The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1896-08-15

y
the intrusion or a
uor's loye-culminated in tragedy IN
Chicago the other day.
This. al least, is the theory which 10
sunnosed to account for the suicide py
,oison of Rachel Mogstad and Bessie
youneren. cousins, as we'll as their at
tempt to poison Christopher Johnson
whose attentions to the latter were
marked The case presents a
strange exhibition of sentimentality
ord recklessness. Others have MUIR
dered or laid down their own lives APP
norently out OF sentimental freakish-
ness Such have been ignorant and OF
ignoble antecedents. Degeneracy would
no, be questioned from their every
dav conduct. But in the case OF these
vonrc yomen-reared by affectionate
nareats of some education and re-
lieious bent. the girls possessing Drlgh!
minds. some ambition, industry, anu
coed names-it becomes dlneTeht
problem.
Young Johnson met his sweetheart
at Center and Austin avenues Friday
afternoon. Miss Youngren had a small
package in her hand with a druggists
label on 1t. She said 1t was rat pol
son. John expressed his surprise. She
said it was for her father. who had
been having trouble with rats at his
home, No. 273 Grand avenue. john
son accompanied her TO the room
which she had been occupying with
Miss Mogstad. There he chatted an
hour with the cousins. The room oc-
cupied by the girls is the first floor
front Of a plain cottage at NO. 3o2
Grand avenue. 1t was subrented from
the family of John Peterson.
In this talk the girls laughed over
a secret. something which they said
each had agreed TO do. The boys nina
did not take on suspicion. He left with
out learning what it was both had
agreed to do"
Next day Johnson called at the room.
The cousins were preparing to go out.
They were unusually chatty. Miss
Mogstad, who was always cool toward
him when he came with his attentions
to Bessie. seemed to have relented. She
was half way cordial and seemed to
be gay to the point of effervescence.
I'VE are going over to vacant room
where Bessie's folks live" she said,
ito eat something. We can't tell you
what it is. But we have promised each
other faithfully"
Still Johnson was unsuspicious and
went away to get watermelon.
When Johnson came back a surprise
greeted him. The girls were both I'M
der excitement. Their eyes seemed to
dilate. They could not talk fast
enough. He cut the watermelon and
offered them pieces. The girls each
handled the melon without eating it.
Johnson then noticed for the first time
white powder on his sweetheart's lips,
Eat your melon said the boy.
The girls laughed Historically. John
son suspected a joke on himself and
tried to avoid being ruffied. Both girls
acted strangely. The visitor got a
little restless.
Without preliminary advances Miss
Youngren walked up to her sweetheart
who was seated. and threw herself into
his lap. She clasped her arms about
his neck. She laughed and moaned. II
seemed to be a spontaneous outburst OF
affection, and yet Johnson mistrusted
It. The white powder was not inviting
and the exhibition also embarrassed
him. When the girl pressed her lips
close to his own he stood up. blankly
exclaiming:
%, this is going too far"
christopher Johnson now under
stands that the two girls had eater