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Subject: [PAMONTGO-L] News Articles from Pennsburg in 1902
Date: Sat, 18 May 2002 00:29:23 EDT
Town and Country
Pennsburg, Montgomery County, PA
Saturday - May 17, 1902
INCENSED WOMAN COMMITS SUICIDE
Miss Emma Malinda WENTLING, of Upper Hanover township, near the New
Goshenhoppen Reformed Church, committed suicide this week by taking paris
green. Miss WENTLING resided in her own house within 100 yards of her
brother's place, and Oswin WENTLING, her nephew, had rented a portion of her
house. On Monday morning the two worked in the garden and Oswin made a remark
to his aunt at which she became offended. She at once left the garden,
entered the house and went to her bed room. Nothing was thought of this as
she did this on former occasions. Shortly after the dinner hour Oswin's wife
heard a peculiar noise issuing from Emma's room and she informed her husband
who went to the house and investigated. He found the door of her room locked
and when he called her he did not receive a reply. The suicidal idea flashed
into Oswin's mind at once, as she had on previous occasions, when in a fit of
rage, threatened to take her life. He at once summoned his brother-in-law who
lives with his father and another effort was made to have Emma open the door,
but without avail. In a short time Emma's brother Levi came home from a trip
to the mill and he was advised of the condition. He went to the house and
heard the peculiar noise issuing from Emma's room and he was satisfied that
something was wrong. He went to the door and tried it but found it locked. He
pleaded with his sister to open the door but without avail. As a last resort
he told her that if she did not open the door he would force it in. This
caused Emma to open it and when they entered she lay on her bed in her night
clothes writhing in pain. The room was darkened by her, every shade being
down. After scrutinizing the room they found a cup of paris green standing on
the window and the chamber indicated that she was seized with vomiting spells
after swallowing the deadly poison. It also appeared that she took a bath
before she took the poison and put on clean underwear. This fact shows that
she evidently thought the poison would kill instantly and she should be found
dead in bed. Miss WENTLING evidently did not know the nature of the poison
she took, else she would have taken a different kind or more, as paris green
in small doses will only cause a chronic arsenical poisoning. As soon as it
was known that she had taken poison Dr. W.H. HUNSBERGER, of Pennsburg, was
summoned. Dr. C.T. WAAGE was also called in consultation and the doctors
tried to apply antidotes but she refused to take them. The woman was rational
up to the last few hours. On Tuesday evening she would for the first time
take any medicine and after that she took the medicine regularly but the
poison had done its work by then. She was pulseless for almost two days. When
the doctor was with her alone he questioned her and she told him why she took
it and that she took about a teaspoonful but wanted to take more but could
not get it down. She died on Wednesday afternoon after suffering from the
effects of the arsenical poison. The woman was a daughter of the late Solomon
WENTLING and was despondent at times. She brought her age to 52 years, 2
months and 1 day. She is survived by an only brother, Levi. The funeral will
be held on Monday at the house at 9 o'clock. Interment will be made on the
Huffs Church cemetery. Rev. HUMBERT, of Bowers, will officiate. Miss WENTLING
had her life insured in the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company, of
Philadelphia, for $500. The beneficiary is her nephew, Levi WENTLING, Jr., of
Philadelphia.
DECHANT FAMILY REUNION WILL BE HELD TODAY
The DECHANT family will hold a reunion today at the old DECHANT homestead in
the central part of Pennsburg. The widow of the late Rev. A.L. DECHANT has
spent almost a year at Lisbon, Iowa, with the family of her son Rev. Abner
and today she will return to her home in this borough accompanied by her son
Abner. The other children will also come to this borough and the annual
reunion will take place.
FOUR GENERATIONS OF ONE FAMILY
Four members (picture) of one family, representing as many generations, are
living in the borough of East Greenville and under the same roof. They are
Mrs. Susan SCHANTZ, Mrs. Henry R. MUMBAUER, Mrs. Abner LACHMAN and little
Alda, daughter of the last named. Almost three-quarters of a century
represents the period included in the difference of age, between the younger
and oldest members of the quartet. Alda is six years old and her
great-grandmother in her 77th year. Illness, up to within a few weeks, was
unknown to any member of the family. Several weeks ago Mrs. SCHANTZ had a
spell of sickness but she has again completely recovered. She seems well and
active again and she daily attends to minor household duties. Mrs. SCHANTZ is
the widow of the late Enos SCHANTZ, of Trumbauersville. She is a daughter of
the late Samuel FREED of near Pleasant Run.
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