The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1918-03-06
FIRST JOYRIDE
DRIVES GIRL TO
SHOOT HERSELF. i! l
Shame Over Misstep Cause
of Mary Harris Search
for Death.
CHANCES FOR LIFE
SLIGHT, IS VERDICT
Young Woman Sends Bullet
Through Side in Store
Downtown.

Mary Harris, the pretty 20-year-
old Hamilton girl who shot herself in
the side yesterday morning in the
hardware department Of the Missonla
Mercantile company, wants to die and
probably will. ~
please go away" she said to nurses
and doctors at St. Patrick's hospital
She sobbed in despair.
Il went out on n joyride and beer
party last night sac said. Il never
did anything wrong before. This
morning I was 90 ashamed tried to
XIII myself. and I didn't want to live"
Little Hope Held for Girl.
The girls mother. Mrs. Mary Harris
OF Hamilton. has been called to Mis-
soula. So little hope is held out for
the girls recovery that Mrs. Frank
Star, her sister, has disregarded
Mahcl's plea that her mother be not
informed of the tragedy. An x-ray
examination yesterday showed that
the bullet pierced the liver and Is
lodged against the spinal column. There
is little chance OF saving the girls
life, It is said.
Try TO Discover Motives.
While doctors and nurses were work
ing TO keep Miss Harris alive. the girls
relatives and the police tried to dis
cover the reason for the attempted
suicide. Mr.. and Mrs. Frank Star.
with whom Miss Harris had been liv-
in~ for swo weeks, think that the girl
told the whole truth when she said
that humiliation following her first
mssten caused her to try to end her
life. The police are not 20 sure.
Told Story in Letter.
The whole tragic story is believed
to be in letter which Mabel Harris
wrote yesterday morning to girl
chum in Lewiston. Idaho, where she
had once worked. She told her sister
yesterday that she had written to a
friend she called "Fritzie." saying that
she was going to kill herself as soon
rs the letter had been mailed. An at
tempt will be made to get hold of this
letter in hope OF finding clue to the
girls motive.
Out es House Short Time.
The fact that Miss Harris was out
OF her sisters house for only q little
more than an hour early Monday
evening makes the police doubt the
"joyride" story. Star said last night
that the girl left the mouse shortlN
after supper and walked across the
Van Rnren street bAidge. About an
hour later. shortly after o'clock. she
came back and said that she had been
on an automobile ride. She offered NO
further explanation.
Star said yesterday that his sister
in-law apparently had auarreled with
Lewiston. He knew nothing about ths
affair. but thought that it might have
had something to do with the suicide
Act Was Osiibsrats.
The girl evidently arose yesterda,
morning with intent to kill herself
though she cooked breakfast and
seemed quite cheerful. She sat dowl
right after breakfast and wrote tn
letter. in which she says she told "Frit
zie" Of her plan. Then she said Z
her sister:
Pm going to give that purple Goa
Of mine to Bessie" (Bessie Is
Younger sister living in Hamilton).
Why don't You give 1t to her now ?
the sister asked.
-oh. I'll wait awhile"
Got Gun at Store.
Mabel then left the house. sayin
that she was going to the Y. w. G. 4
to look for work. Apparently she wer
straight to the Missoula Mercantil
company stope. After finding her wa
To the hardware store she asked Ii
Hiscock. clerk. to show Der som
revolvers. Hiscock handed her 4
Gotta and smaller gun.
isn't this, a beauty" she sat
Swapping the trigger OF the larger gu
May I see some cartrfdgesrs
Hiscock gave the girl box Of cart
ridges. She slipped two OF them int
the gun and. before the clerk could ir
1erfers. shot hsrself in the SIDE
She w~s rushed to 81. Patrfck's ho
ptfal. where ssse is now.
came here Six Wssks Ace.
Mabel Harrts came to Ntasou
about six weeks ago from Hamlitc
where she had been visiting b
mother. she worked as a domestic I
time and then went to live with I
stars At 7es East Cedar street. Pre-
soaalys she had worked az Lewists
Idaho. for several years.