Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1880-01-22
BEHIND THE PRISON
H,}4% BARS.
Love, Undfsmayed. Flies Through the
~ "@ IrOned Cell,
woman's IncOnstancy and Hts Re
suits.

s ..,s-. .- Chattanooga Ilmes. |
Yesterday morning about III O'Clock |
the occupants of our county Jail were
thrown into state of intense excite
ment by the attempted suicide Of Geo.
Brooks, by swallowing nearly an
ounce of laudanum. The guard, Mr..
J, w. Cope, was informed by one OF
the prisoners that Brooks was lying
on the floor of the cell In a stupefied
condition from the effects OF dose of
laudanum administered with his
own hand. He was at once re-
moved from the close, poorly
ventilated cell, to the open air and
DR.. Hope, the city physician inn
mediately summoned. The Doctor
arrived about two hours after the dose
had been taken and found Brooks in
an unconscious state, barely breathing
and to all outward appearance dead.
He attempted to insert stomach
pump, to eject the poison, but Brooks
laws were firmly set, and to open
them was found to be impossible.
Finally q small quantity OF coffee was
forced dow his throat but all attempts
to rouse him to consciousness were
fruitless, and at late hour last night
he was In the same stuporin which he
fell when he swallowed the poison,
with very little prospects, of his re.
covery. If he does recover 1t will be
! little less than a miracle.
slBrooks was in jail in default OF a
bond of $500 for stealing quantity of
bacon and tobacco from a fieight car
standing in the Nashville and Chatta-
| noeea ward. Before his arrest be had
bee i living with woman named Sue
Baird. declaring her to be his wife
I which however proved to be untrue.
A few weeks after his incarceration
sue Baird, his mistress, was also ar.
i rested and convicted of stealing a coat
from the court house. After her lodge.
ment iii the county Jail, for awhile
she carried on a correspondence with
Brooks, who was placed in cell near
her. She finally became wearied OF
this and began writing to the other
/ prisoners, and also faniliarizlng her
self with one of tue colored trustees.
1, Brooks. who was an unwilling wit
ness to these fiirtations OF his unfaith-
full perfidious Susan, at once became
the prev to gnawing jealousy, and
bitterly complained to Susan of hei
actions. and requested discontinue
ance of her coquetry. This mandate
was not needed by The giddy Susan
and Brooks, whose very vitals were
being consumed by, the green.ey &c
monster, told his faithlees love that he
would not submit to this Inconsistency
and If she did not relent he
would destroy himself. This threa
Twas merely jeered at, but Brooks
tset TO this purpose grimly and will
the firm determination OF "shufflint
off this mortal COLL" He complained
dreadfulIy of neuralgia, and requested
small doses Of laudanum to alleviate
his pains. This request was compiled
with by the unsuspecting Jailer, an'
small doses were given to Brooks
4. who. instead OF swallowing them
would pour them into a bottle whicl
lie had secreted on his person. Ii
continuedt this until he had saved u
/. nearly an ounce, and yesterday morn
+, ing. while in a reckless mood, swat
o lowed the whole, and fell in stupo
on the floor of the cell.
When the faithless Susan heard Q
d Brooks deed she was almost craze
, with remorse, and rent the Jal
. with heart breaking shrieks an
L lamentations, and like Thisbe of oil
= asked to be allowed 10 die at the SID
of her lover. She is inconsolablt
charging it all to herself, and oni
now is beginning to suffer for her 10
constancy when her faithful lover zig
unconscious from the poison admlniI
tered on account OF her misdeeds.
4