The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1921-03-17
Mrs. Kathryn Chaplin, Kenosha Woman, Takes
Poison in Milwaukee in Moment
of Dependency.
FALLSNFAINT in MILWAUKEE STREET
SwOons on Busiest Corner in Milwaukee and at the
Hospital She Admits That She Had Taken
Twenty Bichoride of Merury Tablets.

ryn Chaplin, of Kenosha, and gave her
mothers, name and address as Mrs.
Oscar Tornquist, 213 Maplewood aven-
ue, Kenosha.
Left Here Tuesday Afternoon.
Mrs. Chaplin had given no intimation
to her relatives in Kenosha that she
was planning to commit suicide. For
several weeks she had been taking
care of some children at home on
Fremont avenue and without return
ing to her home she had gone to Mil
waukee probably abou; five o'clock on
Tuesday evening.
1t is believed that she had again
been taken with the craving for NOR
phine, to which she had been addicted
for several years and had presumably
been cured and had gone to Milwau-
kee in an effort to secure some of the
drug. There in fit of dependency
she preferred to end it all rather than
return to the old lifeJ
Mrs. Chaplin is an attractive looking
woman and impressed the authorities
in Milwaukee as woman from a
good home" She wore plain hat and
coat and silk dress, when she made
The attempt at suicide in Milwaukee.
Habit Years Old
When told of the rash act, members
Of the family Of the unfortunate
woman related the story Of her long
illness which had lead to the tragic
incident.
Mrs. Chaplin was formerly Miss
Kathryn Erickson of Kenosha and was
very popular in her girlhood here. She
was married first to George Rietz, but
divorce was secured several years
later. A few years ago she became the
wife of Frank Chaplin, a we'll to do
business man of Chicago. Four
months ago she came to Kenosha and
her friends learned of the illness
which had made her an addict, to the
drug habit.
Six or seven years ago she was taken
with a strange illness which resulted
in number of operations. AT the hos
pital she was given morphine and was
unable to break herself from the habit.
She battled alone against the habit
for years but finally went to sana-
tarium in Chicago from which she was
sent away as "cured."
Tried to Get Morphine Here.
Recently Mrs. Chaplin had tried to
get morphine in Kenosha but doctors
knowing of her condition had all re-
fused to give her any prescription. It
is known that in the last few weeks
she had appealed toSseveral physicians
and it is believed that she had gone to
Milwaukee for the same purpose.
H0r mother, Mrs. Oscar Tornquist,
and other relatives had done all with
in their power to gain treatment for
her, but the woman, it is said, had been
averse to going to any institutions. 1t
is also said that her husband had tried
repeatedly to get her to go to a sana-
tarium in Chicago for treatment and
that he could not secure her consent.
Members of her family declared that
her husband chad refused to support
| her"
Recalls Another Episode.
ne attempt at SUICIDE IN milwaukee
recalls another episode in the life of
the young woman in Kenosha several
months ago. At that time Mrs. Chaplin
was found on the street near her home
on Maplewood avenue. She declared
that she had been struck by an auto
mobile but no bruises could be dis
covered on her body and no trace of
the automobile could be found. The
woman's crazed condition was blamed
for the hallucination at that time.
Mrs. Chaplin has a daughter, Miss
Mildred Rietz, who declared this morn
ing that her mother had given abso-
lutely no intimation of any intention
to end her life.
Latest reports from the hospital in
Milwaukee were to the effect that the
young woman wouldNprobably recover.
The doctors believe that she must
have over estimated the dose of poison
which she took for it would have been
| impossible for her to live any length
of time after taking as much as twenty
tablets Of bichloride of mercury.