Mexico weekly ledger., 1894-08-30
Pearl at Her Tricks in st. Louis.

IeaTf AT ttf iftCkS IN ST. LOUIS.
From the ST, Iaouis Post Dispatch.
Laura Alice Pearl Harris, an I'M
eouth, Respondent and heart-sick rC-
raj lass of IL years, came to st.
Louis last night at 10 O'Clock, and
while she was in the detention room
at the Four Courts she swallowed a
dose of arsenic, with the desperate
purpose of ending her desolate life.
She was saved by the prompt action
of Matron Harris, her assistant Mag
gle Murphy and D~ispensary Physi-
clan Fitzpatrick.
81 will cut my throat with a cary
ing knife" she declared, as she
looked snappishly at DIR. Fitzpatrick,
whose treatment baked her suicidal
designs. She was taken back TO the
detention room. When Miss Har-
rls got off Il train from Mexico, No.,
at 10 O'Clock last night, the Union
Depot police observed her, and de-
cided to take her into custody. She
walked about aimlessly and admit
ted that she had no money. She
looked to be, and later said, that
she was Is years Of age.
What do you do while you are
travelirg?' a policeman asked her.
"Well, l took care of a lady at
Mexico, Mo, for two weeks. and |
want to go 10 Chicago to visit my
uncle She first refused to say
where her father lived, but after n
minute of close questioning, she said
that his farm was near Doddsville,
LII. 1t was later established that he
resides near Lebanon, Mo. The
police Judged her TO be a runaway
country girl and they decided to
keep her under restraint until they
could communicate with her father.
TRAPPED.
Pearl looked very much disap-
pointed. "Then Bob Kemp gave
away on me-. He's the town Mar
shall of Mexico, Mo-, and he prom
Used not to tell on me. Give me
some paper and ink and an envel-
ope. | want to write a letter"
DETERMINED TO DIE.
"Why did you swallow that poi
SOM"
81 won't tell, | won't tell"
"Where did you get it?"
"At Mexico"
"Where did you get it at Mexico?"
"Marshal Kemp bought it for me
this morning before | left there. |
got TO Mexico last Thursday night.
| threw myself into a pond. Marshal
Kemp pulled me out and saved me.
| made him promise not to tell my
father what | had done. Oh, if |
don't kill myself this time, | will TO.
morrow" Then the police officers
arrived and carried her to the street
where the patrol-wagon was in wait
ing. 1t was a short quick drive to
the City Dispensary and DR.. Fitz.
patrick administered antidotes for
arsenical poisoning, for this was the
drug which she had swallowed.
The dose was too small and the
treatment too immediate, so that she
was oon pronounced out of danger.
The package in which she had the
arsenic had the label Of French IL
Garrett, Pharmacists, Mexico, Mo-"
MEXICO BAKING SODA.
The white powder Pearl took in
st. Louis said TO be strychine was
only common baking soda. While
Pearl was in the calaboose here she
claimed to want strychnine to kill
herself with. Marshal Kemp said he
was satisfied she was talking through
her hat and he gave her some COM
mon baking soda wrapped up in n
paper labeled strychnine. She had
changed her mind about wanting TO
die and put it in her pocket. This
is the powder which she took in st.
Louis and which some of the physi.
clans there thought would kill her.
Pearl is too tough to be at all incon-
~venienced by baking soda.
Bob Freeman says Howard Bailey
offered him s 1000 for Rex Nc.