Alsted, Thekla died 1893

ALSTED, ALSTAD, RAGGENSOCK

Posted By: S. Ferrall - IAGenWeb volunteer
Date: 3/3/2016 at 20:00:21

Note an actual obituary, but this seems to be the best place to put the news articles:

Dubuque, Iowa, July 31 - Concerning Mrs. Thekla Alsted, who died at Lansing July 6, and was buried here July 8, Dr. Christiansen, of Waukon, writes Coroner Hoffman that Dr. Ambler certified the cause of death as metritis, whereas Drs. Brockenhausen and Thorton jointly certified it to be narcotic poisoning. He says unpleasant rumors are afloat in Lansing, and that he will report the matter to the State board of health. He also wants Coroner Hoffman to hold an inquest. The coroner is advised that jurisdiction lies in Allamakee county, but he offers to exhume the body and send the stomach to Chicago for analysis if authorized by the Allamakee county supervisors.

~The Daily InterOcean, Chicago, IL, Tues. morning August 1, 1893

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Mrs. Thekla Alsted died at Lansing, Iowa, July 6. She was formerly a resident of this city [Dubuque]and her remains were brought here by her husband and brother and interred in St. John's Lutheran cemetery. The funeral was from the residence of her sister, Mrs. Raggensock, of High Bluff street. The arrangements were in charge of Undertaker Spahn.

Coroner Hoffman is in receipt of a letter from Dr. A.J. Christensen, of Waukon, which intimates there is some mystery connected with the woman's death. It states that two different certificates of death for this same Mrs. Alsted were filed in the office of the clerk of Allamakee county at Waukon. One certificate, filed by Dr. R.C. Ambler, recites that she died July 5 from metritis (the layman would call it inflammation of the bowels); and the other is to the effect that her death occurred July 6, and was the result of narcotic poisoning. Dr. Christensen then states that the remains were shipped to Dubuque for interment and concludes as follows:

"As the facts above stated are official, utterly discrepant and directly pointing to a crime committed by somebody, the law of the state of Iowa, I think, makes it your duty to hold an inquest in the case. I shall not even mention any of the many diversified and unpleasant rumors afloat concerning the death, but I intend to make a report to the state board of health."

Coroner Hoffman, replying to Dr. Christensen, stated that, if any crime were committed, it was in Allamakee county, and that therefore he had no jurisdiction. If, however, the authorities of Allamakee county or the state board of health so ordered, he would exhume the remains and have the stomach analyzed. The case began to look very interesting. Helen Potts' body was exhumed and Carlyle Harris went to death in an electric chair for her murder. Dr. Buchanan, the New York physician, couldn't explain his wife's death satisfactorily. Her body was dug up, poison was found in the stomach, and the doctor has been sentenced to die. Were we to have a sensational and mysterious poisoning trial in Iowa? Dr. Christensen, of Waukon, seems to think we would if this Alsted affair were properly probed.

The facts, however, as learned from good authority, suggest that professional jealousy, or, perhaps, antipathy, has much to do with the case. Dr. Ambler had been ministering to Mrs. Alsted, and in the course of his treatment gave her morphia. Later on the other doctors were called in. Before the death the patient went into a condition of coma. This might have been due either to an excess of morphia or to the disease, and that's where the doctors disagreed. Dr. Ambler certified that death was due to inflammation of the bowels, and Drs. Brockhausen and Thornton that it was the result of narcotic poisoning. The disease, it was generally conceded, had reached a necessarily fatal stage.

It is learned that the coroner of Allamakee county made an investigation and concluded there was no necessity for an inquest. That the date of death is not the same in both certificates is due, no doubt, to an inadvertence. There is no impression in either Lansing or Waukon that a crime has been committed, save that entertained by Dr. Christensen, who is said to be at outs with Dr. Ambler. If there was anything wrong, and the family doesn't think there was, the Allamakee authorities would not have waited for Dr. Christensen to bring the case to public attention.

~The Dubuque Daily Herald, Tuesday morning August 1, 1893

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Notes: Her death was reported in the Allamakee county Death Records, Vol. 1, pg 73, #854. The record (among other info.) gives place of birth as Wisconsin. Her surname is spelled Alstad in the Death Records.