CIGARETTES HIS CURSE.
MOTHER'S REASON FOR SON'S
SECOND SUICIDE ATTEMPT.
Young Man Who Falls on Street
From Strychnine Poisoning Talks
of a Love Affair --
Will Recover.
A young man was seen walking unsteadily along in the vicinity of Twenty-second street and Dunham avenue shortly after 1 o'clock yesterday afternoon. Presently he stopped, drew rigid and fell in a convulsion. People who called the ambulance from the Walnut Street station thought possibly it was heat prostration, but Dr. George Dagg, ambulance surgeon, diagnosed the case as one of strychnine poisoning. The man was taken at once to the general hospital, where followed several other convulsions indicitive of strychnine poisoning.
It was learned there that the young man's name was Benjamin Rowland, formerly a bill clerk in the employ of the Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul railway. He lives with his widowed mother at 2045 North Valley street, Kansas City, Kas. It was stated at the hospital late last night that Rowland would recover.
During a conscious period at the hospital yesterday, Rowland intimated that a love affair had caused him to attempt his life.
While calling at the home of Miss Hettie Fredericks, 18 years old, Sixteenth street and the Paseo, last spring, young Rowland attempted suicide by drinking laudanum. He had gone there in the afternoon to make a call. No one was home but Miss Connie Fredericks, an older sister. Rowland said he was going to the bathroom for a drink. After being there some time he called Miss Connie to the door of the parlor and, holding a glass of dark liquid high in the air, said, "Good-bye to all. Here goes." It was later discovered that he had taken laudanum.
She called in the janitress and the latter telephoned for a doctor. After working with Rowland for an hour or more, he was left in good condition, and was later taken home.
A stranger called at his home of the widowed mother, 2045 North Valley street, Kansas City, Kas., soon after the occurrence yesterday and told Mrs. Rowland of the son's second attempt. She went at once to the emergency hospital in the city hall, as she heard he had been taken there. When his employer was called up at the C. M. & St. P. freight office, Fourteenth and Liberty streets, Mrs. Rowland learned for the first time that her son had quit his job there a week ago. What he had been doing meantime she did not know.
"If he lives through this," she said, "I intend to take steps to have him restrained. He has smoked cigarettes until he is a complete nervous wreck. He smokes them all day and then smokes them during the night. I have begged and pleaded with him about it, but it does no good. I think cigarettes are a greater curse to the younger generation of boys than whiskey and should be placed under restrictions just as stringent. I shall place him in some sanitarium if he lives through this attempt."
