The herald., 1898-03-12
A Determined SUICIDE
FIRST USES A RAZOR AND THEN
A REVOLVER
While Mentally Deranged Mrs. Barr
Puts AL End to Her Existence.
A Letter to Her Sons

Mrs. Minnie E. Barr, aged 5S committed
suicide shortly before noon yesterday at
her home on the San Fernando road, oppo-
site the Southern Pacific switch Just north
of the city. She first tried to sever an ar
terry in her wrist with a razor, but as this
did not produce death, she took a revolver
and placing the muzzie against her head
just above the right ear sent a bullet
through her skull, killing herself instantly.
There were no witnesses to the deed and
the manner in which 1t was accomplished
could only be guessed by the position of the
body and it's surroundings when it was
found perhaps an hour later.
Mrs. Barr was the widow of an old SOL
dier who died about a year ago at the
Soldiers home. The family consisted only
of herself and her two sons, aged 21 and IA
respectively. They lived in little cot
tage and all of them worked hard The
mother cooked for the hands employed at
the fertilizer works nears her home and
both her boys worked as laborers in this
city. She arose at the usual hour yeSter-
day morning and cooked breakfast for
them and several of the workmen. They
left her cleaning the dishes and there was
nothing In her manner to indicate that she
contemplated suicide.
About noon several of the workmen re-
turned to the house for dinner and were
surprised to find the door locked. They
tried all the entrances but were unable to
get in. One of them happened to look in
through shutter and saw the body of
Mrs. Barr lying across a bed. Realizing
that something was wrong, the men forced
an entrance and upon entering saw at once
what had happened. a hole in the woman 5
head showed the cause of her death and
the pistol tightly clenched in her right
hand, with one chamber empty, indicated
what had made the wound. Her left wrist
was bandaged and in one corner was a
bucket, the bottom of which was covered
with blood. Near 1t was a razor. When
the bandage was removed it was found
that the woman had inflicted long cash
in her arm, but had failed to reach the
artery.
Coroner Campbell was notified of the sui
eide and, with his deputy, went to the
place. After making an examination of the
remains they were removed to John r..
Paul's undertaking establishment in East
Los Angeles, where the inquest will be held
this morning at 10 o'clock.
The coroner found the following note.
which was addressed by Mrs. Barr to her
sons:
Dear Children: Forgive me. I am being
prosecuted. / am victim of spite, and
nothing short of getting both of you from
me will do them. You have lived with me
always, and now I am not bad. Stick to-
gether and love one another. / die loving
you.
(Signed.) MAMMA"
Neither of the boys knew of anything
that would cause their mother to take such
a step as she did. They stated to the cor
oner that there had never been any
trouble at their home; that they always
got along we'll together and that no effort
had ever been made to have them leave
their mother. They have no idea to what
she refers in her note. The opinion of the
coronersis that the woman was insane. At
times during the past few months she had
acted strangely, and her actions were fire.
quently talked of by those who knew her
No arrangements for the funeral have been
made as yet.