Live To Face Shame

Couple Tried To Dodge Disgrace By Suicide In Kansas City.

Kansas City, Aug. 17.-Overcome by remorse on account of the disgrace they had brought upon their families, Mrs. Nora Bradley and Charles Dunbar, both of New Albany, Ind., attempted to commit suicide by taking morphine, in their rooms at 903 Troost avenue, yesterday. They were discovered before the drug had done its deadly work, and by prompt and hard work Dr. Snider and Dr. Bell, assistant police surgeons, saved their lives. Mrs. Bradley is now at St. Joseph's hospital. Both are convalescent, and with a few days' quiet will be able to leave for home, where they expect to go.

About 4 o'clock yesterday afternoon E. Pofenberg, proprietor of the apartment house at 903 Troost avenue heard groans and heavy breathing coming from the room occupied by Dunbar and Mrs. Bradley. Looking over the transom he saw the man, and woman lying on the bed in an unconscious condition. He immediately summoned aid and the police ambulance was sent for. Both were so near death that the physicians were in great doubt about saving the life of either. It was nearly 10 o'clock before they showed signs of improvement.

Until a few weeks ago Dunbar was a druggist in New Albany. He is married and is the father of three children. Mrs. Bradley is the daughter of D. W. Carpenter, a manufacturer of the same place. She is married, too, and has two children. Dunbar and Mrs. Bradley became infatuated with each other and finally left together. They went to Omaha, where they remained two weeks and then came to Kansas City. They engaged rooms first at 903 Troost avenue as man and wife, and remained there until the national convention, when Dunbar went to work for Gus Lund, a druggist at 635 Minnesota avenue, Kansas City, Kan., and lived across the state line. Recently he found employment with C. A. McCampbell at Sixth street and Minnesota avenue. They returned to live at the Troost avenue house about a month ago.

A reporter called at the city hospital this morning and talked to Dunbar. He is a slender man with dark eyes and hair and a sharp, protruding chin. He discussed the attempted suicide freely. "Some persons," he said, "advance the theory that a man is crazy who attempts suicide. This is not true, at least in my case. I was just as sane when I took that morphine as you are now or any man of your acquaintance. I am also positive that the same applies to Mrs. Bradley. It was simply a case of having made up our minds that nothing except death would relieve the terrible remorse we felt."

"Who first suggested that you end your lives?" he was asked.

"She did," he answered. "It was her idea several weeks ago. Ever since she first suggested it, it seemed to be the one thought uppermost in her mind. I did all I could to dissuade her. I argued that everything would come out all right in some way, but it was of no use.

"Finally I gave in last Monday. We had only $2 left. I went out to a drug store and bought a sixty-grain bottle of morphine. In the meantime we had made all of our preparations for death. That is, we had written all our letters. I took the morphine to the house and dissolved it in water. This solution I divided in two equal parts -- almost to the drop. It was 1 o'clock Tuesday morning when I prepared the poison. I also brought back with me a bottle of chloroform. We each drank his portion of the morphine solution. We saturated handkerchiefs with the chloroform and she placed hers over her face as she lay on the bed beside me. I intended to do the same, but don't remember whether I did so or not. We lay there for, it seemed like an eternity before the morphine began to take effect. Anyhow, it must have been two hours. Then the light faded."

"Why did you select morphine?"

"It was all left to me. I selected morphine because I thought it would be sure and blissful."

"Didn't you think of shooting?"

"I had a revolver, but to end it all that way never occurred to me. It would have been too harsh."

"Are you glad you didn't succeed?"

"Yes, I am. I have had all I want of that. I expect to go home so soon as I am able to travel and hope to receive forgiveness there."

"How much money did you have when you left New Albany?"

"Exactly $110. They said back there that we took $1,000 with us, but that's not true."

The reporter then visited St. Joseph's hospital to see Mrs. Bradley. She is good looking with light hair and blue eyes. She is still too weak to talk much although the physicians say she is out of danger.

She was asked who first suggested the "double suicide."

"I don't know," she answered wearily, "we had been talking it over for some time. After we had decided to die together I left the means of dying to him. He selected morphine. We drank it Tuesday morning at 1 o'clock and I put the handkerchief saturated with chloroform over my face and supposed he did the same."

"Are you glad your life was saved?"

"Oh, so glad," she replied, her face brightening, with a smile. "I'll never try it again. I'll bear my cross hereafter, however heavy it happens to be. Mother has been telegraphed for and she will be here tomorrow. I'll know then what it is best for me to do."

