The herald., 1897-07-06
Poisoned His Daughter and
Then Himself
W. H. PERSONS AWFUL ACT
HE EXPIRES IN AGONY BUT THE
CHILD MAY LIVE
Out Of Work and Despondent Over His
Wife's Death-Leaves Minute
Instructions to a Friend

AuBtIuCLlOnS W u E I1S0G
One of the most shocking tragedies
enacted in this city for long time took
place in a lodging house at 1924 South
Main street last night. Made despond-
ent by his financial difficulties and fail
ure to get work, w. H. Person adminis-
tered large dose OF carbolic acid to his
S-year-old daughter and then took a
mixture of carbolic and prussic acid
himself and lay down to die. The bodies
were found while they were still alive,
and removed to the receiving hospital,
but the father was dead when they ar
rived. DR.. Hagan applied the stomach
pump to the little girl with good effect,
and she was soon restored to conscious
ness. She was in great agony for sew
eral hours but is in fair way to recov-
cry.
Person had evidently planned the
murder and suicide very coolly, for he
left long letter. in which he set down
the causes for the act He stated that
he had been unable to get work and that
he owed money to his brother. r. d.
Person of Howard, South Dakota, who
had made life miserable for him by
bounding him for it.
Last night at 10: AS o'clock Person came
into w. F. Balls billiard hall on South
Spring street and asked for loan of
SO cents Ball knew the man intimately,
and handed him the money, when Per-
son turned and left. At the door he met
q special delivery carrier from the post
Office with an envelope for Ball. He
Glanced at him sharply and then passed
rapidly out.
The letter was handed Mr.. Ball and he
opened it. A key fastened to the top
Of the paper attracted his attention. AS
he read down the page he saw that there
was something very unusual about 1t
and turned to the last page. The sigma
ture was Persons, and the last Few lines
gave directions for his burial. Without
taking time to read the rest of the let
ter. Ball hurried to the police station and
reported that he believed Person had
ATTEMPTED to commit suicide. Officer
Loomis was sent along with Ball and
the two hurried to the lodging house on
South Main street.
The landlady was awakened and
stated, that room IA was occupied by
Person. They went to the room and
knocked on the door, but the only re-
Spouse was a groan which came from
Person, who was inside. The landlady
then came up and opened the door with
a key. When they walked into the room
Person was found lying upon a bed In
the front room with pillow over his
face, gaeping in the agonies of death.
Near by on a stand set three bottles,
all partially empty, containing carbolic
acid, prussic acid and tincture of aeon
lite, deadly poisons.
There was a back room, connected
with the front room with folding doors.
Here Persons 8-year-old daughter,
Edith, also lay in an unconscious condi-
tion upon a bed with pillow over her
face. Person had evidently given his
daughter poison first and then walked
into the next room and administered
mixture Of carbolic and prussic acid and
tincture of aconite to himself, and then
coolly lain down to die.
AS soon as the situation was compre-
hended Ball rushed across the street to
a saloon and telephoned word to the
police station. The patrol wagon was
at once sent down and contained DR..
Hagan, Sergeant Jeffries, Clerk Hensley
and Policeman Shields. Father and
daughter were placed in the wagon and
the race to the receiving hospital began.
On arriving there it was found that
Person had died on the way. Dr. Hagan
at once began work upon the little girl,
and she was soon so far recovered as to
be able to make statement.
AS she lay in her cot at the receiving
hospital several reporters crowded
around her anxious to hear what she
might say. She was suffering great
agony from the effects of the carbolic
acid, which had burned her mouth fear
fully, and answered the questions asked
her very elowly.
IT have been living at Boyle Heights
with Mrs. Berry for several months,
she said. Papa came out yesterday and
asked me to come and stay all day with
him. thought that would have nice
time because there were a lot OF boys
firing firecrac ckers there and it was SO
noisy that did not like, it. When we got
to papa's room he asked me if I didn't t
want to go and see mamma. l didn' t
know what he meant at first, because
mamma is dead, but he said that we
could see her and that he wanted US to
die together. I didn't want to die, but
he insisted upon it. He fixed up some
thing in a glass and gave it to me. l
drank it and it burned my mouth
awfully. That is all that I remember"
The child is an exceedingly bright one,
and SCENE to possess understanding far
beyond her years.
Person has lived in this city for over
ten years. For long time he was con-
nected with the freight department of
the Santa Fe railroad. He was after
ward cashier in the office at Santa Ana.
About four years ago his wife died, and
Person never recovered from the blow.
A little over year ago he went to South
Dakota, returning here in March. Since
that time he has been looking unsuc-
cessfully for employment. He has been
living IN the logging house where he took
the deadly dose, and his daughter has
been stopping with Mrs. Berry at 1886
Pleasant avenue, on Boyle Heights.
Person owned a small ranch al
Downey, and he sold this few months
ago. receiving a few hundred dollars
after all encumbrances had been paid
This ran out a, short time ago. and he