The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1913-05-19
Mrs. Phoebe Gift Jumped In
to Water, Near Elks Pen
in Glen Miller Park This
Morning.
RESCUED BY REG
AND SUPT. HOLLARN
Said She Wanted to Die
Believed That Woman Was
Temporarily Deranged-
Children Notified Men.

Temporarily deranged, it is believ-
ed, Mrs. Phoebe Gift, wife of John
Gift, 25 South Seventeenth street at
tempted to end her life by jumping
into pool of water near the elk pen
in the Glen at 8 o'clock this morning
and was saved only by the prompt
action of Park Superintendent Hol-
larn and Eddie Reeg, of South Sixth
street, who were working nearby. The
men we're called to the place of the
attempted suicide by Bruce and Mar
tha Sillery, aged 9 and 8, respectively,
who were witnesses of the attempted
drowning. Mrs. Gift, who was uncon-
scious, was dragged from the water
by the men and rolled on the bank
for a few moments when she became
conscious and told the men she want
ed to die. She refused to divulge her
name. She was taken to her home in
the city ambulance. She is suffering
from a violent hysterical attack, but
her recovery is only matter of time,
attending physicians state.
Children Witness Act.
The two children of Fred II. Sillery,
sales agent of the Reeveston Reality
company. are responsible for the
womans failure to end her life They
saw her jump into the pool of water,
scarcely two feet deep. The children
ran to where Hollarn and Reeg were
working and the men had the un-
conscious body out of the water with
in four minutes after she jumped in,
and were able to restore breathing by
prompt first aid treatment. She was
unconscious when rescued and it is be-
lieved would have died in few mo-
ments had the children not seen the
woman.
Members of her family are unable
to account for the rash act. She has
Leen in i'll health for three or four
days and is subject to hysterical at
tacks. 1t is believed that she became
temporarily deranged and walked to
the park and jumped into the water.
She was taken to her home and two
physicians called. They at first be-
: lieved she had taken poison, but she
denied this when able to talk. A spell
of Mysteries, so violent that she raved
and screamed followed.
MRS. GlIC went 10 SeVeral STORES LnlS
morning to make purchases and ap-
peared to be in the best of health, talk
ing and laughing with clerks with
whom she is acquainted. She was in
one store at eight o'clock. 1t was
fifty-five minutes later when the body
was taken from the water.
Mrs. Gift was dressed entirely in
black, and inside of small pocket in
her waist was portion of an envelope
torn across the middle and containing
the one word Good" 1t is thought
this was meant for Good Bye" but
the rest of the note cannot be found.
When she regained consciousness
after being taken from the water she
cried and screamed, and refused to
tell her name. She implored every
one present to keep the news of her
attempt at suicide from her children
and admitted to Hollarn that she want
ed to die, and that she had jumped
into the> water with the intention OF
taking her life. When found she was
lying on her side. the face half under
water. 1t is not believed that she
succeeded in swallowing much water
owing to the prompt action of the two
children.