Omaha daily bee., 1902-04-07
TAKES POISON and FLEES
Bill Hill Vanishes After Drinking Plenty
Of Morphine.
so DECLARES ONE TOM HOOPLER
Police investigate the story and
After n Long Chase Find the
Woman and Try 60
save Her.

Rill Hill, aged 30. who lives in room Il
in the apartment house at 3OS North six
teenth street, drank four ounces Of lauda-
mum at 1 O'Clock yesterday morning and then
ran from her room to escape all attempts
to save her life, II the story Tom Hoopler
told the police is true.
Hoopler is a waiter in the United States
restaurant and lived with the woman.
when he went to room II at 1:l5 O'Clock
this morning the woman was there. He
gave her a flower, when, according to
Hoopler's story, she said:
"You can put this flower on my coffin,
Tom"
HoopIer says she has been talking for
some days about killing herself and that
they have had a number OF q~uarrels. He
says she bought an eight-ounce bottle OF
some dark liquid and, although he says he
saw the bottle, she kept 1t hidden from
him. This was several days ago, and as
nothing happened and she appeared to re-
cover from her depression he thought she
had given up the idea Of taking her W
life.
At 1:15 O'Clock yesterday morning, Hoopler
SAYS, when he found her in the room, she
had partly disrobed and had taken OF her
shoes. She appeared In physical and mental
ulhIlb = ahh e tsNo 10y 'oAhANN - 49,
appearance. He handed her the flower,
and when she made the remark about plac-
ing 1t on her coffin he says he recalled that
she had the bottle of dark liquid. He asked
her for It. She at first declined to tell him,
but finally showed It to him, with half it's
contents gone. He says she admitted drink
ing it.
II then told her I was going for a doctor, "
saws Hoopler, when she said she was not
going to have a doctor try to save her life.
] didn't answer, but ran down the hallway
and stairs to the street and telephoned to
the police station, saying a woman had tried
to commit suicide, giving the street num-
Der, and asked that a doctor be sent. When
! returned 70 the room she vas gone"
Hoopler then waited at the entrance to
the apartment house until the patrol wagon
arrived with Sergeant Hudson and Police
Surgeon Benawa. They. accompanied by
Hoopler, who appeared to show genuine
interest in aiding the officers, searched the
room. all the Railways, alleys. back yards
and outbuildings in the immediate vicinity,
without finding trace OF the woman. Hoop
Ter said she could not have gone into any
OF the other rooms in the apartment house.
The police believe this, as any one learning
her imposed condition would not have
given her shelter without giving notice Of
the fact.
DR.. Benawa says everything seems to in
dictate that liquid taken was laudanum.
and as the bottle, half filled when Hoopler
last saw It, had also disappeared, she prob
ably carried it with her in her flight.
The woman is 5 feet 8 inches tall, weighs
about 100 pounds, has light complexion,
blue eyes and dark hair.
Al a late hour In the morning the woman
was found by Sergeant hudson wandering
on the street near the corner OF Sixteenth
and Chicago streets. She was taken to the
police station, where she admitted having
drunk morphine in liquid form. She says
the poison sickened her and she threw 1t
up. DR.. Benawa says he believes her life
IL not now in danger.