Omaha daily bee., 1910-02-12
Council Bluffs
WOMAN DIES IN COMMISSIONS
Doubt Whether Mrs. Alex Wishart
Took Poison to End Life.
MAY HAVE BEEN IN HYSTERIA
wife OF Union Pacific Might watch
man Expires Suddenly Following
Heated Quarrel with Her
Husband.

Husband.
Mrs. Minnie wishart, aged 30 years, wife
Of Alexander wishart. employed as a night
Waterman at the Union Pacific transfer
yards In Council Bluffs, died In commissions
shortly after 10 o'clock Wednesday night
at her home, 1887 East Broadway. The
s~uddenness OF her death and other circum-
stances connected with the case caused
some OF her friends to suspect she com
mitted suicide by taking strychnine.
DR., A. 7. Hanchett, who was called to
attend Mrs. Wishart. was unable yesterday
to say that she had taken poison with sui
cldal intent or whether her death was due
to hystsria spasms.
"when 1 called on Wednesday night I
asked her II she had taken poison or
anything TO Kill herself, and when she
said she had not 1 took her word
for It. She appeared to be q woman suf-
fering from hysteria spasms. Commissions
from sirychnlne and from hysterla are
almost exactly alike. Even had l known
hat she had taken strycnnine, / could not
have saved her when l arrived; the poison,
il any was taken, had already been assimi-
lated and nothing could have saved her.
Coroner Treynor stated last evening that
he would not hold an inquest. 'Circum-
stances surrounding the case were such
that It was likely the woman had taken
poison with suicidal intent. To ascertain
whether Mrs. Wisha took strychnine, an
autopsy would be necessary, and we would
have to send the viscera way for exam
nation. l fail to see what good could be
accomplished by putting the county to this
expense said DIR. Treynor.
CaunIa UfwnH TfnhauufIr
Friends say that Mrs. wisnart and her
husband had not lived happily for the
last y9ir and had frequent dua=rels. This
was admitted by Mr.. wishart yesterday.
Owing to these ~auarrels Mrs. Wishart on
more than one occasion left her husband
and went to the home Of her parents,
Mr.. and Mrs. w. A. Johnson, who Hive in
Atlantic, Ia After being away for q short
while the husband always induced her to
return home again. About a year ago
she commenced suit for divorce, alleging
cruel and inhuman treatment. but they
patched up their troubles and she with
drew the petition.
Wednesday afternoon Mrs. Wishart and
her husband were down town shopping
and on returning home are aid to have
had a bitter quarrel. Shortly after her
husband left for his work at the transfer
depot about 6 o'clock Mrs. Wishart tele-
phoned to- Mrs. g. c.. Jensen, q ~pe,ghbor
residing at 1885 East Broadway, and asked
her to come over to the house. Mrs. Jen-
sen instead sent her little daughter. About
8 o'clock the little girl came home and told
her mother that Mrs. Wishart was sick.
When Mrs, Jensen reached the Wishart
home Mrs. Wishart was having a oonvul-
sion, but as she had frequently had very
severe nervous spells, Mrs. Jensen did not
attach any serious Importance to 1t. AS
Mrs. Wishsrt continued TO get worse Mrs.
Jensen called DR.. Hanchett and notifi, d
Wishart. DR.. Hanchett rave Mrs. Wfshart
some medicine to quiet her. but she died
shortly after he left the house.
woman Expected 10 Die.
What made Mrs. Jensen suspect that
Mrs, Wishart had taken poison was that
Mrs, Wishart said before the doctor and
her husband reached the house,: IN be at
peace. Everything will be all right now.
l know l am going to die, / want to die. q"
II don't know whether Mrs. Wishart
killed herself or not" said Mrs, Jensen
yesterday afternoon when seen at the
Wlshart home. When l went to the house
last evening l thought she was having a
nervous spell, but she got worse and died
in commissions. The doctor gave her some
thing TO Ease her and she seemed to get
better for a while, but after he left she
got worse again. Just before she died she
called her husband over TO the bed and
asked him to forgive her for what she had
done and said God had already. She said
she had taken something and that we
would find a bottle. l think she was de-
lirious wnen she said this. We have
searched every nook and corner of the
house, but we have not been able TO find
any bottle or anything else that contained
poison"
The husband said he did not know
whether his wife had taken poison or not.
She told him, he said, she had taken some
thing. w had quarreled before ! went
to work last evening, but 1t was nothing
worse than usual. My wife was a very
slekly woman and frequently had severe
nervous spells. We had been married
about seven years and until a little over a
year ago we were very happy. For the
last year., however, we have mot gotten
along very we'll and we had frequent quar-
rels."
Mrs, Wishart leaves besides her husband
a young son. The body will be taken this
morning to the home of her parents In
Atlantic where the funeral will be held,