Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-09-23
SUICIDE USED
HUSBANDS
Pts 7 OIL
Mystery Of Death Of Woman at
Suburban Sanitarium Cleared
by Her Physician,

Mystery surrounding the death Of
Mrs. Pearl Locke Thornton. wife Of
Henry 0. Thornton. of Dawson. Ga,
at the Dr. James y Brawner SAM
tari1m Sunday, was dissipated Tues
day when new details of her tragic
end were made public for the first
time.
1t was shown by DR.. Brawner that
he had duly reported the death to the
authorities Sunday. following his
usual custom Of obtaining a death
certificate. The certificate gave the
cause OF death as Suicide by wound
caused by pistol bullet" DIT Rrawner
insists that It was not necessary for
him to report the death to the Coro-
ner. as the cause was plainly known.
The death has cast a gloom over
the sanitarium. which Is located at
Greenwood. d shbrt distance from
Smyrna, on the Marietta interurban
line. The pistol which Mrs. Thornton
obtained rom her husbands grin was
I the first weapon which had ever been
in the sanitarium and its being there
was not known to the hospital au-
thorities.
There is absolutely no mystery
connected with the death Of Mrs.
I Thornton" declared DR.. Brawner 1T
was duly reported to the proper au-
thoritles and death certificate taken
out in Atlanta Sunday, plainly stating
the cause Of death IS suicide from a
wound caused ny pistol bullet
did not report it to the Coroner be
cause it was not necessary, as the
cause Of death was clearly known.
Says She Was Depressed.
Mrs. Thornton had been a patient
here for about six weeks. She was
not insane. but was n depressed
frame Of mind. She displayed i'm
pruvement and her husband called
Sunday morning at Q o'clock to take
her home. Mr.. Thornton and myself
went TO her room and Chatted awhile
She seemed slightly depressed then.
but was visibIy delighted at seeing
her husband
After talking awhile. Mr.. Thorn
ton told me that he wished to settle
his account and we went to nv office
together He waited there for two or
three minutes while I finished trans
aoroa vr,y4t,
then came into my private Office.
I'VE had been in there bI, very
short while when my brother called
me and said that Mrs Thornton had
shot herself one Of the nurses heard
the shot, rushed into Mrs. Thornton's
room and found her lying across the
bed. and Immediately reported to my
brother.
Mr.. Thornton and myself rushed
to her room, but she expired jus: Is
we reached there. She shot herself in
the right temple. the bullet passing
through her head and entering the
wall
Mr.. Thornton was completely pros
trated, and it was necessary for me
to work with him for some time. APP
parently he loved his wife dearly. and
she often remarked Of his tenderness
to her
Didn't Know Of Gun in Grip.
when We left her room to go to
my office she was packing her clothes
preparatory to leaving had no idea
that Mr. Thornton Ind a pistol in
his grip. We are extremely careful
not to allow any weapon about the
place, for fear OF an accident to a pa
TENT, and would not have allowed Mr..
Thornton to have carried his grip in
had we known It contained pistol"
MI Thornton's custom for many
years has been to carry a pistol in
his grip, as he travels a good deal.
When he came to Atlanta Sunday he
had It in his grip and thought moth
ing OF It, When Mrs. Thornton pro-
ceeded 20 pack her clothes Sunday
morning it is presumed she opened
her husbands grip, which he had left
in her room, and upon discovering the
weapon suddenly decided to end her
life.
During her stay a. the sanitarium
Continued on Page 2, Column 2.