The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1914-1938, 1915-06-24
Mrs. Harry F. Kennedy Ends
Life by Firing Bullet into
Her Brain
p0nY FOUND IN BATH
ROOM BY DAUGHTER
Temporary Fit of Insanity Thought
70 Have Been Responsible for
Her Rash Deed

4 bullet. fred evidently by her own
hand. Monday afternoon, snuffed out
+ha life of Mrs. Harry Kennedy and
,.eorded one of the saddest tragedies
4 the history Of this community. Mrs.
Kennedy was found dead in the bath
room Of her own home about five
o'clock Monday afternoon by her ID
yaar-old daughter, Lorraine. AS Mrs.
Kennedy was alone at home during
the afternoon and as she left behind
no message the details of the ira
eical end will never be known. It is
thought she must have fired the fatal
shot during a temporary fit Of in
sanity brought on by continued i'll
health.
Monday morning Mrs. Kennedy had
done her usual weeks washing and
It the noon hour had appeared to be
in unusually good health and in
cheerful spirits. When Lorraine left
at2 o'clock to attend Children's Day
rehearsal her mother had finished her
afternoons work and was reading.
The little daughter returned home be-
tween four and five o'clock and not
finding her mother in the living rooms
supposed she had gone to the home of
some Of the nearby neighbors. Later
she went across the street to the home
Of Ms. Fannie v. Johnson, where her.
grandmother, Mrs. Ellen J. Williams,
who lives on the same street, was vis-
iting. She inquired here for her
mother and again returned home and
sewed awhile. Upon going to the
bathroom about half an hour later
she found her mother lying in death
near the bath tub. Alarmed by the
cries Of the little girl, Mrs. Williams
and Mrs. Johnson fastened to the
Kennedy home.
1t was at first thought the woman
had fallen in faint and it was not
until the body had been lifted from
the floor that the wound in the temple
and the revolver which had lain under
the body, told the story of the TRACE
oy. Dr.. F. M. Crosby was immediate
y summoned and said that the wo-
man had evidently been dead about
two hours.
Inc shot was fired into the right
temple and the bullet lodged in the
oone Of the skull on the other side.
Two empty chambers in the gun and
q bullet hole in the bath room wall
makes it certain that two shots were
sieo' the gun having probably been
olscnarged second time by the wo-
man in her death struggles. The re-
solver' 22-calibre, was kept in the
s'ectrlc meter box in the kitchen. This
0o1 mad been closed as had the bath
room door.
Although Mrs. Kennedy had been in
poor health for several months she
%as not OF melancholy or brooding
disposition and her mother, who lives
:, ul'nln block of the Kennedy home,
.1s nearest neighbors and the most
nv nH.mate friends are unanimous in
n statements that Mrs. Kennedy
opv$r
s perfectly happy in her home. Her
.Ns ing attachment to her daughter
~ ner interest in her home life were
usually pronounced. There is alb
~. sY.u'eiy nothing connected with her
- nor any circumstances incident
I .ss END that would indicate other
s s.aa tnat her rash act was committed
moment. - i''
f.. M Aennedy, who is deliveryman
;Os ;S Inc ne Produce company, was max
a e oelveries at the docks when he
~s as summoned home. The news
t n'cn awaited him came like a bolt
or om the blue sky and he was entirely
osercome with grief.
thai. .' and Mrs. Kennedy had made
her: @ nome in Kennewick since 1907,
Ts ~ come here from Missouri.
and /, nad an extensive acquaintance
cow. m large circle of friends in the
.ns sunity and enjoyed the respect
wh;,. M esteem of all who knew them,
f.nas..t s their little girl is a general
vorn e IN school and among the
Ksnps Kong people of her age. Mrs.
cony ceoy was m e m Der of the
sregatlonal church and an active