Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1904-12-10
SECOND SUICIDE.
Mrs. Charles McIlwain Ends Her Life
With Carbolic Acid Two Days
After Her Husbands Death.

Clementine Leona Virginia Cameron.
McIlwain, widow Of Charles MeIlwain
who last Tuesday committed suicide in
Matte Hutchins' lodging house by TAX
ing carbolic acid in the presence of
his wife, has followed her husband to
the great beyond, killing herself in the
back room of Cooper's Is Council saloon,
with the same deadly poison that was
used by her unhappy husband. Sever
al times before has the young woman,
who has just passed the age of %,
tried to end her life, but has been
thwarted in the attempt each time pre-
viously, but her failures before en-
abled her to make the thing sure this
time, and she swallowed the greater
portion of an ounce bottle Of carbolic
acid.
Mr.. Cooper, who waited on her, when
she came into the saloon, gave Jour
nal reporter the following account of
what happened in the saloon; She
came into the back room about $3.50
o clock the first time, and ordered sew
eral drinks, and while l was waiting on
her l noticed that she seemed blue and
downcast, and asked her what was the
matter. She told me that she didn t
have anything to live for, and that she
was, going to kill herself, but she has
made threats of that kind so often
that supposed she was joking, and be-
gan to laugh at her. She staid in the
room about an hour and half, and
when she left she again said she had
the poison in her room, and was going
ND to write letter and take the acid,
and that by Sunday night she would be
where Charlie was. She appeared to be
so much in earnest that, although /
still thought she was just joking, L
thought that possibly she might get to
thinking about her troubles, and make
another attempt, for il is well-known
fact that she has tried to kill herself
several times, and so / called Officers
Lewis and Murphy, and told them
about it, but they knew that she had
talked that most of the time, and said
there was no use to pay any attention
to it.
"In about 80 minutes the bell in the
box rang, and 1 went in to get the Or
der, and it was McMcIlwain again,
who ordered a whiskey. went out to
get the drink, and when / returned she
threw letter on the floor, saying; i
intend to kill myself in this room. That
will tell it ALL picked up the letter
and stuck it in my pocket, and sat
down on the sofa and began to talk
10 her, asking her what she meant by
taking about killing herself all of the
time, and she replied that she wanted
10 90 where Charlie was, and that she
lidn't have anything left to live for,
but by this time she was becoming SO
excited that 1 began TO get scared,
and started to search her, to see II she
really did have the poison, when she
ierked away from me, ran to the door
and stepped out into the passage way.
/ followed her closely, and, as stepped
mt of the room, she turned as though |
to re-enter, and with her back toward
me. snatched a vial from the bosom of
her dress, and drinking. the contents
threw the empty bottle into the corner
of the room before l could reach her,
and then cast herself face downwards
an the sofa. / ran to where she was
living, not even then fully realizing
what she had DONE but when l turned
her over her lips showed where they
had come in contact with the acid, and
/ Immediately forced the whiskey down
her throat, and sent for oil, but one
drink was all that she could take, and
when more whiskey was forced be-
tween her teeth she could not swel-
low.
She took the poison at lO'so o clock
and inside Of 10 minutes DIR. Byrd had
been found, and was in attendance, but
he was too late, although he said II
thev had been able TO force pint OF
whiskey down her there would have
been slight chance of saving her. The
doctor said that she lived longer, after
taking the poison, than any one he had
ever seen, as she took it at 1880
o clock, and did not die until the
stroke of 10. She was unconscious af-
ter the first two or three minutes, and
did not seem TO suffer any pain what
ever.
The poison with which the deed was
committed was purchased at local
drug store yesterday morning by a
Young man whose name could not be
learned, who, after he had bought it,
made the statement that it was for
Mrs. MeIlwain. The deed was un-
doubtedly premeditated, for at p