Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1917-04-19
LITTLE GIRL ATTEMPTS SUICIDE
Clara Strong, Aged 13, Drinks
Wood Alcohol.
Unable to Rensin In school Because
OF Epneptic Attacks. rncreasins -
Frequency, Child becomes
Dependent.

Clara strong. little girl only 10 years
Of age. attempted to take her life by
drinking wood alcohol while alone at her
home at 129 1-2 Main street. Dependency
because OF epileptic spasms led the girl
to attempt to end her life She was taken
to the Mary Fletcher hospital, after re-
ceiving first aid treatment from DR.. James
w. Courtney at home. 1t was thought
Tuesday evening that she would recover.
The little girl has been subject to at
tacks Of epilepsy for year and a half.
and for several days past her condition
has been worse, she having had frequent
spasms since Saturday afternoon. when
she was taken i'll on the street. The at
lacks were particularly violent Monday
night and Tuesday morning the little
girl had another spasm.
In the afternoon she was feeling better
and her grandmother, Mrs. Clara Davis.
with whom she has lived since the death
Of her mother about Is months ago. left
the house to buy some groceries. Before
leaving. Mrs. Davis asked her grand
daughter IL she would not like to have
some Of the other little girls in the peigh-
borhood stay with her while she was
away. But the little girl said that she did
not want them around. that she was tired
and wanted to sleep. The grandmother
adjusted the curtain 90 that there would
not he a bright light in the room and left
the little girl alone. lying on the bed. ap-
parently feeling better than she had felt
all day.
Mrs. Davis was gone from her hons
not over a half an hour. On her return
she found her granddaughter lying on
the bed unconscious. Thinking that she
had been seized with another spasn,. Mrs.
Davis attempted to revive her from IL
with a bath towel soaked in cold water.
She worked over the little girl for some
time before she noticed that piece or
paper was clenched in one hand. The
paper proved to he a note written by her
granddau ghter telling her that she at
tented to commit suicide. 1t read as fol-
lows:
IT have taken something to end my
life, grandma.
Mrs. Davis made mustard water and IN
trying to have her granddaughter drink
it discovered that the little girls teeth
were set. as has been the case when she
has been in a spasm. She succeeded IN
getting a little of the mustard water
into her mouth but the girl did not
swallow 1t. While neighbors telephoned To
the police station and for a physician.
the frantic grandmother worked over the
|
. police the little girl revived somewhat
and when she was asked what she had
taken she pointed towards a cupboard
In the corner Of the bed room. There
were numerous bottles in the place and
az each vas brought forth she was asked
II she had taken anything from Il ehe
could not speak but indicated BY
gestures that she had taken Some wood
alcohol She soon fen mo a stupor.
DR.. Courtney arrived with the police and
after attending the girl she was taanen
in the police ambulance to the hospital
, There her stomach was washed and she
soon revived. She said that she had not
taken much Of the wool alcohol but had
, put little between her lips and had
placed some on her tongue. From u
condition In which she was found BY hee
, grandmother It IL believed that the hetae
, girl, realizing that another spasm VA
, coming on. felt that she could sufsar-A1
, longer and took the poison TO end ~
suffering.
The little g1ri. who will DO - years-oe
. age on June Z, was very much Illuminated
! by the attacks she has suffered. She venG
. to school up to a few weeks ago when
was found necessary to take her out b.
cause Of the frequency Of the affscan.
She was bright in her studies ana =
a clever with sewing and fancy work.