Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1902-09-09
HAS ln.lUCbIER HERE
Woman Who -Attempted Suicide,
Mother Of Mrs. B. B. Emery.
HOPES FOR RECOVERY ENTERTAINED
Mr.. and Mrs. J. .. Taylor, Couple Who
Tried to End Their Lives Yesterday
by Leaving Gas Turned on Recently
Visited F,ere-Man Is Dead.

Mrs. j. d. Taylor, the woman who
with her husband attempted suicide
yesterday in Des Moines by turning on
the gas and lying down to await death,
is the mother of Mrs. Bert B. Emery,
who resides at 1887 East Main street.
Eha couple visited in Ottumwa recent
~ for two weeks, leaving last Friday
for Des Moines where they took rooms
in a boarding house at 202 Eighth
styeet. At noon yesterday when they
were found in their room, Mr. Taylor
was stone dead and his wife was in
critical condition but it is thought she
will recover. Letters were left ex-
tated suicide, and directions were
given for the disposition of the re-
mains and stating the cause of the
rash, act. Mrs. Emery left for Des
Moines today.
The names of the couple were given
last night in the Courier as Mr.. and
Mrs. J. D. Moore. Two kilograms
were received yesterday at the Courier
Office, one giving the name as Moore
and the other as Taylor, but commune
cation with Des Moines substantiated
the statement that the former name
was correct. Information received to-
day, however, discloses the fact that
this was an error and that the true
name was Taylor.
Visited in ottumWa.
Mrs. Emery when seen by Courier
reporter this morning, stated that her
mother had been married twice and
that the man who so sadly ended his
life yesterday was her stepfather She
stated that the couple formerly resid-
ed at Richmond Ind, but had moved
to Iowa recently with the intention of
locating in this state. "They came
from Richmond to Ottumwa three
weeks ago." said Mrs. Emery, and Wis
tied at my home until last Friday
when they went to Des Moines to Wis
1t Mr.. Taylor's son, Al Taylor. They
lived in Des Moines before moving to
Indiana, and intended to again make
their home in that CITY," 1t has since
developed however, that the son they
went to visit was not in Des Moines
but was working with a threshing
gang at Thompson. This disappoint-
ment, it is thought, was another cause
for the fatal act.
Found by Messenger Boy.
It is supposed that MIR. and Mrs.
Taylor made their plans for ending
tneir lives Wednesday night. They
retired early and little attention was
paid to them. Yesterday morning
they did not appear but the landlady
concluded that they had oversight and
made no effort to awaken them.
Found by Messenger Boy.
The fact that something was wrong
in the room occupied by Mr.. and Mrs.
Taylor was ascertained about l o'clock
when a messenger boy called at their
room with letter.
He found the door locked, and al
though he raped repeatedly he got
no response. Mrs. Elan, the occupant
of the house, was then notified and an
other attempt was made to induce Mr..
and Mrs. Taylor to open their door.
Again there was no response in spite
of repeated knockings, and it was fin
ally decided to notify the police.
An officer was called and arrived
soon after. He pounded at the door
vigorously with his baton and getting
no response forced the lock with his
shoulder.
Mr.. and Mrs. Taylor were found ~
ing on the bed, partially dressed. The
man was dead, but the woman was
still breathing family. Hanging from
the gas jet just above the bed was q
piece of white rubber hose, which
hung down SO that the end lay on the
bed clothes just few inches from the
faces of the sleepers.
The room was full Of gas so that the
means by which the couple sought tt
achieve their act of self-destructior
was easily apparent.