THE OPIUM HABIT. Cause of the Death of a Journalist' and his Wife.

Te Aroha News, Volume IV, Issue 204, 21 May 1887, Page 3 (Supplement)

THE OPIUM HABIT. Cause of the Death of a Journalist' and his Wife.

! Francis Gerry FairchiM), a clergyman ! and journalist, author of works on spiritualism and a veterinary surgeon, died at New York on April 4 from the effects of the opium habit. His wife, Josephine, daughter of Judge CJriswold, of the United States District Court, and sister-in-law to Bret Harfce, died from the same cause in the boarding-house at Stuyvesant-street on the Friday previous, and her body was sent to the Morgue. He did not know of her death, and their relatives were not aware of it until her body had been sent to the potters' field for burial. Fairchild was educated at a private school in Massachusetts, at the Gettysburg University and at the Lutheran Theological Seminary. Before he was of age he was placed in charge of the Lutheran Church at) Waterloo, N.Y. After a year or two of preaching he came to New York to assist N. P. Willes in the editorial management of the "Home Journal." Later he was a writer for the " News " and correspondent for the "Herald."' fie was in Mexico at the time of Maximillian's execution, and wrote an account of it as an eye-witness. After his return to New York he was a space wiiter for several newspapers. He also Avrot-o poems and short stories for the magazines, investigated spiritualism and studied medicine and scientitic subjects. Failing to acquire means as a writer, ho became a veterinary surgeon, only to give up his practice in disgust after a short trial. Several years ago ho became addicted to the use of morphine, and his wife, a beautiful, well-educated woman, fell into the same habit. They had no children and lived in a boarding-house, avoiding wealthy and influential friends. Recently Fairchild wrote chiefly for the " Sunday Mercury" and Albany %< Argus." His brother gave him money frequently, and tried in vain to induce him to quit the use of morphine. For more thin a year Fairchild and wife boarded at '27 Stuyvesant street. During March they paid nothing for their, board. All the money they could get was spent for morphine. On Wednesday Fairchild went to his brother's office, in the " Tribune " building, and asked for more money. Tic looked so much like a tramp that his bi other bought him some new clothing 1 . As he said he did not care to go where his wife was, his brother took kh • to the (Southern boarding-house.