Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1889-03-20


The Lord is my shepherd. 1 shall no,
want.
He maketh me to lie down in green
pastures: he leadeth me beside the still
waters.
He restoreth my soul; he leadeth me in
the paths of righteousness, for his names
sake
Yea, though walk through the valley
of the shadow of death. l will fear no
evil for thou art with me; thy rod and
thy staff they comfort me.
Thou preparest table before me in
the presence Of mine enemies; thou an
nointest my head with oil; my cup run-
meth over.
Surely goodness and mercy shall fol-
low me all the days of my life, and will
dwell in the house Of the Lord forever.
A FAREWELL LETTER.
On a table near the bed was note
carefully addressed to R. L. Porter, of
Beardstown, travelling auditor of the c.,
B. & Q. road. who is a brother, in-law of
the deceased and who was just leaving
the city this morning, having visited the
distressed lady. He hurried back to the
house and opening the letter found writ
ten in deliberate and plain hand on
black bordered note paper:
TUESDAY EVE, March 10.
DEAR Rob AND EMMA:-'I feel so
badly tonight at what am about to un,
dertake that l am nearly wild. Children
said their prayers and wanted to awake
In heaven in the morning, and as | am 10
favor OF joining them, will turn on the
gas tonight and thus end three lonely
liyes Rob you know now why l took
you up stairs and told you what did.
have been so weak and lonely for two
weeks, and then when I think of the flu :
ture know the Lord will grant me this
favor as permission to take me to his
arms Just as though had always looked
to him for advice which have more in
the last two weeks than before. Do not
mourn too much for me, but say she and
the children are better off and are safe in
His loving arms. Give mother a good
home. as she will not live much longer.
and do as you see fit with all things in the
house.
hope you can straighten up every
thing all right, and that we will meet be-
yond the river bye and bye.
Your loving sister.
Eta NJ RAND"
On the back of the leaf written, as If
by after thought was:
BURY me In my black silk, and the
children in one coffin with shrouds on
them: put us by the side of papa in one
grave"
How little the poor woman knew how
far her insane purpose would succeed and
how far it would fall One paragraph
OF the note pertaining to business tran,
saction of no concern to the public, is
omitted from publication.
There is strong probability that Mrs.
Rand took some kind of poison before
turning on the gas, to make sure of her
own fate. as it is peculiar fact that she
should have died and the children sur
vived the effects of the gas. From the
tone of her note. she probably told them
of her intentions before they went to
sleep. and led them to believe they would
never awake
THE INQUEST.
Coroner Halves was summoned as soon
as possible. and empannelling a jury
composed of c. W. Halves, (foreman)
Robert Bennett. Thomas Thornton. s r.
Wright, John Brennan and VIM Blanch-
ard. proceeded to hold an inquest
DR.. Carl Bernhardl was the first witt
ness examined, and he testified to being
summoned to Mrs. Rand's home this
morning and the finding of the body stiff
and cold, and apparently dead several
hours. The cause of death was, in the
doctors opinion. suffocstion by gas, as
there was strong smell in the room. al
though the windows aud doors had been
opened about twenty minutes, as the
doctor had been informed The two
children were found in the same room
very much under the influence of gas, but
not dead. Witness thought deceased
must have taken poison before opening
the gas jet.
DR.. g. G. Craig testified to being
called to the house, seeing Mrs. Rand's
dead body and examining the children
who had been removed to the residence
Of Mrs. w. o. Willis. Witness opin>
lon as 10 the cause of death, was that
It was the result of inhaling gas and pos
sibly assisted by some other poison. as
the children who had been in the room
with her we're much less affected
Mrs. W. o. Wills. Mrs. c. G. Sommers.
w. L. Whitfield and Robert Porter testi.
fed to facts in substance as heretofore
given and the jury finally returned YER
dict that Mrs. Eta NJ. Rand "came to
her death by suffocation by Illuminating
gas in her own room. turned on by her
own hand and with suicidal intent"
The terrible act. and the desire on the
part of Mrs. Rand to destroy her children
also. is probably the result of insanity
brought on by
GRIEF AND DESPAIR
over her husbands death. She was not
left in want. as he had an insurance
policy for 90, 500 and she also has props
erty. The children are unusually bright
and are great favorites In the neighbor-
hood.
Mrs. Rand was in her thirtieth year.
Her maiden name was Eta M. Stevens.
rock, where her mother resides. April 20,
QQl lha had mann warm frianda ir,