The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-07-30
| NURSE A SUICIDE.
Pretty Agnes Lawrence Kills
Herself at StOrmOnt Hospital.
Drank Acid and Is Dead When
Found.
A NAN IN THE CASE.
But His Identity Is Unknown
in Topeka.
Mother Arrives This Morning
From Perry, Kansas.

Miss Agnes Lawrence, an unusually
attractive and pretty girl, who was
| employed as a nurse in Stormont hos
pital committed suicide between $50
and GEO p. m. last evening, by drink
ing two ounces of carbolic acid. The
only explanation of the suicide was an
unsigned note left by the girl which
read
For the love of a man."
The motive of the suicide is a deep
mystery to the hospital authorities as
Well as to DR.. H. H. Keith, coroner.
| Miss Lawrence, who was only twenty
years of age, had been employed at
out on probation She came here
| from Perry, Kansas, where her mother
| lives.
There is but little doubt that in
some way or other a man was con-
nected with the case. Who he is or
| where he lives is not known. Since
Looming to the hospital Miss Lawrence
| had received no men callers, nor did
| she ever have a telephone call When
she first came to Topeka she used the
| long distance telephone on several oc-
casions, and this leads to the belief
that her inamorata was an out of
| town man.
Her mother was notified of the sui
| eide shortly after her Iifeless body was
found stretched upon the floor of her
| room on the third floor. She came to
Topeka this morning from Perry but
thus far has been unable to shed any
! light on the case.
Miss Lawrence was always of
cheerful disposition. She was very
! popular among the other employees of
the hospital. AS far as is known she
received no bad news from anyone
| yesterday, or for several days previous
which would have caused her to bring
about her own destruction. Her dis
position for several days past had
been unusually sunny, and as far as
dc of hn fol
could discern there was nothing over
which she was brooding.
About a week ago Miss Lawrence
had been reprimanded for a viola
ton of one of the rules of the hospit-
al. This was only a trivial offenSe,
| but was made necessary by the rules
of the hospital. Miss Lawrence re-
turned to work after her reprimand
only yesterday, the reprimand carry
ing with it few days relief from
work. All day yesterday she seemed
unusually happy.
Miss Lawrence was last seen alive
at $50 Thursday afternoon. AT that
time she left the main floor Of the
hospital and started for her room on
the third floor. The general BELIEF is
that she drank the poison on her way
up stairs and then fell on the floor
of the room where she was found.
She was discovered at $50 by Miss
Alma Hone, another nurse in the
hospital. The hospital officials were
nOllHeQ ana coroner keith was sum-
moned. The lifeless body was re-
moved to Penwells where the re-
mains will await the disposition of
the mother.
When discovered lying on the floor,
the note written in her own hand
writing but unsigned was found upon
the floor. A two ounce bottle with
but a few drops of carbolic acid was
found by her side. The poison had
been purchased at a Potwin drug
store. Her handbag was found in
her room but aside from a few FEM
mime effects and letter from her
letter was merely a motherly one,
and nothing in it conveyed to the Of
ficials any motive that would account.
for the Self-destruction.
DR.. Keith when seen this morning
did not know whether he would hold
an inquest or not but thought that It
would be unnecessary. He is at a
loss to find any motive other than
that implied in the note.
DR.. L. H. Mum of the hospital
board said after the suicides:
I'VE can not assign any reason for
Miss Lawrence taking her life. She
was reprimanded q week ago for the
infraction of a minor rule. This was
not considered a serious matter, but
to maintain discipline and the obserV-
ance of the rules it was necessary to
take some action. From appearance
she did not take the incident to
heart and we do not feel that this
was in any way the reason for her
act. So far as we know she had no
particular men friends. Miss Law |
about six months on probation.
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