Wayne County Press
Thursday, November 11, 1909
p1

Monday morning of this week, the city was startled by the statement that Miss Carrie Creighton had taken carbolic acid at the home of Mr. and Mrs. F H. Hall, where she had boarded, and that death had resulted. Miss Creighton was the third daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John Creighton of Jasper township.

She had always been of a cheerful and lively disposition and was quite popular with all who knew her. She had spent the day before with her parents and friends at her Jasper township home and had attended church at Ebenezer at night. After church she and her next younger sister were brought to their boarding place in this city, to be in readiness for their work at the Sexton Factory on the morrow.

Monday morning she did not get up when her sister did and later did not eat any breakfast, but came down town and purchased an ounce and a half bottle of carbolic acid from Mr. Fruitiger at the Keen-Norris Drug store, explaining that she wanted it to use on a corn. When she returned to her room she took with her up stairs a cup partly filled with water and later must have taken about two thirds of the contents of the bottle.

Mrs. Hall was away at the home of a sick neighbor for a while and on her return, she was uneasy about her boarder and went to her room to see if she could do anything for her. She found her laying on the bed breathing hard and had trouble to waken her. Noticing the empty cup and the odor of carbolic acid, she ran down to her husband and asked him about the odor. They both then went to the room and tried to rouse her. When she opened her eyes Mr. Hall asked if she had taken something and she nodded that she had. When asked if she wanted a doctor, she shook a negative answer. However Mr. Hall started for a physician at once and met Dr. W. H. Daviscoming to the home of a neighbor and had him there in a few minutes. When the doctor arrived, she had sunk into unconsciousness and gradually passed away.   Her father and mother were phoned for and arrived before the final end.

There seemed to be no apparent good reason for her action. The inquest developed that she had had a foolish "lover's quarrel." A young gentleman, who had been going with her and who was expected to take her to church on Sunday night, was at church with another young lady. Her friends teased her about it and she said to one of her friends that "he will be sorry for it."

After the death coroner T. C. McMackin impanneled the following jury: L. A. McLin, F. H. Hall, Orman Beard, Curt Owens, Charles Behymer and Dr. H. J. Morland. The evidence of Capt. Murphy, Mrs. F. H. Hall, Dr. W. H. Davis, ------ Fruitiger and Mrs. ----- Wilson was taken and the above facts were brought out, after which the jury rendered the following verdict: "We, the jury, find that the deceased come to her death from the effects of about an ounce of carbolic acid, administered by her own hands, with suicidal intent."

The body was taken to the home of the parents and the funeral services were conducted Tuesday morning at ten o'clock.

The following appropriate obituary was read at the funeral and has been handed to us for publication: Carrie Lee Creighton, daughter of John and Ruth Creighton, was born Dec. 16th, 1889, and died Nov. 8th, 1909, her age at the time of her decease was 19 years, 10 months and 23 days. She leaves behind her to mourn her departure, her father, mother, six brothers and five sisters.

Carrie Lee was happily converted at a revival meeting, conducted by the Rev. C. C. Cullison, at Merriam church last December, though never having joined the church. She placed her entire trust in the Lord, and was often heard to so express herself. Only a day or two before her departure from our midst in a conversation with her family, she consented to make the church known as the Woodland Methodist Episcopal church her home.

She was always a loving, faithful and obediant daughter, who because of her pleasant ways and good nature, and happy disposition was the life of the entire family. Her presence shall not only be greatly missed by her own immediate family but by all that knew her, as she was a favorite with all and lived -------------------. We know not why she should have left us as she did, but knowing her as we do, and realizing that she has tasted of the divine love of the master, and having had her past sins pardoned at the time of her conversion, and having known everything until the very moment of her death; we most sincerely and prayerfully hope that she made peace with God, before she left this sinful world. She had ample time to have done so, if she so desired. Who knows what passed between her and Almighty God at the last moment, in this trust and with this hope we leave her in his divine care. Amen.