Amador ledger., 1904-01-29
A DETERMINED SUICIDE.
Katie Thompson Takes Fatal Dose of
Carbolic Acid.

Miss Katie Thompson committed
suicide early Sunday morning at the
residence of her sister, Mrs. Williams,
on Water street, jackson, by swallow
ing large quantity of carbolic acid.
The young lady was cripple from
childhood. She was able to get around,
and hired out as nurse whenever she
could. 1t was pitiful to see her walk,
and there was no hope of any improve
ment. She came here from Seattle a
few years ago, and we are informed she
had made one or two previous attempts
to end her life before coming to Jack
son. Within the last few days she had
complained of sickness, and appeared
more than usually respondent. Indeed
she had intimated to a neighbor that
she felt like ending it all. That she
had contemplated suicide for long
time is evident from the fact that the
poison had been in her possession for a
number of months. She waited on
Thos. Greenhalgh during his last ill
ness, and she had occasion to get two
ounce vial OF carbolic acid. One half of
it was used; the remaining half is be-
lieved to have remained in her posses
sion ever since, and was the means of
her taking off. On the fatal morning
she got up about seven o'clock. Mrs.
Williams was preparing the breakfast.
Miss Thompson came down from her
room, and took seat in the room
where her sister was at work. At
| length Mrs. Williams was attracted by
gurgling sound, and looking up, at
once saw that something serious was
the matter. Miss Thompson had
swallowed the entire contents of the
vial of acid. The fiery fluid had scOrched
her mouth, and left its mark upon her
chin and throat where it had trickled.
| She was unable to speak and it is prob
able that she was unconscious from al
most the moment that she swallowed
the draught. Medical aid was sent for
at once. Drs. Phillips and Schacht
were on hand within quarter of an
hour, but it was too late to avert fatal
termination. The victim left no note
to throw any light on the tragedy.
The cause was evidently a respondent
frame of mind, owing to her lifelong
deformity. Her friends had noticed
SOm0 GlIH6 ago G00 DObGl0 COD tanning
the poison. and thinking she had self
destruction in mind removed the bottle
This she at once noticed, and demand
ed the restoration of the bottle, and it
was surrendered. This was some time
ago, and the deceased must have hid
den the acid away from that time, as
those in the house never saw it until
the fatal morning.
Coroner Huberty held an inquest the
same day, with the following named
persons empaneled as a jury: E. w.
Kelley, J. F. Mora, B. F. Gilbert, w.
H. Carley, w. j. Love, C. Nj. Meek,
Frank Burgin, j. r. Small6eld, l..
! Vandament, c.. F. KOchler and ]. Bar
ton. The above facts were elected at
the inquisition. The only witnesses
examined were DR.. B. Il. Schacht and
Mrs. Emma Williams. The jury re-
turned verdict of death by carbolic
acid poisoning, administered by her
own hand.
Miss Thompson was born at Mokel-
umne Hill. Her parents are both dead;
the mother being buried at the Hill,
and her father at San Andreas. She
lived in Jackson several years ago, but
was away in Washington for some
years, and returned to Jackson from
that state about two years ago.
The funeral took place Tuesday, and
was largely attended, the remains be-
ing Inferred in the protestant cemetery.