Meade County news. [volume] (Meade, Kan.) 1900-1918, 1915-05-27
Departed

no hope of recovery, caused AL
len John Howell, a prominent
farmer of Meade county to take
his life, by stabbing himself, on
his bed in a Hutchinson hospital.
He died from the effect of two
knife wounds puncturing the
lung, at $50 last evening.
The pathetic thing is that
Howell was nicely recovering
from appendicitis, his condition
was greatly improved, and the
surgeons say he would have fully
recovered. But he didn't know
it. He thought the surgeons
were merely trying to cheer
him up, but holding out false
hopes.
Howell, who has a big farm
between Fowler and Meade, was
brought to the Stewart hospital
Thursday for an operation for
appendicitis. At the hospital it
was found he was in a very crit
ical condition. advised that his
relatives be sent for, and a broth
err came from Meade county 70
be with him.
Mr.. Howell, who was a very
large man, weighing probably
275 pounds, had been suffering
much, and when told by the SUR
geons that the worst was over
and that he was on the road to
recovery he appeared greatly
relieved.
When his brother came into
the room, however, Friday af-
ternoon, Howell was surprised.
"What IN thunder brings you
here2" he CURLY enquired.
The brother told him that he
had been summoned. They
said if l wanted to see you alive
I'd better come. the brother
told him.
That convinced the sick man
that the surgeons had been hold
ing out false hopes, and that he
was really in Il critical condition,
Discouraged and heaet.sick, he
evidently determined to do some
thing desperate and end it all.
The invalid sent the nurse out
OF the room on an errand, and
while she was gone asked his
brother to give him his knife.
The brother handed over a
knife, large one, with a big
blade such as farmers usually
have. The sick man opened it
up, and Immediately jabbed him
self twice in the chest with it.
He tried to strike the heart but
both times the knife entered the
breast above the heart, the blade
penetrating the lung however.
The brother called the nurse
and the surgeons were sum mon
ed. 1t was found that Howell
had missed the heart, but the
injury to the lung was serious.
The surgeons now had to make
fight to save him from the self
inflicted wounds. which were
more serious than the gangre-
nous appendix. His condition
was such, however, that nothing
could be done. Pneumonia set
in and death finally ensured last
evening. Before his death,
Howell told the surgeon hand
ling the case that he had COM
mitted the act.
The fact that there was only
his brother in the room at the
time, and that it was his broth
er's knife that did it, made him
fear that suspicion might be di.
rected against the brother,
especially as it was known they
had some trouble some time ago
in Meade county.
Howell declared that he did it.
ut was fool thing for me to do,
but | thought there wasn't any
hope for me anyway" he said.
DR.. H. w. Williamson, the
county coroner, investigated the
case this morning, but decided
it was unnecessary to hold an
Inquest.
Mrs. A, ]. Howell, the wife of
the deceased. was summoned
yesterday, but did not arrive un.
til about two hours after his
death last night.
The body. accom- Danied bv rel.