Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1899-03-16
an Ounce of Car
bolic Acid.

Swallowed an Ounce Of Car
bolic Acid.
A respondent woman and an ounce
of carbolic acid has furnished another
tragic event in the history of Missouri
Valley.
Shortly after 9 o'clock last night,
Mary, wife Of August Stritzler, the
latter shoemaker working at his
trade in the west end, swallowed an
ounce of carbolic acid which an hour
afterwards brought to q fnis all her
mental so we'll as physical troubles.
Mrs. Stritzler has made several at
tempts in the past to end her life but
in each instance she has failed. Each
time she attempted her sell. destruction
something has happened to thwart her
plans, either she failed to take the
poison in sufficient quantities or else
she was interrupted while in the act
but last night she successful executed
plans, which she had formulated, with
9 deliberation, cool and terrible.
Early in the evening, after she had
finished washing the dishes after the
evenings meal, she remarked to her
husband that she would leave the
house for short time as she wished
to call on Mrs. Wilkey, who resides on
Second street. She securely locked all
the doors of the house, sfter which she
put the key in her pocket instead of
hanging it on q nail outside the door as
was her custom. She then proceeded
to the home of Mrs. Wilkey. There
she chatted and talked in q pleasant
strain, never betraying in the least by
her manner what terrible deed was on
her mind. Several times during her
visit she passed the remark, that
Something will happen tonight" or
some similar words, but, thinking her
remarks referred to something per-
tanning to Mrs. Stritzler's home affairs
they did not heed them.
Shortly after 9:1O o'clock she
left Mrs. Wilkey's and proceeded d.
rectly to her home, the walls of which
were soon to be the only witnesses of
her self destruction. After she enter
ed the house she locked the door be-
hind her, audit is the supposition, went
direct to the clock shelf, on which was
9 two ounce phial contain ing carbolic
acid which was used for disinfecting
purposes. After procuring the deadly
fluid she poured 1t into glass, after
which she turned it to her lips and
quaffed the entire contents Of it, with
the exception of very small amount,
less than half tesspoonful. Just
after she drank the liquid, Mr.. Stritzler
came to the side door of the house
and attempted to enter, but the locked
door barred his passage. He went to
each door of the house but in every
instance found the doors securely
locked. Looking through window
and seeing Mrs. Stritzler in the house
he suspected something wrong, and 60
ing to the woodshed and procuring an
ak, started to batter down the door,
then Mrs. Stritzler unlocked the door
and allowed Mr.. Stritzel to enter. As
the latter entered she SAID: II have
finished 1t this time alright" She then
told him that she had taken csrbolic
acid with suicidal intent showing him
the glass in which there yet remained
q few drops of the acid. He summon
ed Drs. McGsvren and Tamisies, who
administered antidotal medicines, but
the woman was past medical aid and
the only assistance they could render
was to administer medicines to allev.
late the throes caused by the burning
acid. About 10 o'clock she died, suf.
fering until the last, agony which is