The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1895-11-29
HAD RATHER DIE.
Thanksgiving Day So Delight
full in Kansas City,
That Four People Decided to
Quit the Earth.
TOT ALL SUCCEEDED.
One Woman Saturates a Sofa
With Coal Oil,
Lights It and Lies Down on
Her Fiery Bed.

KANSAS CITY, Nov. 29.-Mrs. 8. B.
Smith, about so years old, set fire to her
self in here home at 1907 Garfield ave.
nue., at o'clock yesterday afternoon be-
cause she was despondent, She died
from the effects of her burns at II 80
o'clock last night. She was terribly
burned about the breast and face and
neck. Her hair was burned fr om her
head,
Mrs. Smith was the wife of 8. B. Smith,
retired capitalist and an extensive
property owner in this city. She is the
second wife and the step-mother of two
children.
After clearing away the Thanksgiving
dinner she went into the kitchen, where
she filled three-quart tin pail with gas
oline or coal oil, which she carried to a
room upstairs, directly above the one in
which her husband was reading. There
was sofa in the southwest corner of the
room. Mrs. Smith saturated it with the
fluid in the can and sprinkled some of
it over her dress. Then she touched
match to the oil and lay down
upon the sofa. It is not known how
long she lay there, but just about 2
o'clock Mr.. Smith heard his wife groan-
ing in the room above him. He ran
into the nail and upstairs and opened the
door of the room where his wife was.
The ro 0m was filled with smoke and he
was almost stifled. Across the room lie
saw his wife lying on the sofa in leap
ing mass of flames. He ran to her and
pulled her from the sofa to the floor.
Then he ran into an adjoining room
and got a blanket, with which he smoth-
cred the flames that were eating at her
dress. The sofa was burning briskly
and Mr.. Smith thought the house was
doomed. He lifted trunk filled with
valuable papers to his shoulder and
started down the stairs. shouting fire at
every stop. He left Mrs. Smith to be
burned up Firemen arrived and put
out the fire. Mrs. Smith died.
Rufus Suits, who has been we'll known
in the business circles OF the city for
twenty years, died in a room at the Mid
land hotel Thanksgiving morning from a
dose of morphine taken with snicidal in
tent.
His death was not known until a
chambermaid found the door locked,
and the clerk was notified, and the room
was entered at 10 o'clock. The man was
dead. He had removed his overcoat and
his coat and shoes, and was lying across
the bed on his back as if in sleep. His
hands were folded, and his face wore a
lying on the stand in which were fifteen
morphine pellets.
In his notebook was found the follow
ing:
''This is to certify that l am subject to
falling fits. While l expect the next
one will cause my death state that doc
tors cannot revive me to any purpose.
To keep me warm and from doing harm
to myself is all 1 request from anyone
who may be unfortunate enough to be
present at any time l am found to sub
nit to the terrible demands of an awful
affliction.-Rufus Suits, 1922 Tracy ave-
nue. Kansas City"
Matte Coca, about 18 years old, of 1903
MCGEE street, swallowed an ounce of
laudanum yesterday afternoon with sui
cidal intent. She was discovered and
taken to Central station where Surgeon
Landon applied remedies. In two hours
she was pronounced out of danger and
sent to her home. She had written a
note addressed to her sister, Laura, Civ
ing as her excuse for desiring to die that
she was unfit to live She said in the
note that she hated to commit suicide,
but believed it to be for the best.
Miss Amanda Tygred, a chambermaid
at the Victoria hetel, was found in her
room in an unconscious condition, hav-
ing taken morphine for the purpose of
killing herself. She was removed to
Central station, whore Surgeon Langdon
worked with her for several hours be-
fore she was considered out of danger.
1t was not thought safe to permit her to
leave the station, and she was kept there
all night awaiting the effects of the NOR
phine to wear off. Miss Tygred is "a
years old and has lived in Kansas City
four years. Her home is in Lamar, No
TuECuTCAGO RLoWOuT