The herald., 1896-07-18

came In the locker there and asked her
how long / had to stay, and she said.
'Rhoda, you have about six weeks
asked her for what cause, and she said
It's about that back business" Well
I said. when you punished me aoou,
that 1 thought that was all over" and
she says, mo, indeed, 1t amt all over
punished you about that, but another
thing l found out Is those letters you
wrote" 1 says, IT didn't write any let
ters, except to my folks" and she says
"Oh, well, 1t may not be true" she
walked out and shut the door. and never
told me anything more about 1t, and
thought It was real clear then that was
to be in there six weeks, and then 1t was
so hard that did try to commit suicide
took one of the comforters and tore the
hack of 1t and braided 1t and tied 1t up to
the bars, and put the end of it around
my neck and jumped off the sink.
The witness was then closely cross
examined as to the position and thick
ness of the rope.
Mrs. Mitchell-Your idea was to kill
yourself?
Rhoda-Yes, 1t was, Mrs. Mitchell. 1t
was. And she came in the next morn
ing she told me she wished she had left
me hanging there, and said. II do too: -"
Q.-Who said that? Miss Olmstead?
A.-She said if 1 tried it again she
would leave me.
Q.-What do they give you to eat in
the cell?
Ave have had dry bread every day
except the first Monday l waslin there
she brought me lemon that wasn't fit
to eat. / wish you had seen 1t; 1t was
mildewed all over the top of it. Yester-
day she brought me about thirty-nine
apricots and thirteen biscuits.
Bertha Petrie. 16 years old. who was
confined In the cell next to Rhoda, said
that Rhoda had never talked to her Of
suicide and she knew nothing of 1t until
she heard her strangling, and then didn't
know what was the matter.
You heard her strangling?
Yes. and then DR.. Cook and Miss Ohm
stead came in Just in time. I
heard the doctor say THAT was pretty
bad choking that she got"
Witness was put in the cell for three
months for running away.
THE DOCTORS EVIDENCE
DR.. John B. Cook thought it was Sat-
urday. June 27. that the attempted sui
eide took place. He makes visit to
each cell every day. Miss Olmstead
called to him, why. look at this girl!
What is she trying to do?"
I happened to hear sound and went
up to the door and I saw her standing
against the wall with a plated string
around her neck. She was standing on
the floor. 1noticed that, of course, the
first thing. So 1 took her down. did
not take her down. l united the rope, of
course.
Was she unconscious?
Oh, no. Her heels were against the
wall but her toes were on the floor
Was the rope tight around her neck?
Oh. there was some tension on it, yes
sir. The doctor did not think it was
strong enough to hang her and said he
saw that she was not In any danger at
all. and Il was very leisurely about TAX
ing her down. because I knew from the
way she was standing there that she was
not trying to do anything. He did not
see anything to suggest that it was a
genuine attempt at suicide OF course,
If she had stayed there for any length of
time 1t would undoubtedly have con-
gested her face and probably have cut
off her wind little, because there
was tension on the string" Subse-
quently, the doctor said in answer to the
question. IF she had persisted in stand
Ing there. she could have killed herself
In time?" I'm time, it might be, by
simply having congested the brain a
great deal, causing her to weaken in
the legs
Miss Olmstead did not believe tt was
genuine attempt at suicide and was
subjected to long and searching exam
nation.
Miss Sarah O'Hara and Miss Minnie
King were also examined