The Portland daily press., 1899-08-14
A PITIFUL STORY.
Matte Pennell Wanted
To Die.
Has Suffered from EpiIeptic Fits for
Years.
Couldn't Be Cured and
Wanted to End Life.
Stole Laudanum and Drank 1t
but Was Revived.

Matte e Penuell Of Cbicopee, Me-, at
tempted to take her life last night by
drinking laudanum. She was found un-
conscious from the effects of the drug at
the ferry waiting room ON Portland pier
about ten o'clock and sont to the police
station. There restoratives and an anti
dote was administered and the young
woman's life saved. Her story Is pitiful
In the extreme. III health was the cause
of her rash act.
About ten O'Clock last night some
passengers who were waiting for the
ferry boat at Portland pier were startled
to see lying on the fonr of the waiting
room young woman. The men hurried
to the woman's assist ance, but found that
she was unconscious. They thought she
was in faint and policeman who was
sent for decided that physician was
nseded at once. The woman was appar.
entity about twenty six years old and was
plainly but neatly dressed. Her hair
was light, her complexion fair and her
features regular. She was about the
medium height and weighed perhaps ITO
pounds. She wore blue and white shirt
waist, grey skirt and black hat. None
of those who found her had ever seen
her before. Ons man thought that she
belonged at Long island, but was not
surs. Everything that could be thought
of was tried to bring the woman to con-
sciousness. Water was tri ed, the wo.
mans temples bathed and she was famed
for long time, but the death-like APP
pc arance remained. Her pulse beat faint
ly and her face YVES deashly pale.
Altar some t,;ns fs.s patrol wagon was
sent for and ofioer Emery at once ,iecid-
ed to take the woman to the police sta
tion. she was taken into the wagon and
on the way to the station the officers
stopped at drug store and got little
brandy to see II this stimulant would
net bring her to. When Officer Emery
tried to pour the stimuhnt down the
woman's throat 1t was found that her
teeth were firmly tet and the brandy
could not be administered. Her paleness
had increased and Officer Emery hurried
the the patrol wagon to the station as fast
as possible.
DIR. Hanson was sent fur and at first
he pronounced it to bs case Of an apo
pletic tit. He began the usual methods
of restoring consciousness in fits and
shortly the woman began to regain con-
sclousness DR.. Hanson first asked her
II she lived In South Portland. The pa
tient shook her head. Then the doctor
asked her IL she lived In Portland and
Long island, but each time the woman
shook her head. After few minutes
more of work the woman reached her
hand inside the bosom OF her shirt waist
and took out letter addressed to Mrs.
Martha Pennell, 5s Eighth street. Bos-
ton. She family said: "Don't read 1t
now."
When the woman took the letter from
her dress Night Turnkey Emery saw
what he thought was bottle and quickly
found 1t. 1t was three ounce bottle
with dark brown liquid in the bottom.
Officer Emery uncorked 1t and rut 1t to
his nose.
] "Oplum,' he said. DR.. Hanson took 1t
and pronounced 1t to be laudanum. Hot
coffee was quickly obtained and several
cup fulls poured down the woman's
throat. Ibis made her sick, but 1t snon
brought her to a conscious condition.
Then little by little her cad story was
told to the doctor and the police officers.
The letter addressed 70 Mrs. Martha
renneh nad been opened and said that
the writer was tired of life and had
taken iaudanum 10 end 1t all. Many other
things were toia Dy the woman IN this
ietter, Du1 'ne ponce Wohiu not make the