Richmond daily palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1876-1904, 1899-11-24
SUICIDE
WITH A HEMP CLOTHES
LINE
4 Woman Stands on Baby's
High chair, Ties the Rope About a
Rafter and Swings Od--Ae Cause
Given and no Word Left For the
Husband and Children.

kdfeeT ana SWINGS Ou--1S NduSe
Given and no Word Lett For the
Husband and Children.
Mrs. Sarah H. Thomas, wife of
Frank Thomas, travelling salesman
for Gaar, Scott & Co.. committed
suicide this morning at her home. 4lo
north seventeenth street, by hanging.
She used a common clothes line for
the work and was successful. The
death resulted from strangilation-
This morning Frank Thomas went
to Eaton on business connected with
the company he represents He left
his wife and three children at home.
The chiIdrpn went to school at the
usual time leaving their mother at
home at her work. Whcn the three
|ehildren, aged respectively 10, II
and 10 years, returned from school
about 1l.30 they did not see their
mother. The dinner table was set,
and the table was neatly covered
with cloth. The plates We're not
on the table, but otker-esse the noon
meal appeared TO be prepared. The
children called their .Hosher and not
being able To get any answer they be-
came uneasy and went. all about the
house hunting for her.sThey searched
upstairs, and at last wfnt to the at
tic that was used as d sort of play
room for the childraa There a.
ghastly sight met their eyes.
Their mother 5 body 6 ing in the air
and the face, purple aRd swollen with
looked horrible to
them. Theyz4Rn sQfeaming down
stairs and. aroused 3the neighbors,
who went as quickly$.s possible to
the home of the Thonases. finding
the children mother hanging in the
attic and quite dead The first man
to arrive on the scene and cut down
the strangled woman was c. n. Mer
rill of 321 north seventeenth street.
He cut the rope that suspended her
in the air, and when the coroner ar
rived, a few minutes later, the rope
was cut from her neck. The rope
was an ordinary siothes line, and
it was knotted nicely about her neck
SO there could have been no possibil
ity of a slip in the hop. The coroner
at once pronounced death due to
strangulation as tie features in their
distortion and disoSoration showed
that such had been the cause of her
demise
Mrs. Thomas had taken clothes
line and climbingon a child high
chair in the attic, she had tied the
rope to rafter Either before or
after this process she had tied
the moose about her neck and then
leaped from the chair. The neck was
not broken, but death was not long
in coming to the. relief of the suicide
Mrs, Thomas was about thirty five
years of age. No cause is known for
her suicide, unless it was i'll health
sssss helxs left M apte or token to tell
how she chancet. To come 70 this rash
conclusion.
Mr.. Thomas, the husband, former
ly had home near Arba, and still
owns a farm near there. He came to
this city a few years ago and secured
place with the establishment of
Gaar, Scott & Co. Later he became
travelling salesman for that firm
and it was in this capacity that he
was employed at the time of his
wife's untimely death. He was at
Eaton today and was at once sent
for
THE DETAILS.
A PALLADIUM reporter called at
the Thomas home this afternoon and
ascertained some interesting details
in connection with the case. The
dinner had not been prepared, but
the table had been cleared up from
breakfast, everything about the
nicely furnished house had been put
in order, and then the mother had
proceeded deliberately to her task.
She had gone to the upstairs window
and got the clothes line. taken off
her shoes so she would not make any
noise, and committed the act. When
the children came home from school
the little boy said:
wonder what S the matter.
Mamma never did this way before. .
Some one suggested that maybe
she was upstairs, and the little fellow
ran up to look. Not finding her
there be went up to the attic where
he made the shocking discovery.
Though not a strong woman in APP
pearance she had not been i'll to the
knowledge of her friends and neigh
bors.
Mrs. Thomas is a sister of Mrs.
Erwin Daily, a machinist, who lives
ON north tenth street Their maiden
name was Longfellow. A strange
feature of the case is that three years
ago at Geneva, Ind, Mrs. Charles
Reed, sister of Mrs. Thomas, com
mitteed suicide by hanging with a
rope. The deed was accomplished in
a manner strangely similar to the
one committed today, and no cause
was known for the act, neither was
any note left.
The neighbcrs had heard Mrs
Thomas speak of her sister suicide
The family resided near Arba before
the daughters married and scattered
out to their own homes After their
removal to this city Thomas and his
family resided at first on south
eleventh street The age of Mrs.
Thomas was thirty three years. She
was married quite young.
We have splendid line of blankets
and comforts. Our prices are very
IreaSonabie- We can certainly please
Il nd