The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1904-07-26
IS UNHINCED
BY MORPHINE
INSANE WoMAN's DESPERATE
ATTEMPT AT SUICIDE.
WOUNDS HERSELF TWICE
Fires Couple Of Shots Into Head After
Being Placed in Hospital
Stranger Here.

Stranger Here.
While laboring unGer a temporary
4 attack of mental ALTERATION, Stella
Fitzgerald attempted to commit sui
eide at ST. Vincent's hospital last Sat
urday morning by shooting.
The woman arrived in the city Fri
day night, coming here from Colum-
bus. Where she spent the night could
not be learned, but Saturday morn
I ing Officer Garnant found her wan
dering about the residence portion OF
the city in an aimless manner. No
ticing that something was wrong
with her, the policeman took her to
the station. She claimed to have
| gone to Columbus from Gardiner,
where she said she had been visiting.
I She was almost on the verge OF
nervous collapse and after some ques-
tioning by Chief Morose confessed that
for long time she had been addicted
to the use Of morphine.
Realizing the need of medical atten-
ton, Mr.. Morse notified Doctor Clark,
county physician, who ordered the
woman removed to the hospital and
accompanied her thither.
Shoots Herself Twice.
She was assigned to room and
had barely closed the door ere the
Fdoctor and the others about the place
heard couple of shots. Doctor Clark
hurriedly entered the room and found
the woman with a revolver in her
hand. He at once undertook to dis
arm her, to which she gave vigorous
resistance, all the time trying to use
| the weapon on herself again. The
pistol was finally taken from her and
examination made of the wounds she
had inflicted. Both were in the head,
but neither of the bullets had pene
trated the skull, as the revolver had
| been held in slanting direction.
The scalp was cut length of several
inches in each place.
| The balls were found lodged against
! the skull Both were flattened and
misshapen. They were removed by
the doctor. The pistol was small
one of 32-calibre.
Miss Fitzgerald said her home was
at Council Bluffs, Ia, where her moth
er resides. She had ticket over the
Burlington good for passage to AL
| lance.
!. Charged With insanity.
Yesterday morning Sheriff Hubbard
| filed complaint against the woman
charging her with being an insane
person. A court of lunacy composed
of Chairman Parker of the board OF
county commissioners and Doctors
Lindsey and Baxter was convened to
make inquiry into her sanity.
Because of her condition it was
found impossible to bring the woman
before the commission and part of the
hearing was held in the hospital.
Doctor Clark described her condi-
tion at the time he was called to at
tend her and said that she was in a
highly nervous and excited condition,
and labored under the hallucination
that she heard persons talking about
her. She said they accused her of
being a cocaine fiend," charge she
indignantly denied, but admitted that
she used morphine. After he had
dressed her self-inflicted wounds, the
doctor said, she made attempts to
open them with her fingers and also
tried to enlarge them.
In his opinion the woman was in
sane and an unfit person to be at large.
Sheriff Hubbard also testified. He
said he had seen the woman twice,
both times at the hospital The first
time was last Saturday, when he was
telephoned for, at which time the
nurse in charge said she refused to
remain in bed and he was requested
to bring q straight jacket or. some
other appliance. He took strap
along and advised that she be bound
IL she did not behave herself. The
sight of the strap caused her to be-
come quiet and she told the sheriff
that certain persons were trying to