with a bottle half full of morphine and a quantity of opium though how he obtained it was not made apparent at the inquest. About 3 o'clock Dr. Wilson returned and found him in a comatose state. He sent for Dr. Baskett and together they labored to resuscitate him but without success. His stupor deepened and at 11:30 he expired. Coroner Cook was notified and a jury empaneled, but after viewing the body the inquest was postponed till Friday morning. The examination of witnesses elicited what has already been stated and a verdict in accordance with these facts was rendered by the jury.

On arriving in the city Mr. W. N. Harben found that all necessary preparations for the shipment of his brother's remains had been perfected, an act of kindness on the part of his friends for which he most feelingly expressed his gratitude. Short funeral services were held of the deceased in the parlor of the Colonnade by Rev. H. M. Whaling at 2 o'clock Friday, after which the remains were escorted to the depot and shipped on the 3 o'clock Houston & Texas Central train. Mr. W. N. Harben accompanying them. Their destination is  Dalton, Ga., and they will go by way of New Orleans and West Point. The following gentlemen acted as pall bearers: Messrs. Charles Redwood, Baily Vinson, John Eakin, F. C. Loveman, Walter Nevins, O. S. Menitee, James Boyd and W. R. Sanders.

Deceased was born at Dalton, Ga., was 26 years of age and was a young man of fine personal appearance and excellent business capacity. Up to two years ago he had been in the dry goods business in his native city with his brother, who is now our respected townsman; but both partners selling out at that time he went to New York where he embarked in various speculating adventures. In these speculations
he was very successful and owned, at the time of his death, shares in New York gas stocks worth in the neighborhood of $15,000; Mr. W. N. Harben had drifted into business in Denison and about the middle of October last he came to visit him. Having nothing particular to engage his attention he consented to take charge of the Gainesville branch to help his brother out for the time. He drank considerably all the time he was in Gainesville, and coming over to Denison Christmas he began to do worse, in this respect, than ever. With the final result of this course of conduct our readers are already acquainted.  The untimely close of a career which, under other conditions, might have been a most admirable one, has created a profound sensation and is a circumstance that will not soon be forgotten in our city. The sincerest sympathy is felt by all, both for the aged mother, whom we have not seen, and for the only brother whose haggard look bespeaks the inward agony he feels.