Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-09-18
FUN over AHOME;
GIRL IS A SUICIDE
v..her's Struggles to Educate
Miss Blanche Swain Bring
Double Grief.

chicaeo. Ill. Sept Is. - Blanche
.-,,n's mother. like the old woman
lived in the shoe. was troubled
superabundance OF children.
Rad ten OF them 10 care for-and
times we're good the family in
- sometimes got as high as S17 a
veek
,.-.ed as the shoe jewellers. They
- IN A tumbledown four room
s..-v built on the rear Of somebody
80 lot and given. by the grace OF
- nostal authorities, the street num-
- ~ 1911 East Seventy-second place.
r-nm the window of her bedroom
=. rncarpeted boudoir she shared with
80 smaller Blanche could
an excellent view of the rear ele-
10. Of the house that fronted on the
20. But Blanche did not care for
=. view. and it was her habit to keep
he shades drawn
II ali that the sociOlogists say about
.ss influence Of environment on char
,r,sr is true, Blanche should have
hssp coarse grained. But her father.
,ssieued 10 his lot and ambitious only
~ his children. had kept her in school
sven after she had passed II.
Her smattering of education made
blanche different" Both parents no.
iced her difference" the father with
s,tistaction, the mother with misgiv-
hgs-
when school closed in early sum
ns- Blanche got a job in the millinery
ssozrtment OF a State street store.
For while she was happy. Then one
night she came home in tears.
They have found out how we are
living" Blanche told her mother. "a
Eirl who lives near US has been gossip
lrr with the girls in the millinery.
hey don't say anything about il, but
can see by the way they act that
hey pity me. / could stand scorn. but
don't want their pity"
When Blanche got home Monday
evening her eyes were red
NO. ! haven't had another crying
spel,- she denied Il am through cry
ing. After thls am going to be
happy"
Later Blanche admitted she had had
trouble at the store. Another girl had
preempted the chair TO which she had
been assigned a quarrel had followed
Il which all the girls in the department
had upheld the other girl. and some
thing spiteful had been said about the
way the SWANS lived.
At $50 o'clock yesterday morning.
when Calvin Swain started for the
machine shop where he is employed.
Mrs Swain called Blanche.
Hurry. or you'll be late for work."
abe warned.
Blanche replied IN a whisper:
"Tm-almost-ready-"
At o'clock the mother climbed the
stairs 70 the garnet and pushed in the
door OF the bedroom. Blanche was
lying on the bed. unconscious. Her
lips were burned and the air was
heavy with the odor OF poison.
4 doctor was called-the first one
VITO ever had entered the house on the
tack lot-but he was too late. Within
a hour Blanche died.
= have drunk acid TO put me TO sleep
forever ran note which she left. Il
have suffered long-you know. ma, but
"a did not know never enjoyed life.
Ny soul IS gone. l have given up all
hope
Ever since I was Il I have wonder
"a many times why I was ever born
4 this world You know. ma, l was
never very bad in my life up TO the
age Of II
In the Bible ! have read that chill
eren born OF God are of God and chill
oren born Of parents are of the devil
mat Is the way for three years have
ieit ! have always felt sad. My life
Is burden 10 me-toO hard for me to
I'VE and bear. ] want TO be in a grave
ana rest with the dead. ! know ! have
cone wrong By killing myself but / am
glad 10 die.
have prayed 70 God that my IA
eleF' mother. sisters and brothers may
os eonforted Ia their hearts and not
.sei Dad Tor me. This is ~ ! have TO
s@s-tnat ma, you know ! have killed
-yseH because ! cannot enjoy life.
Mother. you have always been good
ne So has father. May Gods
mercy De upon you all. Good-by"
me letter evidently had been writ
.eH 10 haste. and the police believe II
penned after Blanche had taken q
os' dose Of the poison IN solution.