The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-12-21

commit suicide together. We viii find
the means and end il all. for could not
stand it 10 have you away from me Let's
turn on the gas now: there Is gas in tbs
house. I had always tried 70 dissuad,
her from such rash intentions. Dut a
last I decided it would be best for botl
of Us go out of the world together
IF she had refused 10 commit suicide
with me in Philadelphia, I should hav,
thrown the revolver at her feet and left
her forever. / did NOT wait in her room
that night 10 kill her but it was my in
tentfon to ask her 10 accompany me L
ny room al Green's and then TO commit
suicide with me"
He related how he went to her board
ing house on the fatal night. The rest
Of the story is in his own words.
Il got my supper at Green's and
about $50 1 went 70 the house on Vine
street and went up TO her room, open
ing the street door with the key I had
found in her room I found her room
door locked. wondered what way
could get in / found rope in Elliott
room. which was open and which was
situated on the noorSabove The rope
was in the bureau drawer 7 tied the
rope To the shutter hinge and let myself
down hand over hand and entered her
room in that way. l pulled down the
blinds as / had found them and waited
| cut the rope off, threy it down beside
/ the window. ! did not take this rope there
as Il means OF escape. Then 1 saw some
people out in the middle of the road. ]
went down into the street and met her.
She said: Why Barry,
4 said: I have caught you red-hand-
! ed and she said, You have not; what
do you mean?' / said You have been
/ false to me since the beginning Of APP
Fearing with this company. I was warn
ed that it might be so. and / find il is
/ so. She said Barry, YOU are mistaken;
/ take me somewhere and let me explain.
/ said. Come on. then, and we started
down street below the house. She
said. You are crazy; YOU are i'll; YOU
are not yourself ] said to her, You
have often proposed that We should die
together Vow. here is your pistol and
here is mine"
II had two siX-shoOters ] had bought
al No. POI Eighth avenue. New York.
for which paid the enormous sum of
$3.50, with a box of cartridges. l thrust
the revolver into her hand and said
Take it. She said: 10. 1 won't take it,
Barry. / said: Take it quick; you are
70 good. anyway.
She grabbed the revolver out of my
hand and pulled the trigger, and the
bullet entered my left breast below the
nipple. / felt pain there immediately.
shot at her and she fell down scream
ing ! can't say whether l shot at her
two or three times after she shot ne.
/ think I shot her once in the lower part
of the body. l then fell into the arms Of
sergeant of police. and she was taken
enc way and ] another. ] did not shoot
myself nor did l try 10 commit suicide
She snatched the pistol from me and shot
me. ] had never had revolver in my
hand but few times in my life. l gave
her The revolver had in my right-hand
overcoat pocket
She said as / gave it: My God, What
dc YOU mean? Do you tnlnk I'm a fool?
7 said. I mean business this time Then
she grabbed the pistol from me. [ think
some cartridges fell from it, but J am
1
sounded like it. She fired when she was
standing near me The other pistol was
ir my pocket when she fired ] hadn't
had time to take it out when she shot me
I then shot her as 1 have stated. 1 did
rot intend to shoot her myself. 1 had no
thought OF murder but l had intended a
double suicide. She had often proposed
that we commit suicide together but she
was false to the pact Of death.
The cause of this terrible tragedy by
which two lives were blotted out was
Unquestionably the effects of absinthe
tombstone stated to me in his dying CON
fession that Kate Hassett was a con-
1rmed absintheur and that she had ac-
ouired the habit through her acquaint-
ance with d lawyer i'm Chicago. He de
cared that he had never drank any Of
it liz his life until the time when the
Modjeska Company was in eNw Orleans
in March 1907 1t was there that Kate
Hassett introduced" the drink 20 him.
To use his own expression; she was at
it of and on and acquired a thirst FOR
it, I got into the habit OF drinking it
through her. l took q good many drinks
Of it. and in Philadelphia. ] drank alb
snthe at Green ;. at the Walton and at
cheap place on the corner of Ninth and
Rice streets. I have drank a good deal
OF it ana seemed TO require &c. / couldn't
stop drinking it,.
Or. \. r. Grain. Of No. Is West Eighty
second street. one Of the leading physi-
clans of the city. informs me that il
tombstone acquired the absinthe habit
only in March last that it would give
him sufficient time for the subtle poison
to undermine his health and reason. and
20 create an almost irresistible desire to
commit suicide
Then The veil Of mystery surrounding
the Philadelphia tragedy was lifted by
tombstone on his deathbed. NORWOOD
absinthe was the cause The absinthe
habit which he acquired through his
association with Kate Hassett undoubt-
edIy led him to decide uron q suicide
His purchase ~ Two reviewers confirms
his statement To me that he had intend
ed q dual suicide and not "a murder. Tn
lis confession he stated. i had no in
te1tion Of shooting her. ] was going 10
shoot myself and she was going &c shoot
herself" lie denied emrhatically that he
had ever used cocaine, morphine OF any
other drug Of that character.
II was Barr Johnstoue's confessor. lie
had refused 10 s2y "a word about the
tragedy TO the members Of his family
He was waiting Tor ms arrival His life
was spared Just long enough TO make
The statement 20 me. and I have given
the exact facts as ] learned them to tbs
world ] do not seek 70 pialliate his Of
lenses He has gone 20 answer them 10
he Judge ~ the Quick and the Dead.