Mrs. Hattie Cotton d. 1904

COTTON

Posted By: Volunteer - Rich Lowe
Date: 9/27/2001 at 11:00:52

TAKES LIFE
A Former Resident Puts End
to Her Existence.
FIRES TWO BULLETS

Eureka Springs (Ark.) Flashlight:

A tragedy as sad as ever written was enacted in Eureka Springs on Christmas eve, in which a care worn mortal took destiny in her own hands and ended the life that had grown so tired of battling with suffering, sorrow and loneliness. The victim was Mrs. Hattie Cotton, well known, highly respected and much loved in this, her home.

Mrs. Cotton owned a little cottage on Spring street, I which she lived alone, but for some time she had seemed to have a morbid fear of some one doing her bodily injury, and had gone to the home of some friend each night, rather than stay alone. After the night's absence, one of the friends would accompany her home, and look through the house, to reassure the owner that all was well. Her time had thus been spent between the homes of Mesdames S. Turner, P. L. Christian and C. W. Culp.

Friday night and for two nights previous she had been with Mrs. Culp, and Saturday she had arisen somewhat earlier than was her wont. Mrs. Culp spoke to her as she was leaving, saying she would accompany her home in a few minutes. Mrs. Cotton said, "No, never mind," and hastened away.

Thinking that her friend was breakfasting with Mrs. Christian across the street Mrs. Culp delayed going over to the cottage until it was announced that her neighbor had been found in a dying condition.

Miss Jennie Pendergrass, while taking grocery orders, went to Mrs. Cotton's and answering a faint summons from within to enter, did so and found the unfortunate woman lying upon the bed, bathed in her own life blood, she having shot herself with a pistol.

Neighbors, friends and physicians were quickly summoned, and all that love and science could suggest was done to preserve the life that was very dear to many friends.

Dr. Pearl Tatman found her in mental and physical agony, begging to be left alone to die, saying that she didn't want to live. The doctor persuaded her to have her last hours made comfortable, and quieting the patient in this way, was allowed to use restoratives and give needed attention. Dr. Jordan was later in consultation, but it was seen from the first that there was really no hope.

Mrs. Cotton talked during Christmas day and expressed a wish to live.

She told how she had shot herself - first below the brest [sic] and then just above. She felt the first ball hit a rib and go down ward, and fired the second shot, which entered the lung. The room was filled with smoke of powder when aid reached the wounded woman.

She returned to from the World's Fair two months ago, sick and with nerves unstrung but refused to take needed rest, continuing her dressmaking uninterruptedly. She planned to go, however, for a visit to her sister at Cedar Rapids, Ia., realizing that she was not able to continue her business and an intense longing to go back to her old home having seized her. Mr. Turner, only a few days before, had bought her cottage, and her nephew, Frank N. Cotton, had arranged to come for her. He came, but alas, he found only sorrow and grief. Instead of taking back to his mother the sister whose coming had been looked forward to with so much comfort and joy, there was only the lifeless clay of the one they loved so dearly.

The two sisters had married cousins, so that there were double ties of relationship between the families. It is the purpose of the young man who came for his aunt to withhold the sad facts of her death fro the invalid sister.

The life story of the deceased had been one of heroic devotion to duty amidst much more of sorrow, and trials than usually come into one life, and her friends are confident that she who had so bravely fought life's battles didn't premeditatedly take the life God had entrusted to her care, for she had more than once expressed herself as having spent the best and most peaceful year of her life since uniting with the Christian Church in this city.

The remains were taken to Cedar Rapids for burial.

[date not give but position in scrapbook would suggest late 1904]

Source: Entler Scrapbook, vol. 3, Iowa Historical Library, Iowa City, IA

I am NOT related and am posting this obit for those who may find this person in their family history.