The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1904-05-24
MRS. MAY CARRINGTON'S EXCUSE
FOR SUICIDE.
The WEAPON USED
Despondent Woman Places Revolver
Against Her Breast and Ends
Earthly Troubles.

80
way and bring relief from a burden
that had grown irksome, has ended
the earthly SPAN and unsummoned
entered into the great hereafter. A
spasmodic c%lutching of a revolver, a
slight touch on the trigger and al!
was yer. The soul of May Darlington
was free from the earthly tenement
it had inhabited for about 40 years.
The deed was committed Friday
night at about midnight and the shot
that ended the woman's life was heard
by several persons, but none paid auy
heed to it, as noises of that kind are
not uncommon. An hour or so after
ward the dead body was discovered
by a couple of men and the truth be-
came known.
Mrs, Darlington was a widow who
roomed in the lodging house OF Mrs.
Kyes, in the alley between First and
Second avenues, south, and Twenty
seventh and Twentyeighth streets, be-
ing an annex to the larger and more
pretentioUs place conducted by the
same lady in Twenty-eighth street.
The room occupied by the woman is
in the second story.
The Supposed Cause.
Although no n seems to know the
reason Mrs. Darlington had for taking
her W life, the supposition is that
she dreaded appearance at the hear
ing of a man whose arrest she had
caused for seduction. May 9 she APP
peared before the county attorney and
complained that James Turner had
betrayed her. On the strength of her
statement Mr.. Harris caused a COM
plaint to be filed against Turner. To
this the woman swore and a warrant
for Turner's arrest was issued out OF
Justice Fraser's court. Turner was
lowed in Custer county, about Is miles
from Miles City. Last week he was
brought by Sheriff Hubbard and
placed in Jail. 1t is now believed that
she feared the ordeal of taking the
witness stand against her alleged be-
tive. But this is only superstition.
The matter seemed to weigh heavily
on he mind, as she repeatedly spoke
OF 1T to other women and was seen
to cry a great deal, but at no time
did she give any animation of having
any designs on her own life and it was
mot until she was found dead that
any one had any idea that such a
thing as suicide had ever entered her
thoughts.
Body Is Found.
About 1 O'Clock Saturday morning
E. ]. helms and Ray Heare, young
men rcOming in the house, thought
they smelled powder smoke in the
hail and began an investigation. The
odor seemed to be strongest near the
room occupied by Mrs. Darlington and
they entered it. No sooner had they
crossed the threshold ere they saw
the body of a woman lying ON the
floor in front of the bed, face down.
From the position of THE remains 1t
appeared as though the woman had
sat on the edge of the bed when she
fired the shot that gave end to her
troubles. A revolver, 32-calibre, was
lying near the body. Directly over the
heart was a bullet wound.
A messenger was sent for Doctor
Cliff Lindsey, who arrived an half
hour later. He found that his services
were not required and in turn notified
Doctor Rinehart, the who
took charge of the remains and sum-
mcned a jury.
The Inquest.
"A note left by the dead woman was
found. It was addressed to the county
attorney. In it the woman said her
heart was sore, but that she was mot
afraid to fact the music" She ex-
pressed the wish that James Turner's
tongue might become paralyzed, so
that he could never speak to her or
any other woman.
The revolver with which the deed
was committed was bought Friday
evening at about half-past six from
D. G. Young's secondhand store.
Beside the note to Mr.. Harris there
was another giving the address of the
dead woman's daughter, Mrs. D. A..
Queen, 10 Cutler street, Helena, and
a son, Arthur Darlington, Miles City.
The jury returned "a verdict of
death from a gunshot wound, inflicted
with suicidal intent.
Tried 1t Once Before.
About a year ago, it is said, Mrs.
C%arringtcn attempted self-destruction.
On that occasion she took a dose of
laudanum, but because of the guam.
Lity taken she became sick at the
stomach and vomited up the poison.
The only results attending the attempt
was to make the woman deathly sick
| for a while.