Carrollton Patriot Newspaper
Jan 1904 (possibly)
CUT HIS OWN, THROAT
ATTEMPTED SUICIDE AT COUNTY HOUSE
Michael O’Donnell, Aged 77, Slashed Throat with Razor—Still
Alive but will Die.
Michael O’Donnell, 77-years of age and an inmate of the
county house, cut his throat with a razor, with suicidal intent
Sunday morning. He was still alive yesterday, but will die. The
deed was done in his room, while most of the other inmates were
at breakfast. He had refused to go down with them, and after
they had gone, he got his razor, kneeled down in a corner of
this room and cut a fearful gash, deep, wide and gaping, across
his throat. A fellow inmate, passing through the corrider heard
him making a noise inside, and went in to see what was the
matter with him. The man took in the situation, snatched the
razor and ran down to call Superintendent Collins. Mr. Collins
sent in at once for Dr. Gooch, the county physician.
The gash was just across the epiglottis and almost severed
the windpipe. It extended across the throat almost to the
carotid artery, on either side. Had it opened either of these,
the old man would have bled to death in a short time. When Dr.
Gooch arrived he found that the assistance of another surgeon
would be required to sew up the wound. He fixed it up
temporarily and called Dr. Burns. They brought the severed parts
together with a number of stitches and made the patient as
comfortable as possible.
He was now able to talk a little. He declared that he had had
no idea of committing suicide, and while he remembered getting
out his razor to shave, the act of cutting his throat was a
blank to him. It is thought, however, that he had contemplated
the act.
The condition of his throat makes it impossible for him to
take any nourishment, and his attempts to swallow tear out the
stitches that were made. It is, therefore, only a question of a
few days when his suffering will be at an end.
Mr. O’Donnell lived in this city many years. He has been an
inmate of the county house for nearly three and a half years.
Jan 1904 (possibly)
Result of Prize Contest
Miss Minnie Kelly, First Prize
Mrs Clay Thomas, Second Prize
The front cover of The Patriot’s Christmas number had a
half-tone group of baby photographs, eighty-seven in number, and
all either living here or known here. Two prizes were offered
for the best lists of names of the babies.
A number of lists were submitted, and the result is as follows:
Miss Minnie Kelly wins the first prize, $2.50. She had a list of
77 names, 59 of which were correct and 18 incorrect; a net
result of 41 points.
Mrs. Clay Thomas wins the second prize, a half dozen
photographs, offered by C. Reime. She had a list of 55 names, 45
of them correct and 10 incorrect; net result 35 points.
Little Miss Florence Bowie also guessed 45 names correctly, but
in her list were 22 names of children not in the group, which
left her only 24 points. Others who came close to the second
place were Selma Eberlein, with 41 correct and 27 incorrect
names. Estelle Hays, with 41 correct and only 13 incorrect
names.
