POISON ENDS LIFE
OF GIRL OF TWELVE.
FRIEND OF ANNA MAY WIL-
LIAMS A SUICIDE.
BROODED OVER
CHUM'S END.
"ANNA WAS PERSECUTED," SAID
VIVIAN BURDEN.
Then She Went to a Drug Store and
Purchased 10 Cents Worth of
Carbolic Acid as the Wil-
liams Girl Had Done.
Did the fact that Anna May Williams committed suicide prey upon the mind of 12-year-old Vivian Burden until she yesterday took her own young life by the same method -- carbolic acid? No other reason but mental suggestion has been ascribed as a cause for the girl's death by her family and the coroner.
Little Vivian had gone to the Woodland school with Anna May Williams, the 15-year-old girl who killed herself Tuesday afternoon at her home, 816 Euclid avenue. A discussion of the number of suicides, especially with carbolic acid, took place at the breakfast table in the Burden home yesterday. The death of Ana May Williams, Vivian's acquaintance, was, of course, discussed more than the rest.
"The girl was persecuted," she said "That's the way with step-papas, anyhow."
The child seemed much wrought up over the matter, but as she cooled down afterwards, little was tought of it.
NO TROUBLE TO GET ACID.
Yesterday afternoon Vivian left her house at 800 Lydia avenue, and went to the drug store of E. D. Francisco, Eighth street and Tracy avenue.
"I want 10 cents worth of carbolic acid," she said. "My mamma wants it to make roach poison."
The child, for she was nothing more, sallied when she said this, and seemed restless, as children do, to get away. "Before she left, however, she bought an ice cream soda and ate it at the counter. With the deadly poison clenched in her childish hands she went to the Bazaar, a store at the corner of Independence and Tracy avenues. There she took some time in selecting a pretty doll for her 5-year-old sister, Helen.
All of this took up about an hour, so that Vivian arrived back home about 3 p. m. Calling her little sister she gave her the doll, for which she had paid 35 cents and seemed delighted in the little one's pleasure when the doll was placed in her hands and she was told it was all hers.
No one suspected there was anything wrong with Vivian when she went upstairs to her room. Louise, 17, and Myrtle, 19 years old sisters of Vivian, were busy in the kitchen when Vivian ran in and said: "Call a doctor quick; I've taken some of mamma's roach poison." The sisters at first thought she was joking, but when they saw the condition of her lips and smelled the deadly carbolic acid they were thrown into consternation.
DOCTOR'S EFFORTS WERE IN VAIN.
Dr. Oliver F. Faires, who has an office over Francisco's drug store, was then summoned, and though he worked over the child until 5 o'clock, she died, having been long unconscious before the end came. Coroner George B. Thompson was summoned and sent the body to Newcomer's undertaking rooms.
Vivian Burden was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. W. G. Burden. The father, a butcher, was not at home, being employed in Bartlesville, Ok. He was notified of his child's rash act and left for home last night.
"What cause can you assign for your daughter, Vivian, taking carbolic acid?" was asked of Mrs. Burden last night.
"I cannot believe the girl committed suicide because of any trouble either at home or with her playmates," the mother replied. "She was of a very happy and bright disposition and was never moody." Vivian regularly scanned the newspapers each day and was particularly interested in stories about suicides. The sad girl named Anna May Williams may have inspired her," the mother said, "as she constantly talked about the girl and the poor girl's sad life."
