The Dickinson press., 1904-03-26
TRAGIC. DEATH.
kittis NJ, Wife Of J. c. Buss. lakes Poison
end Eyes Close 10 Death lislf Hour
Later. Causo for Deed Mystery.

kittis NJ. Vito Of J. c. Bass. lakes Poisos
end Eyes Close Ia Death half Hour
Later. Cause for Deed q Mystery.
The people of this city were shocked
on Monday when it was reported thai
Mrs. ]. c. Buss had committed suicide
at her home, the Open A ranch, IS miles
northwest of Dickinson.
The awful tragedy occurred Satur-
day evening, March 10, between 5 ond E
o'clock.
Mrs. Buss had prepared supper a
little early, at Mr.. Buss' request, and the
tamiIy-husband, wife, son and hired
man-sat down as usual. OF what fol-
lowed Mr.. Buss states substantially this:
III tasted of my tea and noticed that it
was bitter and spoke of it to my wife.
She replied that she believed it was all
right. l noticed that the little boy was
distressed and said to his mother that l
believed he was sick to his stomach.
She took him to the door and he seemed
all right when he returned. My wife
stepped pund behind me and replaced
my cup with a clean cup she had taken
from the shelf, filled with fresh tea. l
thought nothing more of the matter, and,
finishing the meal first, sat back to
smoke. Soon Mrs. Buss pushed back
in her chair and. rising to her feet,
staggered onto the bed in the same room.
1t flashed upon me then what she had
done. l rushed to the bed and said,
Kit, did you poison the tea Between
the recurring waves Of pain she said, yes,
John, | poisoned the tea. | wanted to
take you and Wilson 1.-THE little boy) with
me, but l see | have failed l said what
made you do it. She replied that she
wanted to die and that was all the ex-
PLANTATION she gave.
The Hired man became fearful that he
had been poisoned also, but Kit said mo,
Nyberg, l put nothing in your tea.
We used milk and everything at hand
to save Mrs. Buss and l think she really
hoped that we could saw her. Her
jaws were loon set and l think she was
dead in a half hour from the time she
drank her cup of tea. don't think she
ate much, although did not snotice in
particular. She had taken a bath in the
morning and | think the act was pre-
meditated. know no cause for it and
cannot understand it,"
Mr.. Buss rode to the nearest ranch,
the Tippler place, 7 miles distant, and
got Mr.. V~redenberg, an elderly gentle
man, to 60 back with him.
Sunday was a wild, stormy day and
Mr.. Buss did not reach Dickinson until
Monday morning. He returned in the
afternoon, accompanied by Fred Wilson,
own cousin Of deceased.
Alden Eaton, coroner of Billings coun-
ty, was notified, also DR.. c. ]. Siegfriedt
and States Attorney L.. A. Simpson, and
an inquest was held at the ranch Tues.
day afternoon and evening. S. P. Lowery,
w. w. Ackley and Geo. Vredepberg
sitting as jurors. The verdict was that
deceased came to her death by strych-
nine administered by her own hand"
Kittie M. Buss, nee Wilson, was g
year Of age last October. She was born
and reared in Mason City, Iowa, her
parents, Mr.. and Mrs. VIM. Wilson, re-
siding now in S. D.
Deceased was a lady of good educa.
ton, fine address and was much respect
ed by all who knew her. About eight
years ago she was employed in the city
schools in Dickinson and was considered
one of our strongest teachers, and it was
with much reluctance that the board &C.
cepted her resignation after several
years of faithful service.
Deceased was married to ]. c. Buss
six years ago and resided at and near
West Union. Mimi, until last spring
when they moved here. Their child,
William Wilson, was born four years
ago.
Mrs. Buss seemed happy to return to
old acquaintance in North Dakota and
she did not object to ranch life. Her
last visit to Dickinson was In January.
Mrs. Buss was in delicate health and
it had been arranged that she should go
to her mother in June.
On Tuesday Clair Wilson, brother,
and Mrs. Eta Sheldon, sister, OF deceas-
ed, arrived from S. D. The parents, on
getting the awful news. went to Mason
City, Iowa, to the home of another daugh
ter where the funeral party were due to
arrive the evening of March Is.
The remains we're taken from this city
Thursday morning, Fred Wilson accom-
panying the husband and son, and
brother and sister.
The little boy will reside with bis
grand parents in S. D.
Thus in mystery has ended the life Of
one admired by all. No word was left
telling why; no request. 1t was not like
Kittie M. Buss.
D. u. Sullivan, the Fargo optician,
will be in Dickinson again on March %
and 20. 3 I2.3t