Esther Jane Gurule |
| Posted 2017-05-07 by Judy Wight Branson |
| Prescott Journal Miner, Prescott, Arizona Territory Friday, September 21, 1911, page 8, column 2 Despondent Wife Commits Suicide Esther Gurule Ends Her Earthly Career With Laudanum After Quarreling With Her Husband Gazing at the ruins of her home and thinking with saddened heart of the loneliness which faced her, Mrs. Pete Gurule, the wife of a Mexican laborer living at Stony Point after quarreling with her husband ended her troubles by taking laudanum, yesterday afternoon. Dr. Southworth was summoned but every effort to restore her proved futile and at 7:02 o'clock death relieved her of all earthly sorrow. The dead woman, Esther Gurule, was the widow of Frank Ebert, a well known sheepman of Williams. After Ebert's death she married Pete Gurule who lives in one of the cottages at Stony Point. Tuesday night J. R. Coats, who lives nearby and is a resident agent for the cottages heard the Grules engaged in a violent quarrel. He entered the house and succeeded in quieting the belligerent couple but not until Mrs. Gurule had declared her intention of leaving her husband. Accordingly she all day Wednesday and part of Thursday packing her household effects. Yesterday afternoon the packing was finished and she told her husband that she intended to go down town and finish her preparations for moving. Gurule in the meantime had stayed home from work and was making every effort to reconciliation but his wife remained obdurate and refused to listen to his advances. At 3:30 she returned from town and locked herself in her bedroom. Gurule hung around but she would not talk to him. Finally she emerged from her room and in reply to his questioning remarks, 'I've taken poison, I'll soon be blue and you will be rid of me.' Gurule refused to believe her and insisted that she show him the bottle. This she agreed to do but suddenly became delirious and was unable to find it. then she sat down on the bead and immediately lapsed into unconsciousness. Gurule realized that she had carried out her threat and attempted to restore her, shouting meanwhile to his uncle, Ramon Gurule, to run for aid. Ramon, who cannot speak English, succeeded in attracting the attention of Coats who was working nearby and pointing to the house insisted that Coats come at once. Arriving upon the scene Coats realized at once what had happened and telephoned for Dr. Southworth to come in haste. In less than ten minutes the doctor was at the bedside of the unconscious woman, but saw that there was very little chance of saving her from the results of her rash act. Constant effort on the part of the physician lasting from 3:40 till 6:30 failed to have any effect and at 7:02 she breathed her last. Mrs. Coats, a neighbor, made a search of the premises and found the empty bottle on the dresser, hidden in till of the trunk which was partially packed. Save for a few drops the bottle was empty. It showed that it had been purchased yesterday afternoon and had contained two ounces of the dark fluid which brings earthly relief. Coroner McLane viewed the body and ordered its removal to the parlors of a local undertaker where he will hold an inquest this morning at 10 o'clock. One thing which proved that the dead woman had planned her end with tragic precision was the manner in which she was dressed when the doctor arrived. She had removed her street attire and had robed herself in a salmon pink silk kimona and her finest lingerie. She was 43 years of a age, about 5 feet 6 inches in height, blond and weighed about 180 pounds. So far as can be learned she has no relatives in this part of the country, but is said to own property in Flagstaff. Her husband bears an excellent reputation and until recently was employed by Frank Sheets, a local contractor. Mrs. Gurule was well liked by all who knew her and not more than two weeks ago she asked a neighbor to try and find housework for her to do as she had a desire to aid her husband by working during the day when she could find time to spare from her own household duties. Gurule is broken hearted and says that he had tried everything he could possibly do to appease her, but the quarrel of Tuesday night weighed upon her and yesterday she took the steps which ended it all. Transcriber's note: Mrs. Gurule is buried in an unmarked grave at the Citizens Cemetery in Prescott, Arizona. |
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