The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1925-09-10
TWO WOMEN
TRY SUICIDE
Family Troubles Lead to
Attempts to End Life
by Two Women.
BOTH WILL RECOVER

Domestic troubles are blamed today
as motives for the attempt of two
Kenosha young women to take their
lives by drinking iodine. Both tried
to end their lives within twelve hours
of each other and both will recover.
The first of the two follows a pitt
full tragedy in which the matrimonial
bark of a young couple hit the rocks
within a few months after the mar
riage knot was tied.
Jesse Barksdale and Blanche Banks
Grand avenue ever since they were
married last November. But their
married life hasn't always been happy.
A short time ago a divorce action was
started but this was dropped when the
two agreed to live together again. Five
weeks ago there was another recon-
Citation that followed another quarrel.
Brings Hubby Into Court.
But that was destined to be short
lived as well. On Wednesday Mrs.
Barksdale-who is 22-had her hus-
band arrested and charged that he
had threatened to kill her with a re-
volver and had beaten her. In muni-
cipal court Wednesday morning Banks
dale-also 22-denied the charge and
mentioned something about another
man" with whom he alleged his wife
had gone out riding as the cause of
their latest troubles. Judge John
Slater set the case for hearing on
September and indicated that in the
meantime he wanted to have a talk
with the two young people to see if
there wasn't something he could do
in the role of peacemaker.
Evidently the latest trouble had eff
fected the young wife and disturbed
her mind. At eight-thirty o'clock on
Thursday evening DR.. H. L. Rose was
called to the home on Grand avenue
and found that Blanche Barksdale had
taken considerable amount of iodine
in an attempt to end her life.
The physician administered anti
dotes and ordered the girl taken to
the Kenosha hospital where further
medical attention was given. Today
it was said that she would recover.
Another Wife Tries Suicide.
The canning season proved too much
for one gentle wife today, and she too
attempted to end it all. The police
received call at $40 a. m. this
morning to the home Of Mrs. Louis
Ruffalo, 1108 Slosson street. Police
Officers Pecan and Turkelson re-
sponded with the ambulance.
They found Mrs. Ruffalo victim
Of her own depression, lying in bed
with brown iodine spilled over her
garments. She told them that she had
drunk the contents of a small bottle
of iodine and showed the bottle.
Case Is Not Serious.
Drs. H. L. Rose and A. L. Christof-
ferson answered the call to the home
and it was found that it was not
necessary to remove the patient to
the hospital. Most of the fluid had
been spilled in the effort to swallow
it, and such as had been swallowed
was not enough to even cause a seri-
Gus ailment.
Mrs. Ruffalo had become respondent
over the results of some canning
which she had done. She had "put
up" a quantity of tomatoes, which
had fermented and spoiled. Her hus-
band had "chided" her for it, saying
that the next time they would have
to get somebody who knew how to
put up the fruit. The ~eproach hurt
her, and the suicide attempt followed.
A better understanding resulted from
the entire mishap.