Mary F. (Brinson) Dooley (1885)

DOOLEY, BRINSON, BIRD, MOFFITT

Posted By: Pat Hochstetler (email)
Date: 10/10/2007 at 15:28:48

Winterset Madisonian - January 29, 1885
Winterset, Iowa
page 4

A TRAGEDY!

Suicide and Worse Than Suicide!

Mrs. Mary F. Dooley, Living in the Southwestern Part of Winterset

Ends Her Own Life With Poison

And Attempting to Destroy Two of Her Children in the Same Way

Succeeds in the Case of One of Them.

On last Tuesday morning the citizens of Winterset were startled with the report that Mrs. Mary F. Dooley, who had been living in the southwest part of the city, had committed suicide, and had attempted to kill two of her children, who were living with her, and, in the case of one of them, a boy five years of age, she had been but too successful. On Jan. 20th she bought of Dr. J. Hinshaw, a Winterset druggist, one drachm of opium. On Saturday, the 24th, she went to the office of Dr. W. O. Ruby and inquired of him how much opium was a dose. He told her that he had no use for that drug.

On Tuesday morning her little girl, Lillie May, went across the street to Mrs. Roberts, an elderly widow lady, and told her that her mother and little brother were dead. Mrs. Roberts summoned some of the neighbors who went to see, and found the terrible story but too true. The occurence was soon known over town, and County Coroner M. C. Debord, was sent for. He empaneled a jury consisting of Calvin Ballard, E. G. Nicholson and Jesse Truitt, who proceeded to investigate the case. The little girl, Lillie May Dooley, who so narrowly escaped the terrible fate of her mother and her brother, testified that her mother gave her and her brother Frankie some bitter-tasting medicine in some apple sauce, and then ate some herself. She seemed confused about the time that had elapsed since the poison was taken, being evidently affected by the poison (opium) she had taken. Dr. E. L. Hillis was summoned before the coroner's jury as an expert witness, and testified that he thought that Mrs. Dooley died about midnight Monday night, and the boy, Frankie, about seven o'clock in the evening; that death was caused in both cases by opium poisoning.

The little girl, Lillie May, who is older than Frankie, stated to some of the neighbors that her brother Frankie died first, and apparently with little pain, and that her mother placed his body in shape, crossed his hands over his breast, and then lay down herself, and that when she died it was in great suffering, a statement corroborated by the appearance of the corpse when it was found.

Mrs. Dooley was a daughter of James Brinson, formerly of this county, and now of Mound City, Missouri, and a grand-daughter of Isaac Bird, of Walnut township, in this county. Some years ago she was married to James P. Dooley, a son of John A. Dooley, of Douglas township, from whom she obtained a divorce at the November, 1884, term of the circuit court of this county.

They had four children, one of whom died in infancy, and another is living with the family of James Carnahan. The other two, she kept with her, being the ones to whom she administered the poison. At the time of her death, Mrs. Dooley was about thirty-three years of age, and the boy Frankie about five. The little girl, Lillie May, who so narrowly escaped death, is about nine or ten.

The following is from the finding of the verdict of the Coroner's jury.

"The said Mary F. Dooley and --------prevent her children from knowing of her disgrace. She appeared to have planned the deed with great deliberation, having purchased the poison several days beforehand.

The following are the letters found in her room:

"A broken heart and tired of life, and what people's tongues (say) will drive a person to. It just seems impossible for me to stand so much. God knows I have an honest heart and have the will to do right, but it seems as if some are bound to tramp me down, and which I always was too high minded to come down. God bless my children and forgive me. I want Liza Carnahan to have my baby's picture and also the one that is in the small frame, and Harriet Stone to have Mr. Dooley's and the empty frame that hangs by it. My little girl that Carnahan's have is to have the clock and the stand it sits one. Don want her to fail to get them, and Ann Moffitt is to have the rest of my things, for I am done with them, and don't want any of my relatives to grieve after me, and which I don't suppose they will, but my heart is threadbare.

Signed Mary F. Dooley."

"I don't want any of my folks sent for, but telephone to Ann Moffitt, at Macksburg. She is my sister, and she will see that every thing is done right. I want George Kirby and his wife to be friends to me in death, and want to be buried out where my baby is, north of town. (Kirby knows where that is.) I don't want any body to have the rest of my things only Ann Moffitt. But remember what Carnahans' little girl is to have.

To Matt. Brinson (Mrs. Dooley's sister): Now Matt, from this on be a good girl, and do what is right, and God bless little Ray, who is one that I dearly love, and take good care of him.

Signed: Mary F. Dooley."

"My solemn thought is that I will be far happier in the world that's to come, and I am prepared to die. God has forgiven me, I feel so in my mind, and do hope that I will be cared for in death.

Signed: Mary F. Dooley."