The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1894-03-18
".Judge IL. me have your knife,u

Judge let me have your knife"
The scene was in Justice Jones' court on
North Main street, the time IL a. M, and
! the speaker was G. w. Smith prisoner at
the bar
Certainly" said Justice Jones, hand
ing Smith his knife.
smith pulled box out of his pocket.
deliberately opened it with his knife and
when his eyes saw its contents it seemed
as if Smith had been transformed into a
| dream. His face flushed. his eyes blazed
with strange light, he threw his head
back on his shoulders. opened his mouth
as wide as possible and began to pour the
powder into it.
1t was rough on rats.
The terrible pDrpose of the prisoner
flashed into Justice Jones' mind.
He jumped from the beech and
struck the box from the suicides grasp,
causing what was left of its contents TO
fail on the floor. Justice Jones and Con-
stable Forbv then garppled with the fur
ious mailman, if such he was, and held
him by force ''Forby run down for a
doctor" said the justice and in obedience,
the deputy constable started out TO ind
DR.. Shulst.
Smith finding himself alone with Jones,
tore himself loose from the arms of the
floor and ravenously began to lap up the
| scattered poison with his tongue. Justice
Jones fell upon Smith and used all his
strength in a desperate effort to keep him
from tapping up all the poison.
The fight was desperate one. but
Justice Jones finally succeeded in over
towering the would-be suicide aud keep
ing him away from the poison Till help
arrived. Il am dying. Jones" he furlousiy
cried. Bury me on the hill, l am 40
years old and / have nothing TO live for.
He rayed and fought and tried to regain
the fatal drug till Deputy Constable Forby
and DR.. Shuts arrived.
'.No doctor can touch me" he cried, and
his eyes flashed fire and colorS of strange
and variegated hueS.
open your mouth" said the doctor in a
com nanding voice, but instead of obeying
Smith set his teeth so firmly chat Jones
and Forby had TO pry his jaws open
with piece OF wood while DIR. Shuts
administered an antidote. Smith refused
with desperate resistance TO swallow 1t,
but the application of twenty stout fingers
to his throat brought him to time, COM
pelliug him to swallow the drug. When
the antidote took effect Smith was sent to
the county Jail and locked up for safe
keeping.
Smith was in court on a warrant sworn
out by Alexander Coffey for disturbing his
peace, anu not Delng dole W give uouu hc
sought freedom through the poisonous
drug.
Mr.. Coffey had some trouble with him
over bill for furniture. He painted Mr..
Coffey's store and took his pay out In fur
niture Some time afterwards he took
the furniture back to Coffey and sold
1t. His wife then came forward and
claimed the furniture, but Coffey wonld
not give it up. Smith soon afterwards
wanted Coffsy to have him arrested SO
that he could say his wife caused il. and
in this way have an excuse TO get a divorce
from her. Coffey refused to have him ar
rested, an then. it appears. he began to
abuse Coffey fearfully until the matter be
came so unbearable that he finally had to
swear out warrant for his arrest. The
above is the story Mr.. Coffey tells,
Smith is a painter.