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Dr. Emory Wendell Foster (1913)

DANFORTH, FOSTER

Posted By: Pat Hochstetler
Date: 9/29/2010 at 07:43:53

The Winterset Reporter
Winterset, Iowa
Wednesday, May 14, 1913
Page 1

The shocking news reached here Monday afternoon of the sudden death of Dr. E. W. Foster at Omaha. The first dispatch gave no particulars, but simply summoned his wife, who was here on a visit to her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Chalon Danforth. The facts are that while suffering from a temporary aberration of mind, caused by loss of sleep, he destroyed himself by taking poison. Dr. Foster was born and raised in this county and after his graduation in medicine he practiced in Nebraska and Colorado.

About eight years ago he located at Worland, Wyoming where he became very successful in his profession and accumulated considerable property. It had always been his plan to specialize in surgery and later locate in a city. Following out this plan he went to New York last fall and took a five months post graduate course in surgery. He then located in Omaha and at once attracted the attention of the profession by his ability as a surgeon. His books showed that already he had acquired a lucrative practice.

There can be found no motive for his rash act as his business was satisfactory, his finances were in fine shape and his domestic relations most cordial and happy. He was an exceedingly bright, young man and had the promise of becoming eminent in his profession. He was 38 years of age and had been married but six years.

The remains were brought here this morning and the funeral will occur tomorrow afternoon at 3 o’clock from the Danforth home at the head of North First street.
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The Winterset News
Winterset, Iowa
Wednesday, May 14, 1913
Page 1, Column 2

DR. EMORY FOSTER USES 3 POISONS

Takes His Life In Omaha Hotel

Skilled Physician Commits Suicide

Dr. Emory Foster, son-in-law of C. Danforth, killed himself by taking poison in his hotel in Omaha, Monday. His wife, Mrs. Beulah Danforth Foster, was in Winterset at the time visiting her parents. She left immediately for Omaha when the news of her husbands death was telephoned by friends. The Omaha News says: Using atropine, one of the rarer and deadlier poisons, combined with hyoscine and morphine, Dr. Emory W. Foster, aged 3S, formerly of Worland, Wyoming and a graduate of Creighton Medical college in 1902, killed himself Monday in his apartments at the Sanford hotel, 308 South Nineteenth street.

Dr. Foster was found dying at 4:30 o'clock Monday afternoon by the housemaid, who notified Drs. E. M. Barnes and C. C. Criss. They could do nothing and Dr. Foster died an hour later. Physicians this morning found the suicide of their fellow practitioner unusual because of the methods used. Atropine, they say, when taken in large quantities, causes respiratory paralysis and excruciating pain. Morphine and hyoscine counteract to a certain degree the effect of the atropine and cause immediate unconsciousness. "Dr. Foster evidently did not wish to undergo hours of torture and took the morphine and hyoscine to cause sleep and thus relieve him of pain." said Dr. Barnes, commenting on the suicide. The atropine Dr. Foster injected into his arm in large quantities and swallowed the morphine and hyoscine in tablet form.

Before ending his life Dr. Foster wrote a letter to his wife who was visiting at Winterset, Ia., but up to a late hour today it had not been opened. The cause for the physician's act is unknown, say those acquainted with him. Mrs. Foster says she believes he must have killed himself while in a fit of despondency. He suffered at times from insomnia, she says, and at those times grew quite despondent. They had no domestic troubles, she declares.

Saturday the doctor telegraphed his wife asking her to come to Omaha on Monday or Tuesday. She wrote postal card, replying she would come. He never "received the postal card as he killed himself while it lay still undelivered.

Mrs. Foster left Winterset as soon as she received word of her husband's death. She reached Omaha this morning and went direct to the home of Dr. Barnes, 1825 Binney street. Coroner Crosby took charge of the body and is holding an inquest this afternoon. The body will be taken to Winterset, Iowa, this evening for burial.

Dr. Foster came to Omaha last February and secured offices with Dr. Criss in the City National bank building. He was a graduate of Columbia university as well as Creighton university. Dr. Foster was quite well known in Winterset. His relatives lived in the county and he has been a frequent visitor to the Danforth home. He was a man of much ability and so far as his family and friends know he had utterly no reason for his rash act. His financial affairs were in good shape, he was already enjoying a fine practice in Omaha where he located after taking a post graduate course in a New York medical college. Mrs. Foster's explanation of the suicide is the only possible one.
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Note: Burial was made in the Winterset cemetery.

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