El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1899-09-20
SHE SWALLOWED
CARBOLIC ACID
And Died From Its Effects in
The Greatest Agony.
MISS ALICE THOMPSON

So Far as Could be Learned,
But 1t Is Believed That She
Loved One Connors of This City.
The young woman, Alice Thompson,
Sunday by swallowing carbolic acid 4,
never lived in Ell Paso and so far as is
known she had never been here.
The only thing to connect her IN any
! way with the city was the fact that she
| left letter written just before she
died to "W. J. Connors, Ell Paso, Tex
| as"
DIED FOR LOVE.
| The Republican of yesterday says:
Alice nj. Thompson, teacher in the
Corona school, we'll known and respect-
ed throughout the city, committed
suicide yesterday afternoon by drink
| ing nearly two ounces OF carbOlic acid.
Mics Thompson's mother and friends
say til at the poison was taken accident
ally, but from letters which che left ad-
dressed to several of her friends there
| is no douo OF that she Intended to COM
NIT suicide.
The exact cause which impelled her
| to take this course is not clear, but it
| is said that e love affair is at the bot
| tom of il. She had always been cheer
| full and pleasant in her 0emeanOr and
| up to the time when her mother found
her suffering terribly from the effects
Of the fiery acid no one had any init
nation that che contemplated self-de-
structioD.
| Miss Thompson spent her holiday on
Saturday with the family of Hon.
Richard Broad in Golden, and when
she returned to her home at 1903 Glen
arm street in the evening seemed In
her usual good spirits. She arose yes
terday morning and was about the
house as usual, at no time complaining
of being i'll, nor we're her actions in
any way peculiar.
son told her mother that she was going
to her room to lie down for few min
utes. leaving her in the front room with
Mr.. Broad, who hsd come to call on
them. A bout o'clock Mrs. Thomp-
son heard her daughter rise and go
into the bathroom and in few minutes
she heard her call:
"Mamms, mamma, come to me
quick. Oh! what have I done?''
AS quickly s.s she could Mrs. Thomp-
son ran to the bathroom. AS soon as
che entered she noticed the smell of
carbolfc acid. A two-ounce bottle
labeled "Poison,'' which was lying
near by and the agOnized cries Of the
daughter soon showed her the cause OF
the girls agitation. Miss Thompson
was takeE into the bedroom and a doc
tor was summoned as soon as possible.
AS soon as she had taken the poison
Miss Thompson regretted 1t and i'm
plored her mother to send for q doctor
and not to leave her.
Anxious to summon help quickly
Mrs. Thompson ran to the Denver
Athletic club, few doors away, think
ing that she might find q physician
81 n D@oo@ol< - h., ol,,1 !, 10,
medical student and he fastened to as
sist Mrs. Thompson, arriving at the
bouse at about the same time as DR.. J.
B. Perkins. The police surgeon also
WAS summoned. When Dr. Sharpley
arrived be saw at once that the girl
was in q very critical condition and az
ter giving her all temporary assistance
possible cent her to ST: Luke's hospital,
where she died about O'Clock.
Notwithstanding Mrs. Thompson g
statement there seems to be no doubt
that Miss Thompson committed sui
eide. On bureau near the bed On
which Miss Thompson was lying three
letters were found. One of them was
addressed to Mother" a second to
NV. ]. Conno-s, Ell Paso. Texas" and
another to Sc. J. Richmond" The
first was torn open and left no doubt as
to Miss ThompsOn's intentions.
Miss Thompson commenced the let
ter by saying that she thought she
would find time to say several things to
her mother that afternoon which she
had been trying TO say for some time.
She then went on in broken, discOn
nected sentences to say that she loved
different peOple-mentioning the
names of several young ladies with
whom she was particularly friendly
and that she was sorry to cause
them sorrow. She requested that her
mother should say that her death was
an accident and try to,avoid publicity in
every way. She closed the letter by
reiterating her affection for her moth
err and friends and asking forgiveness
for her act. The letter was signed
"a"
Alice M. Thompson was % years old,
and has lived in Denver about Is years.
Her mother, Mrs. L. B. Thompson, is a
widow and Alice wss her only child.
The girl was graduate of the East
Denver High school and has taught in
the city schools since she was 16 years
old. She had the reputation of be-
ing q bright, talented girl,
particularly interested in all
scientific subjects. She was generally
vivacious and not inclined to be me-
lancholy. For the last two years she
has taught in the Corona school. She
had large number of acquaintance
and was especially we'll known in ed
vocational circles.
THE HIGH SCHOOL CADETC