Rutland Herald, April 19, 1938

D. McGinnis Kills Self

Cattle Dealer, 72, Drinks Four Doses of Powerful Horse Stimulant Daniel McGinnis, 72, of Melrose Mass, itinerant cattle dealer, died at 6:50 o'clock yesterday morning at Rutland hospital from what police said was a self administered draught of a powerful medicine used in treatment of horses ill of pneumonia. The act was attributed to persistent ill health and recent business reverse. McGinnis was taken to the hospital in the police scout car by Officer Clayton E. Peer, who received a telephone message from William Wilson, caretaker of the E.R.Brooks stables on Chaplin Avenue, that the aged man had taken a large dose of medicine which was being used in care of an ill horse. Dr. James J. Reedy, who waged a futile fight to save the life of McGinnis who died in violent convulsions less than an hour after he reached the hospital, said that the death was due to suicide by an overdose of the medicine, a potent heart stimulant. Wilson told police that McGinnis, who had had a room at Hotel Bardwell for two weeks, spent Sunday night with him on a cot in the office of the Brooks stable.

When he arose about 5:30 o'clock yesterday morning to feed and water the horses, Wilson stated he noticed the bottle of medicine was missing from the customary place in the stable. He said he returned to the office and asked McGinnis if he had seen the bottle. McGinnis replied that the medicine was still in the stable and volunteered to go get it. McGinnis returned a few seconds later with the partially emptied bottle which he handed to Wilson, saying "I've done it Bill." Wilson said that after McGinnis explained that he drank "four ordinary doses" of the horse medicine he sat calmly in the chair while the other man ran to Prouse's diner on South Main street to telephone the doctor and police.

The body was removed to the Adams and Adams funeral parlor in Chester pending funeral arrangements. E.R. Brooks said that McGinnis is survived by his wife and a daughter but that their whereabouts are unknown.