The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-09-07
HOUNSOM VERDICT
Jury Says That She Committed
Suicide.
Evidently Believed She Crushed
Her Own Skull.
THERE WAS MURDER.
That is the Belief of Coroner
HOgebOOm.
Nothing Yet Done to Find Per-
n
THERE WAS MURDER.
Nothing Yet Done to Find Per-
petratOr of Crime.


lowing facts with reference TO the
death Of Miss Eolah Hounsom. which
occurred early Friday morning
Her body was found in bed carefully
covered with heavy clothing
The position of the body indicated
that it had been carefully covered
The body was lying on its back
The side OF the skull had been
crushed
The house had evidently been set on
fire in dozen places.
She wrote a letter the day before her
death in which she said nothing OF
self destruction, but appeared TO be as
cheerful usual
She made arrangements to have her
COW cared for by her brother until she
Supporting the suicide theory are the
The woman left her money and val
uables with a neighbor, saying she
feared she would lose them when she
There were labels on some of the
boxes telling to whom the triukets
should be given.
The woman was friendless.
She left an ak left in her care with
a neighbor, with instructions that II
should be given to the person to whom
it belonged.
she had not secured a house into
which she intended to move-so far as
In face of all these facts the coroner's
Jury brought in a verdict late frlusS
afternoon that EOlah 6ounSoIn caIA'S -
her death by suicide
The verdict was reached by ordl-
nary coroner's jury, and does not enc
the suspicious Of murder. Wheh 1ne
Jury retired to deliberate three StOou ~
favor OF a verdict Of murder ana lnIee
for a verdict of suicide It took but
few minutes for the six jurymen TO De
eide on a verdict Of suicide ana they
handed the following to Coroner Hose-
boom: .4.
"Eolah A. Hounsom came to her death
nv the burning Of a building In when
she lived and we believe, from the cyl
ence. that the building was set ON nre
by herself with suicidal intent. tSlgneul
L. NJ. Garter. H J. Bevele, n A. [ 5IIsi
! gins j. NJ Holt, M W. Sa1to&A anu " ~
liam Switzer-
On. H. B. Hogeboorn, the county eor0-
ner who made an investigation OF the
death of Miss Hounsom Friday morn
ing, does not accept the verolcl- 49,
er do the people living in the nelghoor-
| hood of Crane and Klein streets, where
4 the woman was burned to death. believe
/ that she took her own life
1.-THE verdict of suicide does not salts
fv me" said Dr. Hogeboom. To be
| sure there are several circumstances
that point toward suicide but there are
| others that give every evidence on louA
| plav The nature of the wound, the po-
! sition in which the body was found IN
! +ba he'd the demeanor of the woman
lust previous to her death do not, 20 nay
| mind. bear out the theory of suicide Dut
do indicate that she was rouly oeall
| with I think there is chAnce Loh
work to be done by the officers and de-
fecttves in clearing up this mystery.
Mrs. Amy Ottinger, of 307 Chandler
street who was entrusted with the
money and trinkets by MISS dounSoil
testified as follows before the coroner ,
"HTiss T4ounson came to my house
on the afternoon before the fire between
and 5 o'clock She seemed to De ln
good spirits and handing me box
said: Amy, here are some little
trinkets and some money, want you
TO keep them for me while l am NOV
ing She gave me two boxes O "
didn't open either of them said MIS-
Coroner Hogeboom opened the boxes
and one contained a few little trlnkets
including the $50 in cash. Inc oShsA W. W.
contained some old letters and a note
which read: Amy, the money is yours
Don't let anyone have it. Send the
other things to Ota, II AWNING ,Ilt ss,I nap
Frank Dyche, a negro laborer, Whe
was working about the house, test1nee
that he had last seen MISS houll'
som at her house at about o'cloch
Thursday evening when he quit work
He said: Il told her that l would leaV'
my axe inside the screen of her mouse
until I came back to work the mex
morning She said it would be all right
she added: IF I am not here in tbs
morning you will find your axe at tn
neighbors next door" Dyche testitief
that lie found his axe at the neigh
bors. where the dead woman had saiC
She would leave it, This was the only
evidence that would lead to the belle
of suicide.
Elmer 3. Hounsom, brother of TIT
dead woman, was placed the wit
ness stand He did not seem to be il
the least disturbe over the sad dealt
of his sister. and his testimony was al
endeavor to show that his sister wa
partially demented. He was the onl.
person who testified that Miss Houn
som was demented- He testified tina
he did not see his sister very often H
I said: Il saw her once in a while jus
: as I passed by the house She wa
not in the habit of calling at my house