Rose McCurdy c1873 – 1898

MCCURDY

Posted By: Joy Moore (email)
Date: 11/14/2020 at 11:29:20

Source: Decorah Republican Oct. 20, 1898 P 3 C 2

An Insane Act.
Manchester Press:—On Tuesday morning. Rose McCurdy, daughter of a farmer residing east of Hopington, set fire to their dwelling house and then took her own life. Rose, the daughter who killed herself, is about twenty five years old and the morning in question was alone in the house with a younger sister. Her brother was at work in the field and her father and another sister had gone to town. Taking a loaded revolver, Rose aimed it at her sister. For some reason the weapon failed to discharge, but the sister ran to a neighbors for assistance. During her sister's absence, Rose emptied the contens of a kerosene can on one of the lower floors, setting fire to the inflamable wood work, and then went to an upstair room, where she put a bullet through her brain. When assistance arrived smoke was seen issuing from the house, but it was too late to save the building, there only being sufficient time to rescue the body of the unfortunate girl. The residence was burned to the ground and the girl’s remains removed to a neighbor's home. Temporary insanity, resulting from a run of typhoid fever, is assigned as the cause.