Jamestown weekly alert. [volume] (Jamestown, Stutsman County, D.T. [N.D.]) 1882-1925, 1896-11-26
Body of Mrs. Swain Taken to
New Rockford for
Burial.
She Leaves a Happy Home
and Elopes With the
Hired Man.
Couple Found Dead IN Each
Others Arms-Their
Last Word.

ford, who with Frank Addison COM
mitted suicide at Valley City Friday, by
! taking prussic acid, was taken home for
burial Saturday. The bereaved husband
Sheriff Fay and O. j. Maddux ac-
companied the remains.
The story OF the case is extremely sad
and points to nndou bted mental de-
rangemeEt on the part Of Mrs. Swain for
she had one of the finest homes in
Eddy county, kind and loving husband
and was very pleasantly situated in
y,many ways. Their home is four miles
west OF New Rockford where Mr.. Swain
is the possessor of large land holdings
and is accounted one of the most pros
porous and enterprising farmers. It
seems that he was acquainted with the
almost insane infatuation OF his wife
aud did all he could to remove it. Ere
quently his wife had told him that she
could not live with him and would die
with Addison.
Frank Addison, said to be an unpre-
possessing character, was hired by A. @.
n Swain year ago to care for his stock
during his absence IN the east. On Mr..
ASwain's return he found that Addison
had ingratiated himself in the affections
OF his wife, but tho matter was hushed
up. Mr.. Swain said that Addison fol-
lowed the woman around with revolver
in one pocket and bottle of poison in
the other and had her entirely under his
control. He was cook by profession
and had made Eddy county his home for
several years having cooked for Mr..
y SWANS thresbing crew and in the hotel
Sat New Rockford.
An attempt was made to prevent the
elopement, but without avail, and the
S,couple left Wednesday, took the train to
SNtI.ls city and Valley City where they
registered at the Kindred hotel as Thos.
Owens and wife of New Rockford. They
we're assigned to room four and were
not seen again until yesterday when
their Absence was noticed. The door of
their room was forced open and they
were found lying on the bed dressed an2
covered with a quilt. A note was found
on the table saying" :"Separated1 IN life but
/. united in DEATH" and requesting that
they be buried together.
Addison was 40 years Of age and said
to be generally worthless. He came from
Baltimore. Nd. The coroner's jury
agreed that the couple came to their
death from prnssic acid administered by
Addison. HIS body was buried in Val
Icy City.
Mrs. Swan was 36 years old and the
mother Of four children, the Oldest q
y daughter of II and the youngest boy
4 Oft.
The Valley City Patriot gives further
details OF the tragic suicide OF Mrs.
u, Swain and Frank Addison OF Eddy
county They we're found locked IN
each others arms. On the wash stand
lay the bottle Of prusslo acid and near
by pass book on page Of which is
written the following brief statement:
To wnom it may concern:
You will find sufficient funds IN my
pocket book to bury US. Our last re-
quest is to bury us together without any
8 fuss, and do not try to find out whom
we are. Parted IN life but joined in
death.
Tho couple we're assigned to room
/ which had the glass broken in the tran
som over the door and on request OF
Addison, the hotel clerk placed a piece
= Nha
morning they were duly summoned to
breakfast, to which there was no re-
hsponse or appearance, and the assump.
tion was, as is often the case, that they
we're taking their meals out, and nothing
more was thought Of them until Friday
smorning, when their non-appearance ex-
cited suspicion. At about ten o'clock
an examination was made, and the key
was found to be inside the locked door.
There being no response to summons
and view through the transom showing
some one on the bed the door was
Y forced with the result OF finding the
bodies above described.
Investigation showed that the poison
had been procured at Clark's drug store
Wednesday evening where the man and
woman had gone together, the man cool
ly asking for it and signing the registry
book as '.William Johnson"
Upon the body of the woman beneath
\ the corset was found the photograph OF
Sstbe man and on the man beneath the
undersLirt was picture Of the woman.