Beckham County, OK - Deaths: Jessie Pauline Mumpower, 1904 03 September 2008 Submitted by: delma25@pldi.net (Delma Tindell) ********************************************************************* USGENWEB NOTICE Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm ********************************************************************* MUMPOWER, JESSIE PAULINE (28 Sep 1904, Wednesday, Elk City Record, Elk City, Beckham Co, OK): Mrs. B. A. Mumpower, who has been in poor health for some months took her own life Monday morning, by taking carbolic acid. Though she had expressed herself recently as wishing herself dead, her husband and friends were not prepared for nor indeed did they expect she would take her own life. Mr. Mumpower left home for his place of business at seven o'clock Monday morning and on returning at noon found his wife almost dead, with a partly filled vile of carbolic acid lying on the floor near the bed on which his wife was lying. All efforts of restoration were fruitless and she died shortly after. No reason is given for the rash act other than ill health, which produced a condition of dispondency which resulted in this rash act. Justice Green held an inquest over the dead body with the results just mentioned. The bereaved husband has the sympathy of the entire town, left as he is with a three year-old child deprived of its natural protector and companion. (29 Sep 1904, Thursday, Elk City Democrat, Elk City, Beckham Co, OK): Suicide. Mrs. B. G. (sic) Mumpower committed suicide last Monday morning while Mr. Mumpower was at his office. Carbolic acid was the destroyer. She had been suffering for a long time with bad health and dispondency was the cause of her rash act. Drs. Watson and McComas were called, but it was too late to save her. She was the daughter of Col. Ross, a prominent attorney, who was in Elk the first few months of the town's opening, and her home was in Missouri. She was an estimable lady, fond mother and loving wife. She left a child about 2 years old. The sympathy of many friends are extended to her bereaved husband and relatives. (29 Sep 1904, Roger Mills Democrat, Elk City, Beckham Co, OK): DEATH BY SUICIDE Overcome with Despondency, Mrs. B. A. Mumpower Ends Her Life. When B. A. Mumpower, proprietor of the Elk City Steam Laundry, entered his home last Monday noon, he found his wife lying on the floor of her bedroom, dying from the effects of carbolic acid, taken with suicidal intent. The testimony of Mr. Mumpower and other witnesses at the inquest which followed, indicates that no cause other than despondency, brought on by continued poor health, influenced the deceased to commit the rash act. Mr. Mumpower had left home at 7:30 a.m., leaving his wife in what he believed to be an improved condition. About 9 o'clock Miss Trula Peacock, who had been waiting upon the deceased, called at the Mumpower home and was requested by Mrs. Mumpower to take her little 3-year-old baby home with her until Mr. Mumpower would call for it about noon. It was probably at this time that deceased resolved to end her life, and three hours later Mr. Mumpower returned home, only to find his wife lying upon the floor, dying from the effects of a deadly poison. At first he was convinced that she had only fainted but a hasty glance about the room disclosed an empty bottle, which had contained carbolic acid, and it was then he realized the terrible tragedy that had been enacted. Dr. Watson was summoned, but when he arrived she was beyond medical assistance. Dr. Watson testified that upon his arrival at the house the deceased was lying on the bed; an empty bottle which had contained carbolic acid was laying on the floor; the mouth of the deceased was burned by acid. Miss Trula Peacock testified that she called at the Mumpower home at 6:30 a.m., and later at 9 a.m., when Mrs. Mumpower requested her to take the baby home with her and care for it until noon. The deceased stated in her presence that she wished she could die. In accordance with the above testimony the coroner's jury returned a verdict to the effect that "the deceased came to her death by her own hands by taking carbolic acid with suicidal intent." Funeral services were conducted at the Baptist church Tuesday afternoon, by Rev. Penn, and the remains were laid to rest in the Elk City cemetery. --------------------------------------------------- Return to Beckham County Archives: http://www.usgwarchives.net/ok/beckham/beckham.html