Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1901-06-04
TOOK HER own LIFE
Mrs. e. j. Parnell Puts an End to
Her Existence.
THE RESULT OF A DERANGED MIND
Unfortunate Woman Had Been De.
mented for Some Time and Recently
Became Worse-First Attempt to
Commit Suicide Unsuccessful.
From Mondays Daily.

From Mondays Daily.
Sorrow over the supposed loss of her
eighteen year old son, added to the
already deranged state of mind of Mrs.
e. ]. Parnell, caused her to commit
suicide at her home in Central Addi-
ton in this city yesterday afternoon.
Sending her two children on an errand
and thereby relieving her for a few
minutes of all company, she took the
opportunity to end her life, as she had
often threatened to do, and when the
little girls returned after few min
l,tes absence, they discovered the dead
body of their mother hanging by a
rope to the rafters of the one-room
house in which the family resided.
Had Been Demented.
Mrs. Parnell was hard working
woman, the wife of poor laborer,
and about two years ago she became
insane. She was for some months an
inmate of the asylum at Mt. Pleasant,
and was discharged as cured. She re-
turned to Ottumwa, and lived with her
family, seemingly as sound of mind as
before her first trouble. All went well
until about three months ago, when
her son, Roy, enlisted in the United
States cavalry, and left home, going
to Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. At this
the mind of the mother gave away, and
she fancied that her boy had gone for
ever. She became insane a second
time, and declared that she would end
her life.
~ First Attempt Unsuccessful.
Her condition became worse and
worse and when the family removed
to Buxton, small mining town near
Abba. where the husband and father
had secured work, she grasped the
first opportunity that presented itself.
New houses were being built, and els
tiers were constructed and left open.
One day Mrs. Parnell, eluding her two
daughters who were watching her
while her husband was at work, ran
out of the house and leaped into one
of the cisterns in an attempt to put an
end to her existence.
Family Returns to ottumwa.
The first attempt to take her life
was thwarted by the timely interven-
ton of neighbors, but her husband,
fearful lest second time would prove
fatal returned to this city. and to the
house at the corner of Mclean and
Catherine Streets in Central Addition,
where the family had formerly resid-
ed, and where the unfortunate woman
finally committed suicide yesterday.
She had been a partial invalid since
the event at Buxton, when she injured
one of her limbs.
Son Comes Home.
Soon after returning to Ottumwa, a
petition which was circulated among
the neighbors was successful in secur-
ing the discharge of her son from the
army and he returned home about a
month ago. 1t was hoped that this
would make well the diseased mind
of the sorrowing mother, but the hopes
were in vain, for she failed to recog.
nize him and paid little attention to
his homecoming.
Condition Grows Worse.
Her condition remained unimproved
and constant watch was kept on her
movements, lest she try again to put
an end to her existence, There was
hardly moment sleeping or waking,
when there were not some of her rela-
tives near her. But yesterday the
vigil was discontinued for short time,
and she Immediately took advantage
of the occasion. Her sister.in-law
Mrs. G. T. Swearingen, who lives next