The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-09-23
SORRY SHE DIDN'T DIE
Mrs. Knight Tried Hard Enough
but Didn't Succeed.
SHE'S A MISSOUlA GIRL
Ran Away From Her Husband and Found
a Situation in Butte as a Domestic.
She Took So Much Poison
That She Vomited.

Piqued because her husband was so
little concerned that he refused to fol-
low and coax her to return after she
had run away from him. a young wo-
man by the name of May Dodge. but
who subsequently said she was Mrs.
Robert knight of Missoula, attempted
to commit suicide night before last at
residence of J. 5. Billings at 5O3
South Wyoming street, where she was
employed as a domestic, by taking poi
son. She swallowed enough corrosive
sublimate TO have killed her two or
three times. but her stomach was weak
and refused to retain the poison and she
threw it off, with the result she lived to
regret that the poison did not 10 lts
work, as she stated she was tired of life
and wanted to end her troubles. The
young woman, when she went to work
in the Billings household, gave the
name of May Dodge, but after her at
tempt at self-destruction she said she
was the wife of Robert knight of Mis-
soula. She said she had trouble with
her husband and, having no money,
was compelled to seek employment as
a servant.
on Monday Mr.. Billings visited an
employment agency to engage the serv-
ices of a domestic. The young woman
was in the office and had just applied
for a position to do homework. The
agent said he had never seen the appli-
cant before, but as she said she had had
experience in caring for children, which
was one of the main things she was
wanted for. she was accepted and went
to work in Mr.. Billings house. She
gave the name of May Dodge. The
young woman did her work satisfactor-
lily, but seemed all the time pr~eoccupied,
as though her mind was a long way
from her duties.
Mrs. Billings had recently given birth
to a child, and the attending physician
had left some corrosive sublimate tab
lets. to be used as a disinfectant. The
young woman was cautioned on We'd
nesday to keep the tablets in a safe
place where the children could not get
to them. or being thus instructed she
spoke up very quickly and asked If they
would hurt any one. Mrs. Billings
thought nothing of the inquiry at the
time, and replied they were deadly poi
son.
Wednesday afternoon the young wO-
man asked permission to go up town,
and was gone the greater part OF the
afternoon. She returned in time to get
Mr.. Billings dinner, and after dinner
requested permission to be gone a little
While in the evening. This was grant
ed and she was gone TIL about 1880
when she returned, and Mr.. Billings
noticed she was considerably worried,
About s o'clock she was taken violently
i'll and in a few minutes commenced
vomiting. When the fact was COM
municated to Mrs. Billings, the sudden.
ness of the attack of k n and tho
symptoms of poisoning caused her &c
be suspicious, and she then recalled the
sharp inquiry the girl made in the
morning concerning the tablets. She
told her husband to look where she haC
directed the tablets to be placed, and OF
finding them gone. the cause of tn,
sickness was known. The young wo
man was removed to the house of
neighbor and a physician was sum
moned. She refused TO take the medi
cines the physician tried TO administer
and declared she wanted to die. bu
4 they We're forced down her. She be
came unconscious and was very low 70
a time, but she was eventually brough
around and then declared she was sorr,
they had not allowed her to die.
In the kitchen of Mrs. Billings hom
the box that had contained the tablet
was found empty. The young woman
had evidently taken them all, but dun
ing her stay i'm the Billings household
she had been so worried she had cate
almost nothing and her tomach was 5
Ntah IL WIN nv q ~ lNA1D'
and the tablets were found, where the.
had been thrown up, whole. This IN
doubtedly saved her life, for had tn
tablets dissolved she would have die
before a doctor could have reached hel
Yesterday the young woman, who ha
up TO this time been known as Ma
Dodge, told Mrs. Ellis, to whose hous
she was taken, that she was the wifi
of Robert knight of Missoula. Sh
said she had trouble with him and las
Sunday ran away and came to Butte
J She said she tried to kill herself 70
the reason she had expected her hus
band to follow her, and she would rath
err be dead than give in and go bac
without him making the first overture
The young woman appears to be be
tween Is and 20 years of age and
rather handsome. Her clothing an
general appearance would indicate tina
she was accustomed to being very we
kept and not accustomed to serving.