The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-07-14

Alice Carr, of Is Lackawanna avenue,
attempted to kill herself at $50 o'clocl,
last night by swallowing an ounce of
carbolic acid. She was strong and per-
fectly conscious at midnight at the
Lackawanna hospital. The size Of the
dose is enough to kill two or three
persons but there may be elements in
her case to bring about her recovery.
She possesses great strength, being
more muscular than many men, and
her stomach is habituated to the use
of alcohol to such extent that the MEM
brane is less affected by corrosive sub
stances. In other words it Is pretty
well copperlined.
There is only slight scar around
her lips where the deadly fluid came in
| contact with the flesh, and her throat
does not appear to be much eroded.
| The stomach pump and powerful emet-
| les were applied to her at the hospital
and she vomited freely. Carbolic acid
| eats the tissue so quickly that much
less than an ounce of it is competent
| to bring about a successful case of sui
| cide. The chances are very much
against her recovery. She suffered
great agony, and writhed around so
that it took four men to hold her.
| MEDITATED DESTRUCTION.
OF late she lived at IS Lackawanna
| avenue with a man named Charley
| Conway. He beat her yesterday morn
| ing and blackened her left eve But
| If the story she told Tribune reporter
| be true, 1t was not her quarrel with
| Conway that was altogether the cause
OF her rash act. She said she bought
! the acid a week ago, and had been
| meditating for some time on putting
an end to herself.
| She told some of the inmates in the
| house with her yesterday that she
| would not be with them long, They
| tried to get her mind off such gloomy
| view. At $50 she went to her room,
stretched on the bed, and drank the
poison. Her groans attracted them, but
they did not think anything was the
| matter more than a case of sickness
| from too much liquor, of which she had
| partaken freely during the afternoon
and evening. 1t was nearly II o'clock
before she told them she had taken
the poison.
Patrolman Gscheidle was on the beat
In that block, and as soon as he heard
Of it, a telephone call was sent for the
| hoSpltdl anu DTS. wen
and Newbury came with it promptly,
She was lying on a bed in a front room,
poorly furnished, and the surroundings
of the place were wretched- looking, in
Guiding two or three other women who
fitted from room to room. There was
not the least evidence of any help or
attention toward her until the ambu-
lance arrived.
| AFRAID OF AN OVERDOSE
At the hospital she gave her name as
Alice Conway. 2S years of age. and
birthplace England. She said she was
bent upon her destruction when she
took the poison, making sure to take
a big dose, and the reason she didn't
make it larger was for fear she might
take an overdose: but an hour or SC
later she repented of her rashness and
wants to live longer.
| She has had a varied career. -Four
or five years ago she first attracted
attention. She had frequent quarrels
with her husband, a strong, hard.
working man. They lived in Pricebure
and had two fine children, a boy anG
a girl. The husband got possession OF
the children, and she went to live with
a man named Hughes. They quarreleG
frequently and were often in police
court
She was a handsome woman before
her downward career began.