The morning times., 1897-01-22
A vain At TEMP IA7;i SUICIDE.
Mr.. W. H. Wrem Despaired of
Seeing His Baby Son.
HE THEN DRANK LAUDANUM
Domestic Troubles Caused Sepa RAJ
ton of Husband and Wife-The
Father -Grieved for the Absence
Of His Child and Sought Relief
in Death. -

An exciting scene was ade last even
ing by William II. WTenn, who drank d
half gill Of laudanum,, at his fathers
home, No. 454 K street northwest, and
who was resuscitated at Emer gency Hos
pital Wrenn is twenty-seven wears of
age, and has been married three wears
Since New Years Day he has not been
living with his wife, and the story of the
domestic trouble is told differently by
their respective families. The Wrenns gave
their version to Times reporter last
night as follows: P
Young Wrenn, who had been employed
as shipping clerk in Julius Lansburgh's
furniture house for the past seven years.
lost his position about six months. ago
and was forced to accept another at a
smaller salary with the Adams Express
Company. Wrenn's father stated that his
sons wife, to whom Wrenn has been
married three years, objected to the re-
duced scale on which they were now
obliged to live and continual duarreIs
to 90 to her father, Jacob Fehl, a coach
man, who lives at No 1924 l. street
northwest, taking with her their two-year-
old boy.
Six weeks ago her husband was dis.
missed by the express company. When he
impaired this news to his wife she moved
to her fathers house. Wrenn, it was
stated, then sold the furnishings of their
q
and went to his parents to live.
Wrenn seemed TO be very despondent at
being deprived of the company Of his little
child TO whom he S passionately attached,
and ne went TO his wife's house last night
TO see it.
About S: 80 O'Clock last night he returned
and went upstairs TO his room. Five min
utes later while. his parents and brother
were chatting quietly in the Ioom, Wrenn
stumbled down the stairs and fell into
into the room, at the same time throwing
an empty one-ounce bottle on the table
with the words This is W lat did it," His
father picked up the Lottle and was hor-
ror-struck TO read the word 'Laudanum"
on the label.
He tried to make the wonld-be suicide
walk about and swallow some coffee, but
this the latter steadily refused to do.
Leave me alone to die; let me die"
he exclaimed.
Finally BY sheer force, he was showed
out into the open air ana kept walking
about while the Emergency ambulance was
telephOned for. He lost Consciousness in
the ambulance, and at the hospital the en-
tire house staff set to work on him. BY
good treatment and hard labor, at the end
of a half hour he was out OF danger and
was removed TO the sick ward
III the meantime his wife lad been tele-
phoned for, and she arrived at the hos
pital III company with her father, who is
a vigorous, good-nature d-looking man, with
O hearty manner. He exhibited a little
disgust for his son-in-law, but was courteous
and kind to Wrenn's aged father. The
wife was. quiet and composed and had
little to say. Times reporter saw her
later at her father s>home. Her father told
the story this time. He said that when
Wrenn lost his position at Lansburgh'S
several Ifontls ago, he had allowed him to
come to his house with his daughter, and
remain without pa ying any board for weeks
at time. About six weeks ago Wrem
got his new position and took his wife
away to a new home of one room The
day before New Years, he sold the furni
ture, and the wife went home to her
father at once, and took her Child, and
was welcomed and comforted.
Yesterday the father said the husband
came to the house and rang the doorbcll
repeatedly. Mrs. Fehl opened the parlor
window and spoke to him. He asked for
his wife, and she came to the window
Then he wanted to see his boy. Mrs.
Fehl wrapped the baby up and brought
him to the window, telling the father he
was all right and well cared for. When
Wrenn continued to ring the boorbell they
closed the window and paid no more at
tention to him. Mr. Wrenn then went
off, the rest OF his actions being given
n