The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-12-26
Mrs. Katy Burton Tries to End Her
Life.
is AN ESCAPED LUNATIC
ATTEMPT MADE AT a44 SOUTH
FIRST WEST.
Was at Mrs. Streets at the Time
This Is Her Second Attempt at
Hari-Kari-Dr. Penrose Pumped
Her out-Efort Made to Keep
the Matter Secret.

Yesterday afternoon Mrs. Kittie Bur-
ton celebrated Christmas day by TAX
ing dose of carbolic acid with sui
cidal intent. Mrs. Burton went down
town on Friday for the avowed pur-
pose of buying a couple of Christmas
presents. With her went the young
daughter of Mrs. Street, with whom she
is living. When they came to drug
store. Mrs. Burton told the girl to wait
outside until she went in and bought
some hair dye with which to bleach
her hair. The girl waited and pretty
soon Mrs. Burton came out and to-
gether they went down street.
HER ACT DISCOVERED.
Subsequent events proved that she
did not purchase the hair dye, but in
stead bought small bottle of carbolic
acid. She then purchased a couple of
small articles which she said was for
her daughter, who is in the ST. AIMS
Orphanage, and returned to her room.
Mrs. Burton rooms at the house of Mrs.
Street, at 244 South First West street,
where she is employed to aid in the
washing. After she had breakfast yes
terday morning she went up stairs to
her room, and nothing was heard from
her until about 1 o'clock, when she was
| discovered in a deplorable condition in
her room.
DR.. Bowers was summoned, as it was
seen that something was the matter
with the woman. The doctor could not
be found, so Dr. Penrose was called
and soon arrived on the scene. He found
Mrs. Burton in her room suffering from
a dose of carbolic acid He administer
ed antidotes and she was soon out of
danger. But she presented a forlorn
appearance, indeed Her mouth and
around her. lips was badly burned by
the acid, and in spite of the medicines
which had been given her, she was suf-
fering greatly from the burns she had
received.
HAD BEEN IN THE ASYLUM.
Mrs. Street stated that the woman
had been in the asylum at Provo, but
had managed to escape from that in
stitution and found a refuge in her
house. She had given her employment
and also notified the authorities of her
whereabouts, but no action was taken,
and the woman remained with Mrs.
Street. Last August or the first part of
September, Mrs. Burton attempted sui
eide by drinking a solution of corrosive
sublimate and turpentine. She was
nursed back to health and strength
again only to repeat the attempt on her
life yesterday.
For some time past DR. Anderson and
County Physician Gemmel have attend
cd her at various times. 1t seems that
she is subject to sudden fits of insan-
ity, and it is this which is thought to
have driven her to commit the rash
act. Last night, while Mrs. Street was
telling about the affair, Mrs. Burton
came part way down the stairs and
called The Herald representative to
her. She was forlorn looking picture,
as she sat upon the steps and told her
side of the affair
WAS SORRY FOR IT.
She said that she would not deny
anything that had been said by Mrs.
Street, she having heard all that was
said, but she was sorry for it. She
averred that she would not again at
tempt suicide, and did not know why
she took the drug. She has a daughter
in St. Annes Orphanage, and Mrs.
Burton said that she went out on Fri
day to get a present for her. She pur-
chased them. but they had not been
given to the child, and were still in the
house. While she was out after the
and bought the carbolic acid.
Il just heard them (meaning Mrs.
street, say they wished / would die"
continued Mrs. Burton, but / promise
you I will be alive this time next year.
I'll live just to spite them now They
say they are afraid to sleep in the same
house with me. l won't harm anyone,
but if they are afraid, I'll go and rent a
room right now. 1 didn't hurt anybody
but myself, and God knows I'm sorry
for it now. 1 don't know why did it,
but I just had one of those spells"
CLAIMED SHE WAS SANE.
Mrs Street stated that she had the
woman on her hands and had notified
the sheriff, but he had paid no atten-
the woman around there, as she was
afraid she would take fit and poison
the whole family. Mrs Burton came
into the room while the talking was
going on, and when she heard the
reference to her insanity replied: Il
am not crazy. When 1 was put in
Provo they had no cause to do it. 1
ran away because they told me that
l could not get away unless my hus-
band came and got me. 1 amt got no
husband, and so l ran away"
Mrs. Burton is a large, powerful
Irish woman, with the muscular de-
velopment of man. She is about 80
years of age. strong and healthy look
ing. For some time she has been sub
ject to fits of dependency, and it is
thought that while in one of her NOR
bid moods she was taken with sud
den fit of insanity, and took the drug
to end her existence.
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