Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1917-03-29
POLICEMAN TO THE RESCUE
Stops Woman Who Is Trying to
Commit Suicide.
Ida Scott, Randolph Divorce, Comes to
Burlington with Avowed Purpose
Of Drowning Herself in Lake
Champlain.

Ida Scott, wife of William Scott. whose
home is in Randolph, was prevented from
committing sI'o;de Saturday after
noon by Officer Levi Vincent, who over
heard her .sking the way to the lake,
after having observed that she did not
appear to he in rational state OF mind
She was taken 20 the police station and
later locked up in the county Jail to be
kept safe until she could he turned over to
relatives or the proper authorities.
The woman arrived in this city on an
afternoon train. When she stepped from
the train she appeared to be working
under stress Of mind and officer Vincent
followed her to the street level. There
she stopped a hackman and asked him
the direction TO the lake. He told her and
she started i'm the direction indicated
The police officer heard her remark and
caught up with her. He inquired of her
why she wanted to go to the lake. She
looked him In the face for a few moments
and when the question was put to her
again she looked away and said that she
might as well tell him that she had come
from Randolph to commit suicide by
drowning. The woman was taken by the
officer to the police station.
There she told a story which, if true,
would make any self-respecting woman
want to commit suicide. According to
the woman. her family affairs have not
been pleasant. She stated that she had
been divorced from her husband and that
she lived at Randolph with her little girl.
Bernice, about six years of age. She said
that she had been greatly mistreated, that
her relatives did not care for her and
that her husband still made her no end
or trouble. She stated that in order to
put an end to an existence which had
been and was still one Of horror she had
finally decided to make away with herself
by drowning, probably not knowing that
the surface of the lake is still covered
with many inches of ice.
| According to the wonan's story this
was not her first attempt to kill herself.
as she had attempted to commit suicide
twice before. once by trying to drown
herself In the watering tub for cattle at
her farm and another time by attempting
to drink paris green. The water In the
tub was not deep enough and the paris
green was struck from her hand just as
she was about to drink it,
! The womans mind was working at a
very high tension and she pleaded with
the chief of police to allow her to drown
herself. An envelope containing little
over $500 she gave to the chief with the
request that he send it to her little daugh-
ter. When asked why she came to Bur-
llngton to kill herself, the woman said
that she came here to avoid all funeral
and other expenses which would be incl
dent to her death.
She had in her possession little bottle
of pills which she said was given her by
DR.. G. w. Scott of Randolph These
proved to be nothing but something
which would perhaps be used to break UP
cold. DR.. Scott was communicated with
md frNovr tnc.
general observations, it was concluded
that the woman was not of strong mind
That she was in earnest in her attempt tc
commit suicide was evinced by her at.
tempt to leave the officer while on the
way to jail and go towards the lake