The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1914-02-05
TIRED OF UNEQUAL STRUGGLE
Woman L Alleged to Have Been Slight.
ly Demented and Had Been Accus-
toned tc Use of Intoxicating Liquors
Husband Seeks to Prevent Act.

Mrs. Amelia klemick, aged go years,
the wife of John Klemick of 20 Middle
street, committed suicide at her home
on Tuesday night when she drank the
contents of a two ounce bottle of car
bolic acid. The woman died in agony
few 1inutes after she had taken the
acid, The rash act of the woman cama
as an end to an unequal struggle
against home conditions and the ever
increasing cost of living. Fof some
time she had been employed as a wash.
er woman and her earnings had been
supplemented with aid from The city,
but she had complained to her rela-
tives that the amount she was getting
to live on was insufficient and she had
brooded over the matter until she be-
came temporarily insane. According 20
the story told by the husband the wo-
man had been slightly intoxicated just
before she took the acid and he declar-
ed that she had for some time been
given to the use of intoxicating liquors.
The husband of the woman is badly
crippled. For years he was an employee
Of the plant of the Simmons NIanufac-
turing company but more than year
ago he fell ints basement easing and
broke lis hip and since that time he
had been unable to work. The woman
had been supporting the husband and
her else daHgTter by such wprk As sho
\ ~ Asa's the T. At that at ~
! declared that the family had no. ibee,
in want e,ld the poor commissioners had
kept close watch to see that the wo-
man end her husband had such things
as were necessary. The woman S desire
for drink is alleged by the members
Of her family to have brought most of
her troubles. She had been at work
on Tuesday and when she returned
home in the evening she had drank
some liquor. Her husband and board
er at the house were sitting in the
living roolA of the house Just before
eight o'clock when the woman declared
that she was going to the store. The
husband believing that she was going
out to get some liquor sought TO pre-
went her leaving the house. He locked
the rear door of the house and at
tempted to lock the front door but the
woman reached the door before him
and ran out. She went to a drug store
and secured The bottle Of carbohc
acid.
~ got it all right and / am going
to take it, !" she said to her husband
when she returned to the house.
"You got something; then take it, I"
was tde response of the husband, and
without word the women went into
the bee room anu drank the acid. When
the husband and boarder reacaed the
room she was lying on the floor with
ing in pain and the burning acid was
running out Of her mouth. Dr. William
Pugh was kr:rriedly called to the house
and he made an effort to save the life
of the wo.aan but she died within few
minutes withou regaining conscious
ness. The body was removed to the
Rutledge and Crossin morgue and an
inquest viii pc held by Coroner Milla-
ger tomorrow
Mrs. Klemick was born in Germany
and came to Kenosha some eighteen
years ago and had since made he~ home
in this tity. She is survived by her
husband and two daughters, Freida and
Amelia Klemick. No plans for the
funeral viii be made until after the
coroner : inquest is held.
The troubles of the woman and the
members Of he family have been
known to the officials for some time
ard every possible effort had been
made oy the city poor commissioners
and the other organizations of the
city to get the conditions of the family
bettered.