The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-03-21
TO LEARN DEATHS SECRETS.
The QUEER REASON FOR A CHILD'S
ATTEMPT UPON HER OWN
LIFE.
SHE WISHED TO SEE FOR HERSELF
THE WORLD BEYOND THE
GRAVE.

She wanted to solve for herself the great
mystery of death; to see with her own
eyes the secrets hidden by the grave, and
with that end in view little 12-year-old
Hattie Klein quietly turned on the gas
burner in her room early Tuesday morn
ing, and waited patiently the going out of
her life. They thought she was crazy,
because it was such a queer thing for a
lovely little child to do, and so she was
brought before the Insanity Commission
ers yesterday to be examined. To them
she told why she had attempted her life,
and what she expected to see in the here
after.
The nearly successful attempt at suicide
was made by the girl at the home of Miss
G. c. Rivers at 1896 Hayes steet where she
lived as a kind of companion to Miss
Rivers. She slept in the same room with
her mistress, and was constantly with her,
but no one suspected what gigantic plan
was working in the small head of the child,
for she spoke to no one of it. and gave no
sign of what she was thinking.
Monday evening she went to bed as
usual, but early Tuesday morning when
no one was stirring she decided to put
into execution the scheme she had been
thinking of, and see for herself just what
is on the other side OF the line between
life and death. She never thought of the
consequences-thatt to satisfy her curiosity
she would pay the price of her life. She
simply decided on her course of action and
proceeded to put it into effect.
Silently she stole down stairs to an un-
used servants room, and after closing
tightly the doors and windows she turned
the gas jet wide open and then lay down
upon the bed and waited.
The smell of gas attracted the inmates of
the house in time for them to save the
child from the consequences of her foolish
act, and she was Immediately under sur
veillance Not knowing what else to do
with her Miss Rivers had her taken before
the Insanity Commissioners, and to them
she told her story. The girls had been
death, she told them.
She went to school, and she and the
other girls frequently discussed such mat
tiers, but so far Hattie Klein has been the
only one courageous enough, or foolish
enough, to be willing to sacrifice her life in
order to find out. Then she told how she
had gone about it, and how gently her
knowledge of this world faded from her
under the smothering vapors of the gas
she inhaled. 1t had not hurt her, she said !;
it was like going to sleep, and she was not
a bit afraid.
Under the kindly questioning of Judge
Black, before whom the commission meets,
the girl began to realize, in a measure, the
full significance of what she had done, and
then she began to cry and promised not to
repeat her investigations. Miss Rivers
would not take the girl back, however, for
she felt she would have to be too closely
watched, so pending final disposition of
the little seeker after secrets she was
placed in the Receiving Hospital
1t is the intention of the court to send
her to the Boys and Girls Aid Society if
she will go, a plan that she will probably
agree to without question. She has no
father, her mother is sick in hospital and
she is alone in the world, so far as relatives
are concerned. 1t will make little differ
ence to her where she goes provided she is
well treated, for she seems to be of low
able disposition and anxious to make
friends. Should she meet with harsh treat
ment and little more loneliness she will
| probably take up again the thread of her