The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-06-08
LONGED FOR DEATH
Remorse Drives Jennie Hook
er to Commit Suicide.
BULLET IN LEFT BREAST
Retains Consciousness = tx
tent of Wound Not Known.

Jennie Hooker. an abandoned girl, at
tempted suicide yesterday afternoon at
40 o'clock az the rooming houes Of Mrs.
Shirley, 354 North Main street. by shoot
ing herself n the left breast. The at
tempt was very unsuccessful and at a
late hour last night she was still living
and It is probable that she will recover
Dependency, induced by poverty, was the
cause Of the rash act.
Jennie Hooker comes from a respect
abe Wichita family and was born and
raised in the city, having received her
education in the public schools She was
a respected girl and was liked by those
who knew her until several years ago
when she became degraded. 4 young man
who lives in the city at present is said
TO be the cause Of her downfall After
this she was deserted by her paramoUr
and she was sent TO the industrial school
at BeIoit for some time. The name OF
her seducer never became know and
while she was publicly disgraced. his
name remains On the society rolls publicly
untarnished and Unattacke1-
About a month ago the girl went 10
Mrs. ShirIey's and obtained a room. She
was practically without money and her
folks thought she was working some
where. Mrs Shirley said she noticed no
signs Of dependency and she was in her
usual good spirits. but her lurking de
sire 10 end 4 miserable existence was
covered completely Up and it IS probable
that she has contemplated seIf-destruc-
ton for some time.
Yesterday morning however, Mrs. Stir
ley observed that she was not acting as
usual Something seemed to being weigh
ing heavily upon her mind She wanted
to 90 10 Hutchinson % stay with a
teacher Who had became attached to her
while al the industrial school. but she
did not have the money to pay her room
rent She LETT the house about g o'clock
and applied 10 Chief Crbbcn. 70 whom she
un1oided her past life. Being yet young
woman and not yet too late TO turn back.
the chief advised her 10 discontinue her
present mode OF living and lead a better
life.
Afterwards she went to Musselman's
bicycle store and purchased a small %
cali5re revolver and 4 package Of cart
ridges She asked one Of the clerks TO
'fll the chambers. which he did, and she
left the store without taking the re-
InaiEdor OF the cartridges. One OF the
other clerks asked her II she would not
take the Others bat she REPLIED:
No -rhese VIII be ali that 7 VIII need"
About 5 o'clock the sirl returned 10 Mrs.
shiriey's- Precipitation showed that she
had been walking fast She did not az
pear to be nervous Going 70 her room
she took bath and reappeared in the
parlor- A few minutes later she went TO
a room in another part of the house. She
had not been absent I'VE minutes before
the report Of a revolver rang through
the halls Of the house.
Mrs. Shirley and The hired girl rushed
TO the room and found the woman lying
or the floor. partially disrobed. with
blood issuing from 4 wound in the breast.
The revolver was lying under the bed,
where the desperate girl had thrown It
after firing the shot. Upon entering the
room Mrs. Shirley was greeted with this
exclamation:
Let me have the revolver; I want to
XIII my self
She had realized that the attempt was
without success, but she was too weak to
recover the weapon before assistance ar
rived The wound in the breast did not
produce UuConsciousnesz
The police department was notified Of
the would-be suicides actions and she
vas removed to the Wichita hospital DR.
Jordan was called in ard examined the
wound The bali ranged downward and
Tenetra'ad the lungs, partially rendering
her poweyiess q speech. Owing 20 the
caHbre o. the BAH the wound IS not
thought To be necessarily fatal unless
death is caused 10y internal. henhoTrages. /
She was resting easy al ! o'clock this
However, ali attempts to locate tha ban
have been unsuccessful and the ahysi-
clans Will probe again tsis .DornluS.
Considerable mystery appears 10 sur
round the exact age Of the girl She
TO MIS-. Shirley thac she was
q years old. but others who know her
snl went 10 school with her say she can /
not be more than It or Is Before she /
deci6cd . take the fatal step she wrote 2
letter - young man in this city who.
il is claimed was her lover but This lct-
ter was not ohtaina5le. L Is asserted that /
its contents were of a despondert nature. /
and gave her reasons for craving death. /
The ease il in the hands Of the officers Z
and the real cause ~ the assault upon her f
own life viii probably present itself in .
future Developments.