The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-02-11
SHE IS NOT
GOING TO DIE.
Miss Effie Davis, Whose At
tempt at Suicide
In J. III. Knights Store Caused
Such a Sensation,
WILL NOW RECOVER.
Doctor and All Concerned Are
Very Close Mouthed
the Cause and Incidents
of the Affair.

Miss Eme Davis, the pretty young wo-
man who was taken suddenly ill yester-
day morning at ]. NJ. Knights under
taking establishment, will probably re-
cover. Dr.SamueI A. Johnston express
es this opinion today. Notwithstanding
the fact that the young woman vehem-
emily denies that she took poison and
says she was seized with heart failure,
the information obtained indicates that
the first statement was correct.
The poison which Miss Davis took
was purchased yesterday morning by
Knight. MIA. 7. Waggoner, the drug
gist, today showed to a reporter the en-
try in his record of poisOns. It showed
that February 10 A. W. Bradshaw OF
406 Kansas avenue bought five grains
of strychnine at WaggOner'S drug store
for which he signed The envelope in
which the poison was put was found in
Miss Davis hand when she fell at
Knights place. Mr.. Waggoner said:
Il sold the strychnine to a man yester-
day morning and he signed for it here"
Yesterday morning Miss Davis left J.
NJ. Knights furniture store at ia Kan
sas avenue where she was employed
and went to his undertaking establish
ment at 406 Kansas avenue. She met
Mr.. Knight and they walked to the rear
of the building together. Soon after
ward Mr.. Knight rushed up to the front
Office and called Mr. Earle Williams, of
Crosby Brothers, who was in the front
office paying a hack bill. Mr.. Williams
accompanied the proprietor to where
the young woman had fallen, and they
picked her up and laid her on a sofa.
Then Mr.. Knight ran out for a doctor.
One who knew much of the case made
the following statement: Miss Davis
told Mr.. knight that she was going to
take poison. He said: You'll do moth
ing of the sort Then she fell over and
Mr.. knight knew she had already taken
the poison. She had the envelope in
her hand which had contained the
strychnine-''
Mr.. Earle Williams staid and assisted
in the efforts to save Miss Davis life.
DR.. S. A. Johnston inserted a stomach
pump and removed the contents of the
stomach.
1t was about 10 a. m. when Miss Da-
Wis was seized with the convulsions. At
2 o'clock in the afternoon she was re-
moved to the apartments of Mrs. Put
nam, in No. 4, Crawford flats.
Today at her bedside Miss Davis said
to reporter: 1T is all a lie. I will
make somebody smart for this I did
not take poison. L have heart trouble
I was taken with it at that place.
Being asked if she had not told Mrs
Putnam that she was tired of life the
young lady replied:
I may have. don't remember.
Anybody might say that
While she was talking DR.. s. A. John
stOn held cold cloths to the girls neck
She was weak from her sufferings of
yesterday. but her eyes We're brilliant
Mrs. Putnam being asked what she
knew about the affair, was not willing
to say, but being asked about the poison
theory, said: 80, guess there is no
doubt but that she took it,
Mrs. Harmon Wentworth, with whom
Miss Davis boarded at 125 East Tenth
street, said today: Miss Davis came
to me last October. Every Saturday
night she would go to spend the night
with Mrs. Putnam and go to the Catho-
lie church early Sunday mornings. The
past few days she has not been well.
She Sa2A she was taking quinine and
she told me that it made her deathly
sick. L said that quinine ought not
to make person sick, and she still
said that it made her misera BILE. Mr.
Knight has taken her riding and to
theaterS.''
DR.. S. A. Johnson, who was recently
acquitted of completely in the Medical
college grave robberies, is the same who
attended Miss Davis.
When asked for a statement about
the affair he said:
It have nothing to say"
''Will the young lady get well?"
Il have nothing to say. Whatever
Mr.. Knight says is all right. This is his
private affair and 1 have nothing to
say
Did Miss Davis take poison?"
81 will not say
''Was she suffering from some other
troubIe?'
Il do not care to make a statement
1t is Mr.. Knights affair and 1 will not
talk about it,
Mr.. Earle Williams of Crosby Bros,
who helped carry Miss Davis to a sofa
at Mr.. Knights undertaking establish
ment, said today:
7 was there on business. Mr.. Knight
came out and asked me to help him
carry a lady who had fallen. I went
and helped carry her up
Where was Miss Davis?''
''She was in Mr.. Knights establish
ment"
Where did you carry her from?"
Il won't say. I did not hear her say
anything, nor did the doctor say any
thing about it in my presence. helped
a little, and that is all know about it.
Mr. Knight asked me not to say any,
thing about it. He said: If she gets
well, it ought to be kept from the news
papers. If she dies, it will have to be
made public. -
Miss Efie Davis formerly lived at
Garnett. Her name was Effie Richard
SON She had been married to a man
named Davis, but was divorced from
him and has since taken the name of
Miss Effie Davis. She is % years of age.
is tall and dark complexioned, and is
handsome young woman and has fine
figure She attended the Carnival of
Nations entertainment at Hamilton hall
Monday evening with J. NJ. Knight.
Josef Hoffman Coming.
London, Feb. 1L-Josef Hoffman, the
4ee.-,s