The Weiser signal. [volume] (Weiser, Idaho) 1890-1904, 1894-01-25
S0RROWFUL STORY
Mrs. Doncel Declares She Married
Her Husband Through Fear.
HE OFFERED HER POISON
and So He Concluded to End His
Life Alone.

When the public reads the pitiful
story OF Mrs Doncel. as she related It
to Butte correspondent of the Ana.
conda Standard, they will perhaps Judge
her less harshly than they have been
inclined to.
Mrs. Doncel states that she was an
orphan living with an aunt in Missouri
when she met Donceil more than year
ago. He asked her to marry him. She
was mere girl and told nim that she
did not love him aud could never be-
come his wife. He, however, was per-
sistent and succeeded in enlisting the
girls aunt in his cause and she, too, be-
gan urging the girl to marry the man,
assuring her that she would learn to
care for him and that he would some
day become rich and would make her a
good husband. The girl, however, still
refused and then Doncel began to use
threats and told her that If she would
not marry him he would kill her and
himself These threat. were repeated
10 often that she finally appealed to her
aunt for protection, but the latter only
repeated her advice to the girl to mar
ry Doncel. Between the threats on
one side, and the urging on the other,
the girl finally yielded and the mar
riage took place In Chicago about seven
months ago. No sooner was tho cere-
money over than she fully realized the
step she had taken, and in spite of her
efforts to learn to care for her husband
her feelings toward him began to grow
into horrifying antipathy. Every day
in spite of her struggles against the
feelings, his presence became to her
more repugnant. She told him how she
felt toward him and begged that he
send her home, but he would not hear
of it, and threatened to kill her If she
ever attempted to leave him.
They came to Butte, and he secured
the position of chef at the Butte hotel
more loathsome to her. He saw that
she regarded him with constantly in
creasing aversion and believing that
she wonld try to escape him he urged
her to commit suicide with him and
therefore end the misery of both. He
offered her poison and prepared some
for himself, but she refused to take it,
and he told her that he would give 1t to
her unknown to herself, and she became
so frightened that for weeks she was
afraid to eat or drink anything offered
or prepared by him. She lived in con-
stant fear and terror, and 1t began to
affect her health. She experienced all
. he nf oh he I'D
every minute to be her last.
She began to fear that her mind
. would break down under the violent
dread she was suffering and in despera-
, tion about two months ago she at
z tempted to run away from him, but he
overlook her just as she was about to
E get on train and brought her back.
1t was reported at the time that she
= attempted to run away with a travelling
: man, but she denies this. She had no
r particular idea where she was going,
r only that she wanted to escape from
t the hell in which she had been living.
: When he brought her back to the hotel
y he again threatened to kill her, and
: then urged her to commit suicide, say
ing ne WOulu also enu MS own lie. vi
! course she refused, but he made an at
. tempt at suicide, which was frustrated
t by the timely interference of a ply.
8 sician. For several weeks thereafter
: their unhappy life was continued, until
she took another course in her effort to
escape, and by promises made him she
secured permission TO- visit her rela.
tives in Missouri and Kansas. He saw
her safely on the train but she went
only as far as Silver Bow junction,
where she got off and returned to the
town. Since that time for more than
month she has been hiding in the
J. home of a friend on the west side OF
Missoula gulch. never venturing out
side the house and living In even
- greater terror of her husband than be
:, fore. He returned to the hotel aftel
i putting her on the train, and, after
q leaving a note stating that he had gone
:. off to kill himself, mysteriously disap
n peared. His body was subsequently
g found, which was a big relief to Mrs
noncaI