Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-02-10
TOOK HER OWN LIFE.
The Sad Suicide Of Mrs. Sophia Stiebeling
Wife of a Census Employe.

The Sad Suicide Of Mrs. Sophia stiebeling,
Wife Of n Census Employe.
SHE TAXES DOSE OF 'RouoH on RATS" AND
DIES AFTER HOURS OF SEVERE SUFFERING
THE FEAR OF INSANITY THE CAUSE OF HER
RASH ACT.
One Of the saddest cases Of suicide known in
this city happened yesterday. The person who
ended her life was beautiful young woman,
the mother of two interesting children, one a
boy about five years old and the other baby
whose second birthday has not yet been cele-
brated. She was Mrs. Sophia Stiebeling. wife
of MIR. Philip stiebeling. an employee of the
census Office, whose comfortable home was at
No. 81 G street.
Those who knew the unfortunate lady speak
in the highest terms Of her as wife, mother and
friend, and her sad ending was . terrible shock
to them.
Unlike many women who commit suicide,
Mrs. Stiebeling's life was always pleasant one,
except that her mind was probably not as strong
rs II might have been, but that misfortune was
the result Of an injury to the head received
when she was a child.
A FEAR OF INSANITY.
Several times during her life she had felt
that her mind would become a total wreck, and
If there was one thing above another that she
feared il was that she would eventually have to
would be an everlasting disgrace to her family
To avoid such an ending she concluded to take
her own life, but it was not until her mind was
in such condition as to render her irresponsible
for her acts.
Not more than ten DAYS ago she spoke to DR..
;. \. Bond, her family physician, about her
feelings. and then it was that her real condition
was made known. In addition to the fear of
being sent to the asylum she said she WIS often
afraid Of herself. and ''at times" she said, Il
feel like | want to kill somebody" Still she
did not want to take any medicine. but the
doctor persuaded her to take something If she
wanted TO get well. He wrote a prescription,
which her husband had filled, and for two or
three days she took her doses regularly. The
medicine made her feel SO much better that
she concluded that she was well and then
stopped using it.
TOOK ROUGH ON RATS.
She again felt bad and the same feelings no
doubt returned, and yesterday she put an end
to her sufferings by taking dose Of trough on
rats"
Mrs. Stiebeling. while undoubtedly of un-
sound mind, remembered that her young chill
dren were in the house and had to be cared for
and she did not take the fatal dose until about
o clock in the afternoon. when she knew that
her husband would be home in about an hour S
TIME W cure LOT tne cnllCren IN event OF ner
death before he arrived. The dose she took
was heaping teaspoonful.
Her husband returned home about the usual
time-a few minutes after o clock-and found
his wife feeling bad. The poison had then
no doubt taken effect, but there were no signs
OF death, nor did she even tell him what she had
done. Her condition was not so bad that the
attendance of physician thought neces-
sary. and the affectionate husband nursed her
as best he could until about 8 o'clock when she
told what she had done.
MEDICAL AID OF NO AVAIL.
The husband could scarcely realize the truth
of the wife's confession, but the family physi-
clan was at once sent for. He was not at home
and DR.. Merriam was called in to do what he
could for the woman. An hour later DIR. Bond
was at her bedside. but the patient was almost
ut deaths door. Her hands and feet we're cold
and death was sure to follow in few hours at
the most.
Antidotes were administered and injections
OF whisky were made well as every effort en-
ployed to keep up the hearts action, but at 2
o'clock this morning the sufferer breathed her
last.
DIR. Bond took the box containing what was
left of the rough ON rats " and upon analyz-
ing it found that it contained several poIsons
The doctor said he never heard of the recov-
cry of person who had taken a dose Of that
poison.