Charles Wilcox

Evening before last Charles Wilcox, a young man 19 years of age,
committed suicide at Brookdale, near Spanaway lake, by taking
strychnine.  His betrothed, a young Swedish girl named Julia
Elende Gustafson, a resident of Center Street, Tacoma, had been
buried the day before.  He had been in a despondent mood ever
since her death.

On Friday evening his sister, Mrs. Stillman, with whom he lived,
in her endeavor to get his mind off his troubles, invited two or
three of his young friends in to play cards with him.  He had
eaten nothing since Miss Gustafson's death, and she felt that
something must be done to arouse him.

During the game Wilcox excused himself and went into his room,
taking a dipper of water with him.  Soon after Mrs. Parnell, the
daughter of Mrs. Stillman, asked her mother to go and see what
he was doing.  She went and found him lying down on his bed,
with the dipper of water and a spoon on a table alongside the bed.
She took the spoon in her hand, after she had asked him what he
had done, receiving an unsatisfactory reply., He said, "For God's
sake Kittie don't touch that."

Mrs. Stillman sent at once for Dr. McCracken of Fern Hill, who
arrived at about half an hour after the poison had been taken.  But
the poison had begun to take effect and spasms had set in.  In
the intervals at first he was conscious and talked some.  He refused
to be treated by Dr. McCracken.  The doctor said he would do
something for him, but Wilcox replied:  "No you won't, old boy.  I
took it, and I took it to kill me."

The case was one of deliberate suicide.  Wilcox is known to have
left Brookdale by the 10 o'clock train on Friday for the city.  The
partly used package of strychnine found after the suicide had taken
place bore the name of F. D. French, druggist, of Tacoma.  Inquiry
there brought out the fact that young Wilcox had bought 10 grains
of strychnine there at 11:45 o'clock.  He signed his own name,
"Charley Wilcox, Tacoma", in the register.  L. C. Satterlee, the
clerk who had sold him the fatal poison, says that there appeared
to be nothing out of the way with Wilcox or no dangerous drug
would have been sold to him.  He said he wanted the strychnine to
poison rats with.

Coroner Frank was notified of the case yesterday morning and went
out to Brookdale, but decided that no inquest was necessary.

Wilcox left the following letter to his sister on the table in his room:

 "Dear Sister Kittie I can't tell you what I hate to do face to
face so I will leave this to tell you I am going to take something to
stop this when you berry me berry me long side July.  Have her
parents to be there.  Your creul brother.  Charley."

The Stillmans and young Wilcox only recently moved from Puyallup
to Brookdale and his father lives at Puyallup still.  Miss Gustafson
was buried from the Center street Congregational church on
Thursday, Rev. Mr. Anderson officiating.

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Julia Elende Gustafson

The funeral of Julia Elende Gustafson, the daughter of Andrew
Gustafson, aged 16 years, took place from the Center street
Congregational church yesterday at 2 p.m., Rev. G. A. Anderson
officiating.

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The funeral of Charles Wilcox, the young man who committed
suicide at Brookdale last week, took place from his sister's
home in Brookdale on Sunday afternoon.  The pall bearers had
been chosen from among the young friends of the deceased.
The last request of young Wilcox, that his body should be laid
beside that of Miss Julia Gustafson, his betrothed, whose death
was primarily the cause of the suicide, was complied with.  Rev.
G. A. Bale, the Baptist pastor at Fern Hill, officiated at the funeral.

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Copyright© by Antoinette, February 28, 1999