Sunday, January 19, 2014

Testimony in the case of Jennett Dutton who committed Suicide, Sunday, May 18th

STATE OF IOWA 
Scott County,

Examination of witnesses produced, sworn and examined before me, J. J. Tomson, Coroner of said County, and Israel Hall, J. Ruch, G. H. Mosler, lawful men of the said county, duly sworn upon their oaths to inquire when, how, and by what means Jennett Dutton Came to her death:

DR. J. C. PARKER, sworn:  I know the person lying dead.  I saw her some 8 months ago.  She was apparently sane at that time.  Some 4 or 5 days ago she came to my office, saying that she was in trouble – wished to know what to do.

I saw her today about 11 o’clock.  I found her suffering from spasms.  She informed me that she had taken strychnine with the intention of killing herself.  Said she got the poison in Rock Island.  I think that her death was caused by strychnine.  She said she had been dishonored, and wished to die.  I remained from 11 till 3 o’clock.

DR. ADLER, sworn: I saw her, the person here lying dead, for the first time this afternoon.  Found her lying on the floor, on her back.  Found her quite rational, with frequent pulse.  Face flushed – head turned to the left, and vomiting at intervals.  She had a slight convulsion of her limbs soon after I saw her.  I had been informed that she had taken strychnine.  She told me herself that she had taken strychnine.  I remained until she died.  I am satisfied that she died from the effects of strychnine.

J. J. BURTIS, sworn: I know the person her lying dead; have known her for about four months; she has been in my employ; I considered her a girl of sound mind; I did not know of her troubles; for the last two or three weeks she has not done as well in my service as previous; she has due her from me $4.65, which I have paid to Mr. Daniel Moore; I believe her to be a girl of good moral character; she lost no time by reason of sickness during the time she was in my employ.

DANIEL MOORE, sworn: I know the person here lying dead; her [name] is Jennett Dutton; she worked for me in 1860, three months, also three months in 1861; she said that she had been married in Scotland, and her husband was lost on the ocean; so far as I know she was a woman of good moral character; she came to my house last night about nine o’clock, a good deal excited; she said that Frank Collins had started reports about her at the Burtis House, and that she had taken laudanum on his account; she laid down and slept all night; this morning she appeared to be rational, but somewhat excited; she left my house about 10 o’clock, to go to her sister’s in Coal Valley, Rock Island county, Illinois; I went to East Davenport, and between ten and eleven o’clock I was sent for saying that Jennett had returned to my house and had taken strychnine; when I got home Dr. Parker was with her; a little time before she died she seemed to be sorry that she had taken the strychnine; she seemed to be anxious to get well; the balance of my testimony corroborates that of Drs. Parker and Adler.

MRS. RACHEL KEATING, sworn – I have known the person here lying dead about two years; she told me that she was a widow; she has been at the Burtis House nearly six months; she came to my house yesterday, and asked me if I had any reports about her; I said that I had, but had paid no attention to them; I then asked her what her trouble was; she said that Frank Collins had raised a bad report about her; she said that she had been to him on Thursday night last, and urged him to clear her of it, or she would throw herself into the river; the next morning she heard what she said to him from the girls in the Burtis House.  She told me that she had taken laudanum, and did not wish to live; I gave her mustard and salt, which vomited her; she told me yesterday that she was determined to kill herself; I saw her this morning, soon after she returned to Mr. Moore’s she was very much excited; I put my hand into her pocked and found a paper with what I supposed to be strychnine; the paper was still wet, as though she had had her tongue to it; she told me that she had taken some of the powder, which I found in her pocked; she said that she got the powder, which she said was strychnine, in Rock Island; she said that she had tried the laudanum from Tuesday, and had not succeeded in taking her life, and she thought that she would try strychnine.

– Published in The Davenport Daily Gazette, Davenport, Iowa, Tuesday Morning, May 20, 1862, p. 1

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