New Britain herald., 1929-08-22
Mrs. Alena M. Wardner, 719 East Street, Con- mits Suicide Over Illness and Mortgage Debt.

Despondent because of a pending mortgage Mrs. Alena M Wardner. Il, 719 East street, wound a thick cord around her neck yesterday afternoon In her bedroom. When her husband came home early in the evening, she was dead.
 Mrs. Wal dner was alone in the first floor tenement which she and her husband occupied, all afternoon. The husband, Ernest Wardner, in a statement made to police officials, declared that this is the second time his wife tried to take her own lire A few days ago, apparently for the same reasons. she drank iodine, but recovered.
 Woman Normal At Noon
 With the cord wound tightly around her neck and tied into knot throat, the body was found by the husband, lying prone in her bed room when he returned from work last night at 6:10. He had previ- ously seen his wife at 12:10 yester~ day afternoon and she appeared to him to be perfectly normal. Neigh bors say that they had not seen tn, woman since about 8 o'clock in tn, afternoon.
 Unable to hold back his tears, MT Sergeant John c. Stadler of the local police department, who conducted the investigation. that when h. came home from work he found the rear door of the tenement locked. but he was able to enter by the front door. As he moved through the rooms and was not able to find his wife, he feared that something had happened"
 Suspected the Worst
 A premonition of disaster struck him when he did rot find his wife in the kitchen, cooking the evening meal, and. as he went to her bed : room and heard no noises, he dre1d- ed to open the door. But when ne did open the door he found his wife lying on her back on the floor, be- side the bed, the cord wrapped around her neck and drawn tightly.
 Thinking that she was not dead. he raised her in his arms. Not un- til then did he realize that she was beyond earthly aid.
 The neighbors from the sccoo@ floor of the house, and Sergeant Michael J. Flynn, who lives nevt door were called. Sergeant Flynn notified police headquarters ard Sergeant Stadler was detailed to the investiga ation.
 The medical examiner, Dr. John Purney, arriving a short time later, made an examination of the body. He said that death was caused by strangulation and that the woman had been dead for a few hours be- fore he made his examination.
 Feared for Future
 While she was still married to Frederick Atkins. MT. Wardner made his home with his wife for the past 30 years. She then conducted roominr houses on Commercial and Main streets. Tn his statement to the police he said that last November she became i'll and had to bc taken to the hospital
 When she had to give up her rooming house because of her ill- ness she often expressed doubts as to her future Because he lrew her for so many years he asked her to marry him because he felt that it might be possible for them to find happiness together in their de- clining years.
 Since the marriage she had ire Mr. Wardner tried 10 relieve her of as many household duties as pos sible. He also bought a car in which he took his wife riding al most every night because he thought that the air might do her good.
 Mrs, Wardner, however, felt that she was q burden on her husband. Often she would become gloomy. but her husband would try to tell her that he was glad to work for her.
 Husband Deeply Depressed
 q ave worked and worked to bring about happiness. and this is how it cnds," he told the police.
 Mrs. Wardner is survived by two sons, Arthur and Frederick Atkins. She also leaves a niece in Meriden.