The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1914-11-27
MYSTERY
Surrounds Shooting Of Mrs.
Maude WaddeIl
Either Attempted Suicide Or
Accidental
Victim Would Make No State.
ment After SboOting...Re.
moved To Hospital.
Condition Is Very
Serious

In InaIlprobabiIity what was an attempt.
ed suicide occurred Tuesday morning
shortly after II o'clock at the home Of
Mr.. and Mrs. r. q. Nccreary, West
Vine street, when their daughter, Mrs.
Maude WaddelI, shot herself through
the left side with a 32-calibre revolver
just below the heart, the bullet iodo.
ing in the vitals and causing internal
hemorrhages.
The woman was removed to the M.
&. s. hospital in McCormick's ambu-
lance, after DR.. s. e. Deeley and DR..
J. s. Workman had been called in at.
tendance. Mrs. Waddell left no note,
nor did she vouchsafe any explanation
OF the shooting, merely asking to be
taken to the hospital and relieved of
the great pain she was undergoing
A combination of ill-health and private
troubles is supposed to be the cause
OF the attempted suicide.
Mrs. Waddell has been in i'll health
for some months past Lately her
condition has improved. However, it
is said that she was afflicted with
spells of melancholy. The past two
days, she is said to have acted unus-
ually cheerful. Only Tuesday morn
ing, she called at the home of Mrs.
Joseph Meyers, across the street from
the house of her parents, and had a
long talk with Mrs. Meyers. The lat
ter states that she seemed very bright
and cheerful and it was with feel
ing of intense surprise that she heard
OF the shooting.
Mrs. Waddell had been in her bed
room on the second story and was
thought to have been preparing to
come downstairs for dinner. Her
mother, Mrs. McCreary, and her
grandfather were downstairs, when
the former heard noise that sounded
like the sharp crack of whip. She
fastened unstairs to investigate the
cause of the noise and there found
her daughter lying prone upon the
floor with revolver on the floor be-
side her. She summoned her husband
who had stepped into the house in
the meantime and he in turn notified
Mrs. John Doelfs, Mrs. Joseph Mey-
ers and Mr.. ]. T. Friel. Mr.. Friel was
the first to arrive and he assisted in
placing Mrs. Waddell upon the bed.
The physicians were then summon
ed and an examination made. This
showed that, while the bullet had not
penetrated the heart, it had lodged in
vital organs and Mrs. Waddell was
suffering acutely from hemorrhages.
She made no statement to anybody as
tC the cause of the shooting, it is un-
derstood, but begged to be taken to
the hospital and treated properly.
This was done and an X-ray examina-
tion made with a view of determining
the location of the bullet.
DR.. S. e. Deeley, one of the attend
ing physicians, stated that the wo-
mans chances for recovery were not
good. The revolver, when discharged,
was placed close to the woman's side,
1t is said, as there were powder marks
on her body.
The exact cause of the deed Is not
known, owing to the fact that Mrs.
Waddell neither made any statement
or left note. Relatives are Of the
opinion that the shooting was purely
accidental; that Mrs. Waddell was
merely examining the revolver and
that her finger accidentally touched
the trigger, causing the weapon to go
off.
At the press hour of The Banner
the report from the hospital was that
Mrs. Waddell was resting very COM
fortably under opiates. The bullet
was removed by DR.. Deeley, it having
been imbedded but short distance
from the surface of the skin in the
back. Chances seem even for Mrs.
Waddell's recovery. From the time Of
the shooting until the opiates were
administered, Mrs. Waddeli was not
unconscious.