The Alaska citizen., 1911-02-20
ATTEMP IFS MURDER
 AND SUICIDES
ER KNIFE AND SlASHES AT HER HEAD.


 Modesto Cal. paper and repro tUCod IF these columns for the reason that many California people in the North are acquainted with the principal actors.
 A a result of a tragedy which oc- cured q, the Maze hotel shortly after 9 o'clock Friday afternoon. Andrew Sor,uson is dead by his own hand and his wife. Marie Sor- enSon is lying at the Evans sani- tarium suffering from wounds in ficted by her husband in an at tempt tn take her life Al late hour Mrs. Sorenson was resting easy and her wounds, while serious are not believed to be dangerous. The attempt af murder and the suicide were committed in the frenzy of insanity.
 Details of the Tragedy.
 Mir. Sorenson has been acting pc culiarly of late and it was known that he was not quite In his right mind. although there was no inti- nation that he was dangerous. From all that can be learned. the trag- edy occurred as follows: Mrs. Sor- ens0n was in her room in the front
 
 come from the bath. With her was relative. Miss Edith Simon, Cf stockton. Her husband, who had been to the postofflce entered the room. and after a few words started to choke her From all that can be learned there was noth- ing in the nature of a quarrel be tween the two, Mir. SorensOn being suddenly overcome with an insane mania which was directed against his wifi. The latter struggled with him and he left the room.
 Went for Knife.
 Fearing that her husband in. tended to do her serious harm, Mrs. Soren-on at first locked the door of the. room, but believing that fl would he safer 10 leave that section of the house, opened the dcor and started for the room of Mrs Letter. some distance down the hall
 In inc meantime. Sorenson went 10 the Kitchen in the rear of the hotel and seized a butcher knife, some 12 inches in length. Return ing to tho front of the house he mar his uife near the head of the stairs leading from the streets and grabbing her around the waist. started slashing al her head with the knife
 Mrs. Sorensou's screams and the noise of the scutIle attracted the at -curien of Messrs Tucker and Dawes. who were doing some repair work in a nearby room. They i'm mediatcIy rushed to the woman's s rescue and Dawes grabbed the frenzied man. AS he did so. Soren- son raised the knife as if to strike Dawes. but cry of warn ing from Tucker seemed to fright, on him and he turned and walked toward the Plato annex of the ho- tel.
 Mir Gullickson. who was working in the yard of the hotel, was at tracted by the commotion and rush- ed upstairs. just as the Would-pe murderer was walking to the fIato' Two of the men cared for Mrs. Sorenson. catching her as she was falling. and another summoned the officers. Deputy Sheriff Swatzel De- ing the first to respond. Dr Evans was also summoned and Mrs. Sor- enson was removed to the sanl- rarium in an automobile with all 
 speed.
 Body of Suicide Found.
 On the arrival of the officer, a search for SorensOn was begun and ii was found that he had gone to enc of the rooms in the Plato, lock ing the door behind him. RecelV- ing no answer to his knock, MT, Swatzel climbed to the ransom anu looked over.
 when looked through the tran som. saw Mir. Sorenson kneei- ing bv the side of the bed with the blood gushing from his throat, said Mir. Swatzel. T tried agaln to gain entrance through the door but failing in that, l forced an ln' side window. and entered the room He was beyond all hope. however as an examination disclosed that his head was almost completel! severed from his body. Death must have been instantaneous, al though I felt of Sorenson's pulse and detected a feeble action "hlch Dr, De Lappe, who arrived soon after did. said was not unusual ln of this nature.
 Other officers arrived on the scene soon after the tragedy occurred, put little could be done. further than as ciSting Coroner Bowker in removing the bodv to the undertaking par lOrs.
 Mrs. Sorenson's Wounds.
 Ii is judged from the position ol the wounds, that Mrs. Sorenson was cut while trying to ward off the knife from her head. The physician found two cuts on the scalp, one Of them e1icing the bone of the skull, lndlcat ing that the knife was yielded "ltn terrific force. The left hand was almost severed from the wrist. al of the tendons. muscles and the bone heinq cut - The hand hanging al most by a thread. Dr. Evans se"ec the muscles and tendons, nearly one hundred stitches being necessary and he states that Mrs. Sorensol will in time gain the use or her hah' M 10 almost the normal extent. me third finger of the right hand was entirely severed and the lnoex Ill gers were split. These are the ohi1 wounds. .o
 Dr. Evans stated last evening Una Mrs. SOrenson was resting easily ahe that there is every reason to peheVs that there will be no serious re suits. She has not yet been informed of the suicide of her husband ane the news will be kept from her un til che is strong enough to bear tht