The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-10-11
Came Very Near Having a Fatal
Termination.
GIRL TOOK CARBOLIC ACID
DIR. RICHARDS USED THE SToM-
ACH PUMP.
According to the Story Told, Miss
Simpson and Oscar Reese Were
to Have Been Married, But a
Hitch Occurred-She Denies the
Suicide Theory.

What appears, from all the circum-
stances, to have been an attempted sui
eide as the result OF a lovers quarrel,
occurred at the residence of Mr.. and Mrs.
8. Benbrook. 1853 c street, Sunday night
about II o'clock. At that hour people liv
ing in the neighborhood were awakened
by cOmmotion in the Benbrook house,
and from the scraps of conversation over
heard it was evident that a lovers quar-
rel was in progress. A girl was heard
to say, after cross words from man,
Now. you have done it, and to run
into the house. The man appeared TO
follow and a struggle took place, after
himself and was begging the girl not to
do something, and then asking why she
did it, and he appeared to be crying.
Mrs. Benbrook says she employed as
servant Miss Lizzie Simpson who was
keeping company with a young man,
Oscar Reese, who is employed at the
notice last Wednesday of her intention
TO quit her employ Sunday, giving as her
reason that she and her lover, Oscar
Reese. were going to Ogden on that day
TO be married She had her trunk packed
and was already to leave Sunday morning
but Oscar failed to call for her. The girl
rather blue. and she asked her if she
was not feeling well. but received an
answer that she was. and she thought no
more of it. About $50 in the afternoon
the young man put in an appearance with
a horse and buggy and the couple went
driving.
CALLED FOR ASSISTANCE.
Mrs. Benbrook was in bed when they
returned and heard nothing until she was
awakened by Mr.. Reese rapping at the
bedroom door, and calling loudly for as
siStance. He appeared to have lost con-
troll of himself and was almost hysterlcal.
Mr.. Benbrook went at once for DR.. Rich
ards, while his Wife went out TO the girl,
whom she found suffering from carbolic
acid burning, she, it appears. having at
tempted to take that poison
Mr. Reese appeared repentant and was
crying, and asking the girl why she did
it, but Miss Simpson Would not answer
him. nor allow him to come near her.
Upon the arrival of DR.. Richards the
stomach pump was applied and the con-
tents of the stomach removed. 1t was
then found that but little of the poison
had been swallowed and a severe sore
throat was the most damage done. al
though the face was severely burned
about the mouth.
Mr. Reese remained through the night
and yesterday morning drove the girl
to the residence of her parents on East
Third South.
DENIES SUICIDAL INTENT
A call was made upon Miss Simpson at
the residence of her parents, who was
found confined to her bed, but not in
serious condition. She said that she
and Oscar Reese had gone driving and
about 10 o'clock had stopped at restaur-
which they drove home. They had been
quarreling she admitted but not serious
ly, and both alighted from the buggy and
proceeded to the house and into the dining
room. She said she was suffering from
toothache and went into her room and
got a bottle of carbole acid. which she
used when so troubled. As she was in
the kitchen pouring it out Mr.. Reese
saw her and attempted to seize the bot
tie, knocking her hand, splitting the
liquid, a few drops of which got into her
mouth and some upon her face.
When questioned she denied that she had
intended marrying Mr.. Reese and had not
planned a trip to Ogden with him, and
most positively denied any intention of
killing herself insisting that 1t was quite
common for them to quarrel, but never
seriously. and the affair of Sunday was
not different from the rest. and would
have had no worse results but for the un-
fortunate accident with the carbOlic acid
Miss Simpson is Is years of age fld
very pretty and quite a superior gili.