The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-12-27
Walter Burns, Painter, Feared
to Lose His Wife.
She Told Him That She Would
Leave Him.
DEAD SCHOOL YARD
Took CarbOIic Acid andEDies Fol.
lowing Drunken Debauch.
Body Not Found Until a Day
Later.

A coroner's jury today decided that
Walter Burns came to his death from
suicidal intent, when an empty car
bolic acid bottle was exhibited in eVi-
dence and examination was made ~
the dead mans stomach. Burns de-
cided to kill himself When his wife
threatened to leave him if he did not
stop drinking.
Burns had been on a protracted drunk
which ended shortly after four men
found him in an alley near Monroe ana
Second streets Sunday evening, and
carried him to the school grounds at
Second and Madison streets in order
that he might not be arrested. They
did not know that the man had just
drank a quantity of carbolic acid and
that already the poison had begun 10
take effect The mans body was
found late Monday evening.
According to a statement made today
by Mrs. Burns. the husband and wife
quarreled Sunday afternoon and the
wife threatened to leave him if he con-
tinued to drink. About o'clock Burns
left his rooms on the second floor of
frame building at SIP East Fifth street.
Shortly after he left Mrs. Burns went
to visit with a relative. In her alb
sence, Burns returned to his rooms,
changed his Sunday suit for his work
clothes and again left the building.
Mrs. Burns believes that when her hus
Delnti LOuuQ sic DIS IOl at 1IOItiS lIlrtI
he believed she had made good her
threat and that his disappointment
caused him to take his life.
While drinking Burns was despon-
dent and moody and often talked of
ending his life. Each Sunday, so the
wife says. her husband celebrated with
a quantity of liquor Last Monday he
was unable to go to work and stayed
at home. Thursday he began drinking
heavily and was quarrelsOme when ne
left home Sunday evening.
What Wife Says.
walter had been drinking for sew
eral days." said the widow this morn
ing, as she discussed her husbands
death, land when he was drinking he
was quarrelsome and moody. He left
home Sunday morning about 10
o'clock. He returned about in the
afternoon and we talked until after 5
o'clock, when he again went away. 1
told him L was going away for a few
weeks if he didn't quit the booze. He
said he would never live without me
and did not say whether he intended to
quit or not. When he left the house
that evening [ waited until he was out
of sight and went to the home of a
relative near the viaduct. While 1 was
away he returned and changed his
clothes. putting on his working suit
Just why he did it I do not know.
Somehow I think he believed ] had
left him and intended to do som ething
rash. That night he did not return and
all day yesterday he was gone. Then
1 became frightened and when We
looked for him we found his body near
the school house"
Burns was 81 years old. He was a
carpenter and had been working on the
new Mills building at Ninth street and
Kansas avenue. Three months ago he
married Jennie Keith, a former Ten
nessee woman. Accor ling to Mrs.
Burns her husband was a heavy
drinker. but since their marriage had
lost but one day from his work.