The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1919-04-02
PHYSICIANS
EXPECT HER
TOREC0vER
She Mixed ''Roach Paste" d
Chocolate Candy After
Reprimand by Sister
WROTE FOR SIRYcHMHE

Ruth Morgan, pretty 16
year-old school girl, lies on
a cot in the city hospital
Wednesday, where physi
clans are striving to savd
her life, following an att
tempt made Tuesday nigha
to commit suicide by eatl
ing candy mixed with poi
son roach" paste. 4
The girl win live, doc<
tors believe. altho she il
very weak. Il
She ate the poisoned candl
at the home of her sister, 1fr
Mabel Lee, 1118 Pike st, aftea
an exchange of angry words
Her sister, with whom Ruth
Morgan lived, had told her shd
could not leave the house a
night.
The Eiri had previously w1ftfeU-e1
her boy sweetheart, Ivan h B.
monds, I'm Yakima. asking him -
send her strychnine ito KIN dog
according to the story she toad IL
police "Wednesday morning.
When Ruth returned homa. Tuem
day afternoon, her sister had a ~
ter from Symonds. addressed to I'd
girl. IN which he said: Il supposd
you are getting very impatient about
that strychnine,"
Tells q Phn"
what do you mean by obtaininu
strychnine? Do you intend to KIN
me and my husband?- she asked thd
girl
NO: / want IL for myself cried
the girl. I'm tired OF being held ~
home and not allowed to 60 any.
where at nights. I'm going to KIN
myself with the strychnine.-
Then she said: let me rec the
letter. Did Ivan send ME the strych-
nisa-. For II he did. want IT,
Then the girl left the apartment
house and did not return until after
3 p. m. during which time she pur.
chased the "Sure XIII Roach Pow@
der"
Planning To scare the girl. her sis>
ter took her to the police station.
but before putting on her coat and
hat the girl went to the kitchen,
where she ate the poisoned candy.
After telling her story to Police
Captain f. l.. Hedges. at the central
station. the girl fell in convlusions,
but quick work at the city hospital
saved her life and she win recover.
After investigating the Morgan
girls story. the police confirmed tho
fact that she had written to her
sweetheart, Ivan B. Symonds. .
Yakima school boy. asking him to
send her strychnine.
According to Mrs. Mabel Lee. sis
ter Of the girl. the girls father Is
dead. and the mother. remarked,
lives Ut Wtpato. ITOuufe pelWec4
Ruth and her mother had caused
the girl TO live away from home. and
she has lived in Yakima for almost
three years. Two months ago Mrs
Lee brought her young sister to Sc
attic.
Bought Powder
According to her statement. the.
girl purchased the powder at thei
Yesler Pharmacy, Broadway and
Yesler. under the name OF '1rene@
Banks" This was later verified by /
the police.
The girl said she had put some OF
II in a chocolate cream while at'
home and swallowed IL. throwing
the remainder out of the window.
The empty bottle was recovered By
the police.
According to the police, Ruth
wrote her boy friend at Yakima, say
ing that she was unhappy becausei
sis keeps me from having a good
time" by keeping her in the house
at night, and asking him to send her
some strychnine.
In reply. according to the policoss
Symonds wrote the following letter.
TAO p. NJ.
yakima, March 81. 1919.
Dear Friend Boots: suppose you
are getting very impatient about that