The Big Sandy news. [volume] (Louisa, Ky.) 1885-1929, 1914-09-11
suicide OF Girl
II YEARS old.
Miss Lucille AkeTs Deliberately Blows
OF Her Head With a
Shot Gun.

One Of the most shocking tragedies
that ever thrilled ard Mortified a com
munity occurred on Friday morning
last at the home OF John Akers, when
l7-year-old Lucille, his beautiful young
daughter committed suicide by blow
ing out her brains with shotgun.
The upper half of her head was torn
away. scattering blood and brains in
every direction. Death was instan-
taueous. The mother and young
married sister, Mrs Wilson, were in
the garden near the house, and upon
hearing the report of the gun both ran
home, Mrs. Akers exclaiming, so 1t is
said, Lucille has killed herself"
II was an awful spectacle that met
the Mortified gaze OF the mother and
the sister, and great was their grief as
they beheld remains OF what only a
few moments before had been the an
mated, lovely form Of the sister and
daughter.
Exactly how the dreadful deed OF
self destruction was done will prob
ably never be known. Three little
girls. the Oldest about six years
old, were in the house when the trag-
edy was committed, and because OF
her tender years can not tell a de-
tailed story. From what she says
however, II is learned that Lucille had
taken the gun from its usual place
and had tried to persuade the little
girl to shoot her with IL. This she
refused to do, and, so II is said, went
TO an upstairs room and was looking
out the window and saw Lucille shoot
herself II is said that the poor girl
stood on the back yard steps, rested
the butt end OF the gun on the ground,
put the muzzle to her forehead and
the trigger hard enough to cause the
weapon TO be discharged.
The father OF the unfortunate girl
was not at home when the terrible
event took place and did not return
until the afternoon. The family lives
on the Big Sandy river between three
and four miles above Louisa. The
family is n well known and highly re-
spected one.
Immediately after the occurrence
Coroner Hatten. of Buchanan, was
sent for and held an inquest The fol-
lowing note from him may be of in
terest:
I'VE found her body in the back
yard Just where she fell, with shot
gun by her side. When the sheet was
removed every juryman seemed to
stagger back and for moment turn
his face away; the scene was too
dreadful to look upon. on inquiry we
found no one was present when she
performed the rash act, except three
small children, the Oldest six years
old. ollie Mae a very bright child
between sobs OF grief told in n very
clear manner for one of that tender
age, what occurred. The girl ordered
the children to go into the house. They
obeyed her, but ollie, child-like,
through the window, and saw
her place the gun to her head heard
the shot and saw her fail"
The funeral of Miss Akers occurred
on Saturday with services conducted
by the Rev. II. b. Hewlett, of this city,
assisted by the Rev. Mr.. Fraley.
The news OF the sad blow to the
family had spread far and wide and
hundreds came TO attend the obsequies,
They showed by their quiet respectful
iemeanor the sympathy they felt for
the grief stricken parents and other
relatives
There can be no doubt that at the
time she took her own young life and
cast a lasting pail OF sorrow over her
family she was not OF sound |
mind over year ago she had an
attack OF typhoid fever of the severest |
most malignant type. She lay for
weeks between life and death, and |
when she finally was able to go about
Ter mental lapses were frequent and
pronounced, 1t is said that for some
line she was totally blind, and was
iever completely at herself. Those
Who knew the poor girl give this tes-
imony and therefore 1t is only reas-
,nable to assume that when she com
nitted self-destruction she was of un-
found mind