Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1899-06-22
TOOK HBR OWN LIFE.
MRS. G. N. WELLMAN COMMITS
SUICIDE.
In Her Husbands Absence This
Morning She Drank Carbolic Acid
and Died In q Short Time-Letter
That Was Too Late.

Mrs. G. M. Wellman committed
suicide at her home on North Buckeye
about 7:SO Tuesday a. m. by drinking
AN ounce or ounce and a half OF car
bolic acid. She was dying when dis
covered and nothing could be done to
save her life. She left no explanation
Of the deed so far as known. The
coroner's jury which convened at 10
o'clock, consisting Of H. A. Keve, g.
C. Towner, S. Strohm, G. D. B. Kirk,
H. N. Engle, J. Thayer, found a yer.
dict that "the deceased came to her
death by an overdose Of carbolic acid
administered with suicidal intent by
her own hand"
Mrs. Wellman has worried a great
deal during the past year concerning
the family troubles Of a married
daughter. She has said several times
that she was tired Of life. Four
montbsago her little grandson, Les.
lie Jones, aged 8 years, who lived
with them, told Mr.. Wellman that
she had threatened to take her life
with a razor. Mr.. Wellman there.
after carried the razor until four
weeks ago. Monday she seemed
brighter than usual, did a washing
and sat on the porch talking until
$50 D. m. She arose about $50
and got breakfast for her husband
who as usual went to his store about
6 o'clock. About 7:45 the grandson
came to the store saying his grand
mother had sent him down town.
Mr.. Wellman gave him two letters,
one from . son and one from daugh-
ter, and sent him back. By a strange
coincidence the daughters letter told
Of the end OF her troubles and OF hap
piness in her home-a message that
had it reached the mother an hour
earlier would probably have made life
seem worth living and prevented the
terrible deed.
When the boy reached the house
he found his grandmother on the bed
room floor gasping for breath and
her throat bleeding from gashes. DR..
J. L. Short living next door came
quickly but it was too late and soon
death came. The gashes on her
throat had been made with the razor
but were not deep enough to cause
death or even great danger. The
largest was perhaps one.fourth inch
deep and two inches long. The
others we're only skin deep. The
carbolic acid had been in the house
for year, having been purchased to
kill vermin. The grandson says that
before be left he saw Mrs. Wellman
sitting on her husbands bed with the
bottle in her hand. When she was
discovered she put the bottle away
and then sent him down town. 1t is
she drank the poison, then
used the razor to make sure OF death.
Mrs. Wellman's maiden name was
Mary T. Martin and she was born in
St. Joseph. Mo-, in 1850. She was
there in 1866 and moved
with her husband to several places,
coming to Abilene lS years ago from
Hiawatha where Mr.. Wellman was
editor OF the Herald and World for
'ix years. She was member OF the
church, a generous,
Iarge-hearted woman, kind wife and
mother and one for whom many
friends will mourn. Besides the be-
.eaved husband she leaves three chill.
lren: Mrs. R. N. Jones Of Kansas
City, Mrs. Chas. W. Goff Of Denver,
Harry Wellmsn Of Battle Lake, Wyo.
All but the last we're here to attend
he funeral. He is six days from the
and cannot reach here.
Funeral services from the house at
p. m. Wednesday, Rev. W. A.
,ro wford officiaied