The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1886-05-26
SHEHAD TO SEE HIM DIE
The Horrible Dilemma Of Wife-Ths Freak
Of Drunken Husband.
David Scott Atkinson Takes n Fatal Dose
of Morphine in His Wife's Presence,
and Threatens Her With Death
if She Interferes.



ing in a lodging house at 16 South Clark
street, under exceptionally peculiar circum-
stances. Among the roomers at the place
was David Scott Atkinson, a North Side sa-
loon keeper, and his wife. For some time
Atkinson had been afflicted with species of
melanchOlia, and recent business reverses,
together with dark suspicion of his wife's
fidelity, had contri buted to aggravate his
maladY. He was subject to frequent fits of
depression, during which he would drink
heavily. His behavior during these spells
was most violent, and his wife relates that
on one such occasion the strength of twelve
men was taxed to control him.
0 When he was respondent he invariably
did two things. He refused to eat and he
abused his wife. Not two weeks ago, in the
same room in which the tragedy of yester-
day occurred, he excitedly charged his wife
with unfaithfulness, and threatened to kill
| her. Losing control of himself he hurled
revolver at her in his madness, and he was
only prev ented from attacking her by the
| timely appearance of neighbors, whom Mrs.
Atkinson's outcries had awakened.
Since that night he had been especially
| gloomy and irascible. He was going to the
dogs, he said, and he didn't care how soon
| he got there. His wife had seen him in a
similar frame of mind so often, however,
| that she did not especially mark his CONVEX
| satIon or his conduct. He had been drink
| ing during the entire week past, and on
| Thursday he drank heavily all day. His
| wife was, therefore, somewhat surprised
when at o'clock yesterday morning he
| came in an apparently pleasant frame of
| mind. He spoke to her with unwOnted
kindness undressed leisurely and got into
bed. He neglected, however to tuIn out the
light.
"Dave, are you going to leave that light
| burniT p" asked ms wife.
"Yes " he replied shortly; I've something
| to ate Il to-"
TheI he got ont Of bed, took a small par
eel out of one l..cket of bis clothes, a knife
| out Of another, ,.d said, calmly: This is
morphine, There's ~ dear. l am going to
take dose that vi. nd me, and you are
| going TO lie right the and watch me go in
to hell. You will H. perfectly still, or L
shall be compelled Ia . Ill you. | am about
TO punish you as ife never, never was
punished by her hue' nd before"
my Lord. Dave" Iclaimed Mrs. Akin
son, sitting up in bee in wild alright and
yourself here. Let - out. at least, 50 that
l won't have to see yu,i die
Eyes and you VIII call for help aud |
| won't be able 10 max l finished Job of this"
said her husband, ds ing furtive. cunning
| glance at her. "Oh no." he continued, i'm
| perturtaly, You don't know me. L have
made up my mind to die, and die am going
| to. You shall see me draw my last breath"
Having taken large quantity of the drug
he laid the paper on the chair by the bed,
and solemnly delivered the following ante
norton speech to his terrified wife: Theresa,
| l am going to die. You will miss me. You
| think that have been cruel and jealous
husband, but you have not loved nae as a
~ife should. You have not been true to me-
| ! am going to punish you"
AT this point Mrs. Atkinson interrupted
| 'Dave, for Gods sake let me up! Let me
leave the room, she CRED.
No, you lay still and don't talk so loud
no one must hear me" was the suicides inn
| peratiye response.
| Atkinson then got into bed, and his wife
attempted to get out. mo, you don't he
said, stopping her; you lay still if you don't
| want to go to HI with me. / shouldn't like
to kill you if can help it,"
Then he suddenly got out of bed again,
saying: THAT dose wasn't strong enough
| guess I'll take another" and with that he de-
| Hberately took some six or seven grains more
of morphine. After placing his revolver
| under his pillow he sat down on the edge of
the bed and held up the door.key, which he
had kept in his hand all the time, triumph
| antly to his wife,
"Say, wife, wouldn't you like to get this
key? he said.
His spouse replied by grabbing dexterous-
| ly at the key.
Quicker than thought the morphine eater
| hurled her back across the bed and sayagely
/ told her that If she made another such at
| tempt he would kill her as he would dog.
h''Don't try me that way again." he con-
tinued, glazing at her luridly; 81 haven't
with me again all hi won't save you. You
have got to see me die, and you might as well
make up your mind to it. Guess l amt
| taken enough yet"
Then the man stood up and emptied the re-
mainder of the morphine into his mouth.
The three tremendous doses of the deadly
drug now began their work. The victim lay
down on the bed, stretched himself at full
| length, and breathed hard and irregularly.
Feeling for the key, he clasped both hands
| about it, and held 1t with all his remaining
strength. He gazed fixedly at the ceiling.
81 am going Theresa" he said, in an uI.-
steady voice. II am going. You will be
sorry when l am dead. You will find the
money in the vault. The watches are there,
too So are my rings. l don't owe any
| body. You can have them all. hadn't
ought to leave you anything. l ought
to kill you. But this will be punishment
enough, This will last you forever.
You will never forget this night. You
will never forget my dying words-my
dying breath. ] have been-a bad-man at
times-but you will miss-me and-wish me
back. Good-by-Theresa-go Their
esa-Pm going" Then his breath fell
short, he whispered unintelligibly, tried to
speak, and became unconscious. His wife,
shaking with fear and horror, called to him,
grasped his hands, Embossed them, seized the
key, unlocked the door and rushed into the
hall screaming. In a moment she had sum-
moned the landlady and her husband to the
scene. The unconscious man breathed at in
teryals but before medical aid could be sum-
moned he was dead.
sit all seemed like a pleasant dream to
him." said his wife afterward, 'but it was a
horrible nightmare to me. God knows
never want to pass through another such
scene. am near forty years old, but feel
fifty to-day"