The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-08-09
Sophie Harding Takes Poison
With Suicidal Intent.
House on Fire While Doctors
Are Busy.
LEAVE THEIR PATIENT.
Extinguish the Flames and
Save the Young Woman.
Then Are Called Upon to Stop
q Runaway.

Because she was respondent Sophie
Harding took laudanum Wednesday
evening about $50 o'clock in hopes that
her life would end.
But it did not end and the excitement
of a fire and a runaway besides a storn-
ach pump had a good deal to do with
the saving of her life.
Sophie Harding was Respondent Why
she was Respondent she has not told,
but she decided to end what seemed
like a gloomy life. She lives on Mon
roe street between Eleventh and
Twelfth streets. About o'clock she
gave an old colored woman some mon
ey and told her to go to the drug store
near Thirteenth street and Kansas ave
nue. and get some laudanum. She SAID
she wanted to use the drug in washlng
her hair. The old woman got the halr
ounce of poison and returned TO lhe
house. Then Sophie Harding took the
dose That was the beginning of an
exciting time IN the house and nelgh-
borhood. 1t was not long after she nae
swallowed the contents of the vial that
she showed the effects Her mother
discovered that she had taken poison.
Dr. H b. HogebOOm was called. He
took with him Frank Walker to assist
in administering the antldOteS ana
emetics They found the young lady
in a stupor. After working with her
for several minutes the doctor told the
girls mother to make a cup OF StfDHS
coffee. The mother went to the Kitchen
The gasoline stove had been dripping
She struck a match to light the burner
and the gasoline which had dripped
caught fire and in an instant the en-
tire room was ablaze-
The mother screamed and DR.. HOge-
boom and Walker left their patient to
put out the fire The physician thought
q little excitement would be good for
his patient. but he thought that to call
the fire department. with the ringing
Of bells and the crowd that would come
would be too much. So he and Walker
fought the fire. The doctor grabbed an
ironing board and Walker got a pillow
The curtains to the windows We're
burning. They were torn down and
the fire tramped out. Walker beat the
flames with the pillow and the doctor
used the ironing board to beat out the
fire. The fire seemed to be gaining, but
the volunteer firemen fought with re-
newed energy and in a few minutes had
the fire under control and with few
more slaps of the ironing board and the
pillow and q dash Of water here and
there the last spark was extinguished.
DR.. HOgehOOm and his assistant re-
turned to their patient. The excite
ment had revived her somewhat The
cup Of coffee was made at last The
patient drank it and was better. The
patient was surely recovering. Just
then a great noise was heard in the
street. The doctor looked out of the
coming down Monroe street. He made
a dash for the door. Walker followed
him. Again the patient was deserted
The doctor ran to one side of the
street and Walker took the other. On
came the team with a heavy wagon
rafting at their heels and urging them
on AS the team neared them the two
men in the street braced themselves
for the crucial test. At the same
time they sprang for the horses, grab
bed their brides and swung them in
the fence directly in front of the Hard
ing house. There was a crash and a
cloud of dust
When the dust cleared away the
horses. the fence and the wagon were
in heap on the sidewalk in front of
the house. The runaway was stopped.
Some people came running up and took
charge of the team. The doctor and his
assistant returned to the house The
excitement had thoroughly aroused
their patient and her life was saved.