Weekly Arizona journal-miner. [volume] (Prescott, Ariz.) 1903-1908, 1906-03-28
ruRPENTINE- SOAP sEDATIvE
WAS FATAL.
(fron Fridays Daily

\ |
woman who died in n tragic manner
at the insane asylum, being sufrocated
by turpcntine fumes administered by
Miss Halle jerks, an attendant, who
is now under arrest charged with man
slaughter.
| At the inquest the most importan,
feature was the introduction Of a sign
ed statement Of the killing made by
Miss jerks TO the board of control. In
this statement she says that she had
been kicked and beaten by the Jones
woman and threatened with death.
She was in her cell making dis.
,urbance and refused to be quoted, |
when Miss jerks went to the medicine |
chest and took thercfrom four ounce |
bottle of spirits Of turpentinc, and
poured some of il over n cloth and put
put il over the Jones woman = face.
After a moment she asked the pa
tient II she would stop, but the patient
again began threatening her and rails
ing a disturbance. She then applied
. more Of the turpcntine, and held it un'
I'll the woman became limp.
Miss jerks admits that she was In
passion when she did the deed, but
asks supt. Ward in the statement To
be Icnient with her because of her past
good record.
The steward and others testified
- that she had dashed water In The
Jones woman's face and used other
y means Of attempting 10 revive her we
tim pending the arrival of n doctor
All who knew her testified to her
former faithfulncss To her duties and
Kindness to patients. in her state
" mcnt Miss jerks winds up with saying
~ that she valued her life as dearly as
W the Jones woman did hers, and states
!" that she had been instructed 90 be kind
" TO the patients, but to always protect
her life.
w Referring TO the signed statement
she said that she did not really know
w what the statement contained wbcr
y she signed il. Her perturbation OF
:" mind was 80 grca, that she could mo-
=" remember what she said when she wa
- questioned regarding II.
" The statement relates much of whn
is already known regarding the affair
-. II il admitted, though, that the turpen
tine was administered while Mis-
L.. Lone
-, having threatened to kill her. tn
% Jones woman had been screaming n
- evening, and the defendant had sougf
IN miet her. She had succeeded
doing 80 when the screaming was r
-" sumed. Then The defendant went INF
=, her room again, and taking the pillo
case which the insane woman M
torn of, she poured turpentine fro
a four ounce bottle upon 1t and stu'
ed il into the woman y mouth.
She sat on her while she was doi'
il. but could not control both OF y
hands of the struggling woman. 3
~ called for help, and Nellie Ditto can
Between them they held the Jones
a. man, and more turpcntine was pour
upon the cloth while 1t was IN
mouth Of the women
She suddenly ceased struggling. I
cloth was removed, and 1t was fou
10, that she was unconscious. The defer
ant sent Miss Ditto after basin
%, water. They dashed water into
face. and bathcd her, but to no p
80, pose. In the language of the sta
, mcnt. "she refused TO survive I'll
her obs,inacy was maintained even
.;C death. Nor did she show any s'I
Of revivm In the course Of the next
hours, while the official version OF
affair was being prepared.
..,l The m,st important eyewitness
the incident was Miss Ditto, VIII
... story agreed with the facts set out
~ the statement regarding the adminis'
!, ton of the sedative. DR.. Palmer =
that when he was called he fo'
tier, '"" ""'" -.
-, the woman In n comntose state,
a.. tried to revive her for three no
g.. when she died. He performed an
..v topsy and found the lungs and
IA. news congcsted. He found In the
,ol mach four ouaces Of fluid, which su
if ed strongly Of ,urpen'ine,
Some mention had been made
u,,., mysterious letter which is now said
=, !, be in scraps which are in the pos
,,,., sion Of the district attorney. Whe
lpish VI" '"un" ny "' -
piled p,'to 'na. SAL r..
this -cious' MISE "'''o
come pentinc had been used. Miss 'e
pointing 20 the letter, reolied
when she had time she would show
why, the inference being that au
i a. Tho of IL