Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1884-10-24
LOCAL INTELLIGENCE.
Suicide of Jennie FIerrick.

An inquest was held on the remains OF
Miss Jennie Merricll last evening at the
office of the Coroner Mention of her
death under peculiar circumstances was
made in Yesterdays issue. W. C. Felch,
at whose place she was living. in his testi-
mony before the Coroner's jury, said he
had known her for four months: they had
treated her as one of the family; she was
q girl of an unusually happy and cheerful
disposition, went singing around the house
at all times. Occasionally she would have
respondent moments, but they were only
for a brief time and apparently not deep
seated. The evening prior to her sad death
she desired to visit Il young lady friend up
town, and rs Mr.. Fetch and his wife were
going that way III their carriage they con-
Yeyed her thither. She returned home
about $50 went to bed as usual and at
tended to her work next day, apparently
in a composed frame of mind, but it
was noticed she did not sing as
was her custom. About ) P. NJ
she entered the room where Mrs. Felch was
sitting. She was eating an apple, and ran
up stairs to her room. In few moments
she came down stairs and exclaimed Oh,
Mrs. Felch, ] feel very sick" She was
questioned as to what was the matter, but
she seemed excited, and gave no salts
factory answe' :, except that she " felt sick
all over Mr.. Fetch came in at this time
and, approaching her, said, Jennie, tell
me what is the matter with you ?" She
threw herself in a chair and replied, " You
folks will know it all tomorrow The
folks then began to fear she had taken poi
son. Mrs Felch asked her if such was
the case, and she replied, No, ma am.
IL L =,
be conveyed to her mother, at a downtown
hotel. Mr. Felch's buggy being near at
hand. he requested her to jump in, which
she lost no time in doing, in a
manner so s'Ty that it aStonished him. En-
route she spoke of the style of the horse,
and, while passing Il lady acquaintance, she
smilingly bowed. Mr.. Felch began to think
she was " fooling him" which caused him
to say, Jennie, if there is anything the
matter with YOU, tell me what it IS" Look
ing him full in TIE face she replied, g.
don't want to live lie chided her for the
remark, but she paid but little attention to
it, saving. " | don't want to live. When
within about a block of her mothers she
exclaimed "Oh drive fast; do drive
fast - and began to cry. Immediately
She was seized with spasn, became rigid,
her teeth. set, and in this condition was
conveyed from the carriage to her mothers
room. where she died within an hour, never
regainine consciousness or recognizing any
one When Mr.. Felch arrived home he
found that She had taken strychnine a
bottle containing enough to kill at
least fifty men had been in the
house for many months. She had
poured the entire contents in q tumbler
of water snd drank it down. He knew of
no reason for her committing the rash act.
Some two weeks ago she discovered the
strychnine and asked Mrs. Felch if she
was not afraid some one would some day
take it and kill themselves. They had the
poison in the house To kill cats.
DR.. Nichols said he had known the de-
ceased Tor several years. She always
seemed 10 be a cheerful, happy girl. He
had inspected the tumbler and found that
it had contained strychnine, and the Symp-
toms described were those resultant from
the taking of strychnine.
Mrs Belle Merrick said the deceased was
her daughter q native of Ohio, II years )
months and . days old at the time of her
death. She was frequently visited by her
daughter who appeared at all times happy
and free from care or trouble
The Jury rendered 4 verdict in accord
ance with the above facts.