The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-10-27

THAT Suicide.
Poison Bought Tweriy-fve Years Ago the
Fatal Drug,


| Fatal Drug.
! The following taken from the Belle
| Plaine News is a statement of facts con-
| corning the death of Miss Belle Knowles,
as related by her father:
| Last Monday evening the entire COM
munity was astounded on learning that
| Miss Belle Marguerite Knowles, the ac-
| complished aud talented daughter of Col
! onel J. A. Knowles, had taken strychnine
with suicidal intent, and that she was
successful.
! Monday afternoon the young lady, who.
with her brother. had returned from tile
| fair on Saturday last. complained of sore
throat. Mrs. Knowles, as the men were
employed at their bottom farm about a
mile away, thought best to come TO Belle
Plaine after medicine. She did so, getting
some chloride of potash. It was while she
| and the rest of tie family were away. that
| Belle took the fatal dose.
Mr.. John Knowles was the first at the
house after she had taken the poison. He
is u musician and began to practice Oh his
horn, when he heard groan upstairs.
! Upon rushing upstairs be found his sister
grooming and moaning. 10 his question,
what's the platter!" she replied that she
had taken strychnine. He was terrified
and rushed to where his father was at
back and dispatched messenger for DIR.
j. d. Justice OF this city. The suffering
girl was given all the emetics that could
be secured. but few minute after Z
O'clock before the doctor arrived, she
died. Eye witnesses say that it was IL ter
| rible terrible death.
The father OF the dead girl who kindly
furnished the News with all the informa-
ton desired, says that young English
man by the name OF E. A. Hardcastle is
largely responsible for her death. It
seems that HardcasGe, five or six
years ago. was the teacher of the
London school located near Mr. knowles.'
He was smart, bright, intelligent, but con-
sidered by some IL dangerous man, totally
unfit TO be tho husband Of good, true
girl like Miss Knowles However, the ac-
quaintancs thus formed continued and on
the girls part at least developed into a
passionate fondneSs. Miss Knowles
thought SO much of this 1nan that year
or two ago she made "trip TO Butte, Mon
tana, to see him. AS far as The family
knows he still lives in Butte. He was en-
gagged to this young girl, with whom he
corresponded until recently. Though en-
gagged he did not treat his affianced AS he
should. Tue wedding day had been agreed
upon. when he became very lax and SEEM
ed to lose all the affection he had or may
have had for Miss Knowles. This is no
doubt one of the principal causes for the
girls act
The only word left was a note addressed
to Ernest" In this note she Charges
him (Hardcastle) with driving her mad
by his cruel treatment and neglect. She
bids him last, long, forever FAREWELL"
says her only stu was in loving him too
we'll. aud beInOans the fact that he could
treat his Marguerite SO badly. The note
closes by quoting two stauzas from story
hoA nt6 hnt hnU n fAf
farewell did she leave for the rest OF the
family.
The father and mother, together with
The brothers, are heartbroken over this
tragic death of an only daughter and sis
ter. They firmly believe that the act was
committed while she was temporarily in
sane. During one of these spells once be-
fore-two or three years ago-she tried to
drown herself in New York city, aud AT
another tine she made the trip TO Butte,
Mont, while suffering under mental
alteration.
At first it looked as though the act was
premeditated, AS the family could not
think where she had got the strychnine,
unless it was while She was i'll Chicago.
1t would thus appear. but Mr.. Knowles
discovered differently Tuesday morning.
Twenty-Five years ago in Illinois he had
bought some of shat poison to kill pests,
bat changed his mind and did not use it.
He put it away in an old box, in which
old papers, valuable and otherwise. We're
kept. 1t was this poison, SO harmless for
twenty-five years, that she used. We are
satised that Miss Knowles was temper
arily insane, as she Was subject to queer
and at times melancholy feelings.
Miss Knowles was but a few months
over 20 years of age, but cultured, re-
fined woman in every sense OF the word
The pet and idOliZeG one not only of the
family but OF all who knew her. Her
people are above the average in intelli-
gence, her mother being the eldest
Laughter of Ex-Governor Fenton, the war
governor of New York. Mr.. and Mrs.
knowles have spared nothing to aid their
bright. talented daughter. She was sent
back to Massachusetts, to school and last
winter attended Garfield university at
Wichita. Her special forte was music,
aud as a vocalist she was highly spoken OF
by the daily papers of Wichita. She al
ways made i, fine personal appearance
with he: jet black hair aud spar king
black eyes.
VIII any sane man or woman say that
girl surrounded and blessed as this girl
was would voluntarily do that that would
cause her death? 1t Is dreadful thing TO
take life especially ones own.
The funeral services were held Wednes-
day morning at 10 O'Clock at the house by
Rev. Mr.. Miller of Belle PLANE. The in
terment Was made i'll thu Belle Plaine
cemetery.