The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1914-06-01
love FOR GIRL IS
| CAUSE OF NIVEN'S
trial At SUICIDE
HAD THREATENED TO SHOOT ri.
VAL FOR AFFECTION OF PINE
BLUFF BEAUTY.
TOOK ELEVEN GRAINS
BICHLORIDE OF MERCURY
Father Tells Story Of Boys Leaving
From Home and Desperate Condi.
tion of Mind-Physicians Not Sure
That He Will Recover-Refuses
Medicine.

F. E. Niven, aged 22 years, as the
result of an attempt at suicide, which
may yet prove successful, now lies in
the Hattiesburg Hospital hoping for
the end of an unhappy life. Saturday
afternoon at about 5 O'Clock in the
rear of Hulett Undertaking establish
ment he took II grains of bichloride
of mercury after leaving a brief note
addressed to his father which said
you are the cause of it."
Seated at his bedside is his anxious
father D. B. Niven, of Pine Bluff, Ark,
and back home is his mother, pros
trated with grief. The boy this after
noon refused to talk of the cause Of
the attempted suicide with represen-
tative of The News.
He left home, his father said, a short
time ago after violent ending to a
love affair. He was desperately enam-
ored Of Miss Jean Hart, of Pine Bluff,
and he objected to the attentions of a
young man named Newt. Bird. Be-
cause Bird would not cease his atten.
tions Niven threatened to shoot him.
In that state Of mine his father says
he left home saying he was coming to
Mississippi. Il heard from him a
short time after by means of tele-
gram asking for money. l refused to
send it" Mr.. Niven said, because l
wanted him to learn the value of a
dollar by earning it, The next heard
from him was the telegram telling me
of his attempt to commit suicide"
Doubt Of Recovery.
The three physicians who are at
/ tending young Niven are In doubt
about ris recovery. He refuses to take
the medicine they give him and they
fear the deadly drug had its effect on
his vital organs before they began
their attentions. They reached him
within ten minutes after he took the
bichloride and after giving a violent
emetic they gave him ra weggs to neu-
tralize the caustic effect of the drug
and then applied the stomach pump.
washing out his stomach three times.
They hape the caustic effect of the
drug may have been directed to the
meal he had recently eaten and not
on the walls of HIS stomach. His
physicians are Drs. H. L. McKinnon,
T. L. Summers and J. E. Hulett.
DIR. McKinnon says young Niven
begged him for more of the drug as
soon as he regained consciousness in
order to finish the Job"
Yesterday afternoon to the casual
observer he seemed healthy country
boy bronzed by outdoor work as he
lay on his hospital cot. His grip was
firm and his hand steady; but on
closer observation his eyes showed a
peculiar lack of luster which was a
kind Of glaze.
i lost consciousness Immediately
after taking the bichloride," he said.
i did not hurt any more while l was
swallowing it than a piece of food. My
stomach has had such rough treat
ment with the stomach pump that
do not know whether it is the drug or
not that causes the pain. feel a
burning sensation as II there were gas
In my stomach, but otherwise l feel
quite normal" ra
~ Father 10 Prominent.
When questioned about the causes
OF his action. he became sullen. The
first question he asked his father when
he entered the room was about the
girl back in Pine Bluff.
Does she know about ~" he
il queried. Otherwise he has exprsssed
no interest in anything since be took
the bichloride. He does not take azy.
tcpatinne1 a 1r1 Ee