The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1895-07-14

Tries to Save Poor Lizzie Would Rather
Die than DO Wrong.
Miss Lizzie Thomas jun ped from the
Lewis street bridge into the mad rush
ing waters Of the Arkansas river about
10 O'Clock a. m. yesterday and a half
hour later her iifeless body was taken
from the water at the railroad bridge
two blocks below.
FRANK CLANCY was on the Lewis
street bridge at 10 o'clock yesterday
morning and saw a young woman, APP
parently % or "A years of age, come on
TO the bridge from the east side.
Mr.. CLANCY says he did not know the
woman but she looked at him and
smiled. She walked along to near the
center of the bridge and looked over the
banister into the boiling, muddy stream
beneath.
In a few minutes Mr.. CLANCY says the
woman sat her parasol against the rail-
ing and deliberately plunged into the
river.
He ran to the place and saw the wo-
man floating on the swift stream. She
raised her hands above her head palms
together then threw her head back into
the water and threw her hands out from
her body and the water closed over her
foung Clancy IS not an expert SWIM
mer and he was afraid to plunge into
The treacherous stream to rescue the
drowning woman.
He rushed TO the police headquarters
and informed the officers that a wo-
man had jumped into the river and was
probably drowned.
Judge Hatton, Chief Massey and Of
hcerS Remspear and Draper called for
the ambulance and in a few minutes
We're flying toward the Wichita and
western railroad bridge to rescue the
body if possible.
When they arrived at the bridge
som or the men ran down the river
and others went out on the bridge to
look for the body.
The men on the bridge soon discov-
cred the body lodged on one of the
braces of the piling under the bridge
Lie was apparently extinct. One OF
the officers climbed down on the brace
under the bridge and tied a rope to the
Afeless body Of the unfortunate wo-
man and the strong arms of the officers
raised II tenderly 10 the bridge
The body was placed in the ambu-
lance and driven speedily TO the IN
dertaking establishment of II. c. Dun
bar and DR.. W. A. Minick, S. A. Bass
and w w. Minick were summoned
and an effort was made to resuscitate
the body
All efforts to bring back life failed
and as last resort the physicians OBJ
tanned powerful galvanic battery.
one pole of the battery was laid on
the dead woman's breast and the other
touched TO one of her cheeks. The
cheek drew up and their was a frown
as if the body felt pain.
This was taken by some of the per
sons present to indicate that the wo-
man was not dead but the doctors said
that 1t was merely muscular contrac-
ton.
Then one pole of the battery was put
TO the right ankle and the other TO the
right arm The fingers worked convul-
sively back and forth as did the toes of
the right foot
The electric current was applied to
either cheek and they drew up like one !
suffering with the toothache but the |
physicians declared that life was ex-
tinct and the experiments were discon- |
tinued.
j. d Caldwell recognized the body as !
that Of Miss Lizzie Thomas and when |
word got onto the street that Miss Liz |
Zje Thomas was drowned there were !
soon plenty of people a the under |
takers who could tell something OF the |
dead woman
The report was started that the dead |
woman's parents lived in Oklahoma |
and just as the efforts 10 revive the |
lady were given up a weeping girl /
came TO the undertaker's from the West /
Side who said her sisters name was |
Lizzie Thomas and their parents lived
in oklahoma.
A reporter for the Eagle told the dis
tresSed girl that he would take her to
the dead body. He raped on the closed
door OF the room in which the dead
body lay and Mr.. Dunbar opened the
door and peeped out.
The reporter told him that a sister Of
the dead woman was there and wanted
TO be admitted. Mr.. Dunbar said: In
a minute and closed and locked the
door. The young woman wept bitterly
the few minutes she was compelled to
wait and when the door was reopened |
she rushed to the side of the dead body |
She looked through her tears down
into the face of the dead and presently
said: That is not Lizzie. Oh. what
pity, but that is not my sister was so
afraid that my sister was dead"
When the people who knew Lizzie
Thomas began to come in and tell what
they knew of her and the fragments Of
information were put together "A very
pathetic story was soon unfolded.
1t seems that Miss Lizzie Thomas
came to Wichita from Ohio 1t was
during the boom days and she came
alone 10 make her own fortune.
The story says that she was a good !
honest girl who had started out
In the world TO earn her own bread
by honest toll.
She worked in private families. She
was. however, unfortunate in two re
spects. She was partially deaf and
there was Il slight stopnoge in her
speech. These defects made il harder
'or her to get employment and hold il
after she obtained II.
Miss Lizzie Thomas was possessed Of
good deal OF self-respect and she
would resent an insinuation against her |
integrity or virtue At any and all times. |
There were times when she found it
lard to obtain employment and !
,rooded over ii until her mind
became affected.
There seemed 10 he times when only
wo roads lay before Lizzie Thomas |
one led 10 extreme poverty and the 9TH
n to a life of shame.
''The road that leads to shame" she
declared that she would never travel
md when roat is the only road open |
o me I will die
The church people 10 her seemed 10 be
lot of hypocrites. destitute of SYM
'athy for the poor and unfortunate and | ,
he had no confidence in them.
The critical time which the poor girl
readed. her diseased mind persuad-
d her had arrived when she must take ,
Ter choice between death and life OF ,
hame
She made her choice and the waters ;;
Z the Great Arkansas river smothered ,
ut her life and went on their pittiless ,
Eay whirlng. surginC 70 the sea. ,
Lizzie Thomas is dead.
j. y. Caldwell said: Il hired Lizzie ;
'homas 10 help my mother with her :
At this Season