ILL AND DESPONDENT,
SHE TRIED SUICIDE.
EDITH HARDING, 17 YEARS OLD,
SWALLOWS CARBOLIC ACID.
Did Not Take Enough to Cause
Death -- She Then Started for
the River, but Was
Overtaken.
Edith Harding, the 17-year-old daughter of Daniel Harding, of 908 South Eighteenth street, Kansas City, Kas., made two unsuccessful attempts at suicide yesterday. A few minutes after 11 o'clock in the forenoon Miss Harding entered her room, closing the door behind her. Her actions during the forenoon were not unusual, and no member of the family suspected that the girl was despondent. Before going to her room she had secured a quantity of carbolic acid, kept in the house for disinfecting purposes. She did not succeed in swallowing much of the poison, most of it being spilled. Her lips and chin were badly burned. When discovered by her mother the girl was lying on a bed suffering agony. Dr., E. D. Williams was summoned and after an examination announced that the girl had not swallowed enough of the acid to cause death. He dressed her injuries and left her in the care of the family.
After Dr. Williams had pronounced her out of danger, Miss Harding seemed greatly disappointed, declaring that she wanted to die. Later in the day she managed to escape from her room and was discovered running toward the Kaw river. Members of the family and several neighbors gave chase and capturing the girl by physical force returned her to her home. She insisted on being allowed to kill herself.
The reason for the young woman wanting to take her life is said to be due to poor health and an abandoned hope of getting well. She said this was the reason she wanted to die as she would rather be dead than suffer like she has done for the past several months. Daniel Harding, the father, is a laborer. A guard will be kept over her for the next few days and in the meantime arrangements will be made to have her taken to a hospital and treated.
