The Dallas
Morning News
June 20,1890
SUICIDE AT DENISON
Ben Hasburg, a Merchant, Takes the Opiate
Route - Peculiar Circumstances.
Denison, Tex., June 19 - Last
night
another name was added to the long list of
Denison suicides, that of Ben
Hasburg, a clothier and gents' furnishing
goods merchant doing business at No.
318 Main street. Mr. Hasburg had been
a citizen of Denison almost since
its inception and has an extensive
acquaintance. The readers of The
News will remember details of an ugly
shooting scrape that occurred
something over a year ago, in which
Conductor W. W. Sherwood came near losing
his life at the hands of Mr. Hasburg, the
particulars of which were published
in The News at the time. It is the
general supposition that the suicide
last night was the result of that
difficulty.
The particulars of the last scene in the
sensational
chapter are about as follows:
Mr. Hasburg was in his store yesterday as
usual and went
home last night about 10:30. Nothing
unusual was noticed by
his family
save his inclination to be sleepy.
After being home a few minutes he fell
over on the floor, but was aroused and
gotten to bed. The family did not
suspect the seriousness of his trouble until
12 o'clock, at which time the true
state of affairs was discovered. Dr.
DeBow was instantly summoned, and
upon his arrival diagnosed the case as that
of poison by opiate.
Other physicians shortly after arrived and
all agreed as to
the nature of the case, and promptly went to
work to save his life. Every
remedy was brought to bear, but too late, as
the opiate had already thoroughly
permeated the system and it was clearly
foreshadowed that dissolution was only
a matter of short time. Once or twice
he was partially aroused, but would
sink into a stupor after either mental
or physical exertion.
He remained in a comatose condition until
about 9 o'clock
this morning, at which time, under the
influence of whiskey hyperdermically
administered, he roused up for a few
minutes. He recognized his
physicians and upon being questioned,
declined to state why, when or what he
had taken. He remained conscious for
about thirty minutes, then relapsed
into a comatose condition, and shortly after
passed away. It is probable
that his remains will be conveyed to Chicago
for interment.