The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1912-01-15

Miss Erminle Rossiter, seventeen
years Of age, attempted TO end her
life yesterday afternoon b. taking a
dose Of strychnine and some other
poison. the nature of which cannot be
told.
Miss Rossiter has been working for
the Jeffcoat Tailoring Company for
several months, and the family has re-
sided in Mrs. Leach's cottage in the
second ward for some time formerly
living al other places in the city since
they came here over year ago from
the North. The father travels for the
Standard Oil Company. and was at or
near kissimmee yesterday, but a tele-
gram failed 20 reach him. There are
three other children in the family, a
boy of twelve and two very small
children.
Miss Rossiter was quiet, indus
trious girl a member of the Baptist
church and regular attendant at
Sunday school. She attended services
as usual yesterday and told her mother
she would go 20 the office and do
little writing before coming home. so
her mother was not uneasy when she
did not come home when church was
out.
In the afternoon her mother went
TO the postoffce TO mail a letter and
stopped at the place where her daugh-
ter worked. and told her she would be
back in minute and walk home with
her. Erminie told her she would not
wait, but was going straight home
The supposition is that she had al
ready taken the poison. as the bottle
was afterwards found at the office
partly empty.
When Mrs. Rossiter reached home
she found her daughter writhing on
the floor in great agony, and she said
she had taken strichnine and was GO
ing 10 die. This IS the last coherent
statement she has made. as she was
soon in commissions and unconscious
y physician was summoned and
worked with the girl all evening and
night. He states that she had taken
some other poison in addition to the
strichnine, the nature Of which he
| could not tell This complicated the
case, an antidote for one poison is
not an antidote for another, and some
times is a poison itself Neighbors
were with the child all night and with
| the untirinG work of the physician
/ she was kept alive. although her life
was despaired OF many times. She had
taken the drug probably two hours
before the physician arrived, and il
had thoroughly permeated her system.
The girl attempted to take her own
life before the family moved to Ocala.
No reason is known for her rash act,
except dependency. The family is
| poor but by no means destitute. She
was still living a noon today.
Every one in the city has espresso "a
sorrow and sympathy for the poor
girl, and for her family, and all hope
she may recover and make no more at
tempts to destroy her life. Her mother
is almost heartbrOken over the action
of the daughter.
| Miss Rossiter had been to most OF
the drugstores of the city during the
morning, trying to buy poisons Of diff
ferent characters, but all refused tC
sell her any, though she gave num-
Der of different plausible reasons for
desiring it. Where she finally sue
ceeded in getting it, is not known.
At 3 o'clock Miss Rossiter was still
alive and somewhat better. She i.
resting quietly under the influence 81
opiates and her pulse and heart actor
are better. The mere fact that she has
lived this long is IN her favor.