The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1910-07-26
SUICIDE PACT IS
nor CARRIED OUT
WOMAN AND MAN WERE TO DIE
TOGETHER--FORMER BALk-
ED AT LAST MINUTE.
NEAR TRAGEDY IN RIVER
St. Louis City Employee Saves Drown.
ing Pair--Well-to-do Farmer
in JaiI--Woman in Hos
!;4 pital.

and falling into the Mississippi river
near the Chain of Rocks, and pulling
Brice Wommack a Lincoln county
farmer, with whom she had entered
into a suicide pact, in after her. MIS-.
Moll'e Anderson. 35 years old, of st.
Louis, changed her mind early yes
teiday morning and shouted Justify
for help. The man and woman were
rescued by James Landers, a city
employe who was in the waterworks
intake tower at the Chain Of s.gl;.s,
and who went to them In a skiff. He
was assisted by Harvey Rose and
lsous Snaefer. fishermen Wom-
mack and Mrs. Anderson were taken
In an ambulance to the North End
Dispensary. from where the woman
was sent to the city hospital, suffer
ing from nervous shock. Wommack
is held at the Mounted District Po-
lice station.
Wommack res dcs near Troy, Mo,
where he says he has a 500acre farm.
He is IS years old, married. and has
five children. three girls and two
boys Mrs. Anderson formerly lived
at Troy, and 1t is said the relati ms
between her and the farmer were the
cause of her separation from her
husband four yars ago, and Of fire.
uuent ruptures in the Wommack fam
lily. She moved to st. Louis about a
year ago and Wommack has been a
frequent visitor at her home.
Buy Revoivers and Cartridges.
Monday he left his home and went
to Mrs. Andersons residence, accord
ing To his own statement to tho no
lice. He says the woman had pre-
viously suggested that they die to.
gether. and he had agreed to the
pact. Thursday they went to a
Franklin aeenue shop and purchased
two cheap reyolvers. Then they
bought two rounds of cartridges and
loaded the guns The weapons, now
ever we're not to be used except in
case their plans to end their lives by
drowning We're integferrt- With. Then
each was to commit suicide with a
bullet. In this way they argued, nei-
ther would be guilty of taking the
others life.
Next they bought dog chain and
some rope. With the chain and rope
ami some bottles, which they intend
ed to fill with water and use as sink
ers they boarded train at Main
street Saturday night and went to
Alton. They walked about mile
south of that place where there is
considerable brush along the river,
and constructed a raft by means of
which they proeosed to get to deep
water. The raft got away from them
and drifted out into the river. Al
daylight yesterday they found skiff
and put out into the river in It, Ev.
erywhere they encountered shallow
water and sand bars and continued to
drift down the river for several miles.
until they were opposite the Chain
of Rocks. There they found deep
water.
Both stood up on the seat. Wom-
mack fastened one end Of the rope
about his body and handed the other
to Mrs. Anderson. She tied it about
her waist. Then the dog chain was
adjusted. At this stage of the ar
rangements Mrs. Anderson became
dizzy and fell into the river. drag
ging Wommack with her. When she
came to the surface the sensation of
drowning had ended her desire to die
and she screamed for help. She man
aged to get hold of the side of the
boat and then begged Wommack to
: save her life. He is an expert swim
mer, and, though considerably handi-
capped by the chain and rope, he, too
managed to get hold of the boat.
Man Wanted to Finish Job.
We've gone this far" Wommack
says he said to the woman, "now
let's finish the job"
mo, no, do not want to die
Mrs. Anderson replied; save me-"
well. I'll try" sad Wommack.
but doubt II can II you are saved
want you to try to lead a different
life"
Then Wommack joined in the call
for help, and the voices were heard
by Landers. He jumped into skiff
AMI went to Their assistance. Their
boat was full OF water, but Landers
succeeded in towing them to shore.
Near the bank Rose and Schaefer
went to his aid, and the man aud
woman were taken from the water.
Then Mrs. Anderson collapsed
Wommack had the two fevolvers
in his possession, and these he pre-
sented to Landers as a reward for
rescuing him and the woman. Ian
ders turned the rev5svers over to the
police, and they are now at the