Having determined to die Dunbar and Mrs. Bradley wrote numerous letters. Dunbar recited that he was a member of the Elks, Masons, and Knights of Pythias and requested these organizations to take charge of the funeral. Mrs. Bradley's letters were to Miss Poffenburg and simply gave directions as what should be done when she was found dead. Dunbar's letters follow:

Exalted Ruler, K.C. Lodge:

Dear Brother-I want to ask a favor of you. Will you please wire the parties named below of my death; also of that of Mrs. Bradley, as found on another paper.

We deserted our families about six weeks ago; has been nothing but suffering since the time we left, and to think or know we could never return or right the wrong to our loved ones at home we think it justice to them that we should die. C. DUNBAR.

Dear Brother - I may have been expelled from Lodge of Elks, but you will find my card. I also have been member of Jefferson lodge of Masons No. 104, New Albany; and Ivanhoe lodge, Knights of Pythias, in good standing when I left home.

I ask you to help and assist my wife and children toward having an undertaker to take charge of my body and ship home without the expense of having someone come here.

Please wire George Steinhauer, New Albany lodge 270. Have him confer with Masons and Knights of Pythias to have the lodge to guarantee undertaker bill here; if not the lodge have as individuals to do so, to take the worry off my wife until she gets insurance money. Please telephone Mr. C. A. McCampbell, Sixth and Minnesota avenue, Kansas City, Kan., as he is a Knight of Pythias, and I have worked for him. The undertaker bill will be paid, but wish to take the worry from her at present. If you can possibly make arrangements, Mr. Carpenter will pay for Mrs. Bradley, his daughter.

Wire Dr. C. P. Cook, East Spring street, New Albany, Ind., of my death, and have him tell my wife. C. DUNBAR.

The letters left by Mrs. Bradley were as follows:

To Miss Nellie Poffenberg - Nellie: If you all think best in the morning, put my black skirt and shirt waist on me; If not, leave me as I am until you hear from my mother. Give all my love. Good-by.

Nellie, please send my father this telegram first thing in morning: "New Albany, Ind., Mr. D. W. Carpenter - "Nora is dead. 903 Troost avenue." When clothes are sent for, send everything, both Charlie's and mine, and oblige your loving friend, Nora.

Use this money for telegrams and express package.

Please wire D. W. Carpenter, East Third street, New Albany, Ind.:" "Nora is dead." Wire to guarantee undertaker's bill. Will send remains. Please have exalted ruler of Elks to send message.

Dear Nellie (the daughter of Mrs: Poffenberg, landlady at 903 Troost avenue); I did not have the money to pay this week's rent, but have sent home for it. My mother will send it to you, and you please express my things to her. You will find them already packed. She will write you where to send them. Yours lovingly, FRIEND NORA.

Dunbar and Mrs. Bradley eloped from New Albany, June 26. Both were members of good families, and their elopement caused a big sensation. Their names were constantly linked together and several months ago Mr. Bradley attacked Dunbar with a revolver, but his aim was bad.

--Dubuque Daily Herald, Dubuque, Iowa, August 18, 1900, page 4.

Comment: Poffenberg is spelled three different ways in the original article.



TRIED TO KILL THEMSELVES.

Kansas City, Mo., Aug. 15.-Charles Dunbar, a druggist, thirty-five years of age, and Mrs. Nora Bradley, thirty years of age, both well known in New Albany, Ind. were yesterday found in an unconscious condition in a lodging house in this city, as a result of each having taken thirty grains of morphine with suicidal intent. Dunbar, who has a wife and four children in New Albany, is said to have eloped on June 26 with Mrs. Bradley, who is the mother of two children and wife of a prominent citizen of New Albany. They went from New Albany to Omaha, where they remained until the first of July, when they came here. Dunbar secured a position in a drugstore, where he worked but a short time. Later he was employed as a cigar salesman, but he did not succeed at that, and soon found himself without employment or money. In despair he and Mrs. Bradley decided to end their lives, but they were discovered in time and will recover.

A lengthy letter was found in their room. It contained a detailed statement of how and where Dunbar wanted to he buried and a request that a message be sent to Rev. C. P. Cook at New Albany, Ind., asking him to tell his (Dunbar's) wife of his death. The letter also contained this startling sentence:

"We have taken poison because of the wrong done to our loved ones."

--The Fort Wayne Sentinel, Fort Wayne, Indiana, August 15, 1900, page 25.