Evening Republican, Volume 17, Number 32, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 6 February 1913 — GIRL IN ANGER FIT COMMITTED SUICIDE [ARTICLE]

GIRL IN ANGER FIT COMMITTED SUICIDE

Sixteen-Year-Old Daughter of James Whited Drank Carbolic Acid After Quarrel With Brother. Mary Elizabeth Whited, 16-year-old daughter of James Whited, who lived on one of the Henry Harris farms west of this city, drank carbolic acid Wednesday night at about 10:30 o’clock and died thrrfe hours later. ' The girl is said to have been very willful and headstrong and to have often threatened to kill herself. Wednesday evening she quarreled with a brother, who -seems to have been tormenting her by passing a paper across her face between her and the light while she was at tempting tb read. Her mother finally had to compel the children to stop their , fussing and the girl said she would kill her brother. She went into the pantry of the home and procured a vial of carbolic acid and went to her bedroom, where she drank the acid. Her smaller sister saw her commit the act and reported it-gnd a summons was sent to Rensselaer for Dr. Hemphill, who secured an automobile at the garage and made the trip to the farm in 28 minutes. The girl, however, had passed away about three minutes before his arrival. She had taken two ounces of the acid and the physician would have been powerless to aid her even had he been there immediately after .the act was committed. Coroner Wright was called to the house and found the circumstances as herewith stated and will issue a certificate of suicide. The funeral arrangements have not been completed.