The Monett times., 1922-10-13
SUICIDE is VERDICT
OF CORONER'S JURY
Evidence Shows thai Carb0lic Acid
Was Self Administered. Domestic
Trouble the Cause.

lHc ColVhc1 jury nearing EVIL
dence in the case of death of Mrs. A..
E. Spencer found that she came to
her death from self if-administeYed car
bolie acid with suicidal intent. The
inquest was held at the city hall Fri
day afternoon at o'clock, with f. A.
O'Dwyer serving as coroner in the
absence of Floyd c. Galloway, coroner
OF the county. Members of the jury
were A. L. Goodman, 4. NJ. Shliver,
B. 2. McCaslin. Henry Allen, A. w.
Gelker and Bob Laughton.
Witnesses who testified were A. Il.
Spencer, husband Of the deceased,
Mrs. F. A. Logan. Mrs. Porterfield,
Dr. A. Jones, Mrs. A. L. Goodman
and A. C. Squihh.
The testimony showed that Mrs.
Spencer bought ea3holic acid from
local drug store about $3.50 O'Clock
Friday morning. At noon she did not
eat any dinner and appeared to be
troubled. All the children went to
school and Mr.. Spencer returned TO
his work at the MILL. leaving Mrs.
Spencer alone at the house
About 1870 O'Clock. Mrs. Porter
field who lives in the house north of
the Spencer place, thought she heard
someone moaning as if in distress.
She looked out the window, but seeing
nothing unusual, she went on with her
work. In few minutes she heard
the sound again and looking toward
the Spencer residence she saw that
someone was on the back, porch. She
went over there and found Mrs. |
Spencer on the back steps, lying on
her back, in an unconscious condition. /
Thinking that she had tainted, Mrs.
Portefield called Mr.. and Mrs. A. l..
Goodman, who live next to her. Mrs.
Logan, the neighbor on the south, was
notified and she called DR.. Jones.
A. c. Squihb saw the excitement
and went over and as he and Mr..
Goodman carried the woman into the
house they noticed the odor of car
bolic acid and saw that her mouth was
burned. They administered milk,
which she swallowed. She also sWal-
lowed the antidote administered by
DR.. Jones when he arrived, but she
was already in a dying condition and
the treatment was too late to do her !,
any good. She died at 1:50.
A bottle which had contained car
boiic acid was found on the dresser
in her bedroom and cup from which
she had evidently drunk the fatal
dose was on the back porch.
A note and two sealed letters We're
found in the house. The note wass
written with firm hand on u sheet
Of writing paper. 1t said: Jennie
Fay dear. Call Earl and wire Tibbie
and Xie. Dor't do anything with me
till Tibby comes" Those mentioned i
in the note are her daughters. Jennie
Fay is ten years old and lived with,
her mother. The other two live in
st. Louis.
The letters were addressed - "Mr.
and Mrs. J. 7. Spencer, r. F. d. a
Monett, No." and to "Tibbie and Nie."
Mr.. and Mrs. j. T. Spencer are the
parents of her husband. In this letter
she told them that her husband was
going to leave her Saturday morning.
In the. letter to her daughters she eX-
pressed her wishes in regard to ar
for her funeral and burial
Mr.. Spencer stated at the inquest {
hat he and his wife had had some {
roubIe over the children. Each had t
,een married before and Mr.. Spencer s
lad three children and Mrs. Spencer
lad three, one of whom lived with
hem.
Mrs. Neatta Spencer was born Z
September Is, 1885 and was 81 years {
Il days old at death. I
Funeral services will be held at c