The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1908-11-12
Mrs. Laura Wells Attempted to
Commit Suicide at a Main
Street Restaurant Sunday
TOOK DOSE OF STRYCHNINE
Woman's Children Had Been Sent to a
Milwaukee Institution and This
Had Made Her Dependent
Will Recover

DespOndent because she had been I'M
able to support her children and on
this account the city had taken them
and sent them to Catholic orphanage
in Milwaukee, Mrs. Laura Wells at
tempted to commit suicide just after
noon Sunday by taking two grains of
crystal strychnine. At the time the
woman was working as a dishWasher
in a Main street restaurant and her
attempt to end her life caused a great
sensation on Main street. She was
hurried to the Kenosha Hospital and
Doctors Eastman, Stalker and Lans-
downe called to attend her. The
physicians managed to get the drug out
of her system in time to save her life
and while she will probably be i'll from
the effects of the poison for several
days she will survive.
The case of Mrs. Wells is an unusu-
al one. Deserted by her husband sew
eral years ago, she and her three child
rem became partially a charge upon the
city and they were sent to make their
home at the Washington Home on the
Island, The pauper committee Of the
Council had considerable trouble with
the children and the mother on account
of the fact that the mother was &C.
custOmed to go out and work during
the day and the children were left q
the city fat with no one to look after
them. Some time ago it deemed best
for all concerned to have the children
sent to an orphanage in Milwaukee,
but the mother bitterly fought this plan
declaring that she could not live with
out the children with her. Saturday
afternoon the members of the Paupe1
Committee decided that the time had
come to act and the children were tax.
Milwaukee orphanage. The mother
found the children gone and it is al
legged that she cried nearly the entire
night. She had started to work in the
restaurant only a few days ago anG
when she came to work Sunday morn
ing her eyes were badly swollen from
crying and while she attempted to dc
her work it was noted by the othel
people at the restaurant that she was
sobbing nearly all the time She com
planned bitterly Of the action taken by
the officials in sending the children
away and stated that she did not wan
to live without them. The people a
the restaurant, however, had no idef
that she was meditating suicide Early
in the morning she went at once to
drug store and purchased a vial O.
crystal strychnine. She stated to tn
clerk in charge that she wanted tn
poison to kill rats and gave her stree
address and her name. She returne,
to the restaurant and proceeded wit
her work, but she seemed to be yer,
nervous. She had washed a part of tn
dishes for the noon hour when she tool
the poison and then began to call TO
help. The bottle of poison was foun
and the people at the restaurant fea1
ing that she might die instantly hur
riedly summoned physicians. At tn
hospital Mrs Wells declared to tn
physicians that she desired to die AM
that she did not want them to max
any effort to save her life, but anti
dotes were promptly given and within
an hour she was out of danger. He
condition continued to improve unit
Sunday evening when she declared tina
she was glad she was going to live an
that she wanted to go out and ge
work and make an effort to get he
children back. It is certain that tn
city officials will see that the childre
are brought back just as soon as Mrs
Wells shows that she is able to tax
care of them.