A Wayward Girl Calls Death to Relieve Her of Life’s Burden.
She Bids an Affectionate Farewell to Her Favorite Sister in a Letter.
A SHORT LIFE, FULL OF WOE.
The Forgotten God is Called Upon at the Last Moment.
A Tearful Plea for Forgiveness and That the Erring One May be Allowed to Join Her Mother in Heaven.
Transcribed from: The Wichita Star, October 13, 1890
Florence Collins, a woman of the town, committed suicide early yesterday morning by taking strychnine. She was an inmate of Alice Brady’s house of prostitution, at the corner of English street and Fourth avenue, where she had been stopping for several months. Saturday evening she was in the best of spirits, and laughed and jested with her companions in the usual manner. She was the last to retire, but was left in the parlor by Madam Brady about 2:38 in the morning. To the latter the girl said that she would write a letter and then go to her room. About forty-five minutes later some of the girls in the house heard her groaning in her room, and entering found her in spasms, and in less than ten minutes she was dead.
Just before taking the poison she wrote the following letter, which she left unsealed for her sister:
Death’s Victory
Mrs. Bessie Reinhart – Dear Sister: “It is a pleasure for me to write to you, though it be for the last time. This leaves me feeling awful bad, but I hope that it will find you feeling well and enjoying yourself.
“Bessie, when I get through writing this letter, I am going to take poison. I am tired of living, as I have not got one kind friend in this whole wide world that I can go to. Bessie, dear, if you knew how I cried when I wrote you this letter, and how bad I felt, I know that you would feel sorry for me, if no one else does. Oh, Bessie, if when I die I could only go to where poor old Mother and Lizzie are, I would be so happy. But I have been so bad, and have even broken my last promise to our poor Mother.
“Bessie, do you think God can ever forgive me? Even sister Delia does not care for me any more.
“Bessie, will you see that poor little Jimmie is taken care of? Kiss him for me, for I never will see him any more. If anything happens to me I want you to bring the rings Mother and Lizzie gave me and put them on, and also put on my necklace that you gave me.”
The letter was unsigned, the unfortunate girl evidently did not dare in the presence of sought death to sign her assumed name, “Olla Martin;” and did not wish to disgrace the name her mother gave her. The letter was well written, and the tear stains on the paper gave evidence that the writer was not so depraved as many of her class. After writing the letter, she carefully bathed herself, dressed in clean underclothes, pinned a fine handkerchief (evidently a gift) over her breast, lay down upon her bed and took the poison which so soon brought death.
Was there ever a more pitiful story than this woman tells in her death? Scarcely 19 years of age, she feels that life is no longer a pleasure and without a regret casts off the mortal coil. One good true friend to speak to her a kind word could no doubt have saved her life and perhaps caused her reform. She is but “One more unfortunate, rashly unfortunately, gone to her death.”
Her life had been one of bitterness, and before hasty judgement is passed upon her, the world should consider the temptations which at all times beset her. She never had the care a father can give, and was when but a child when submitted to the world, and was led astray when too young to know the penalty she must pay. At one time she reformed and would perhaps have lived a good life but for the awful crime of another.
About eighteen months ago her mother, Mrs. Collins, and her sister, Mrs. Snyder, were murdered by her sister’s husband, Bob Snyder, who is now serving a life sentence. This crime, it will be remembered, was committed in El Dorado where the murderer twice narrowly escaped Judge Lynch, being brought to Sedgwick county to keep him from the infuriated mob.
This crime nearly drove Florence Collins mad and she took to her old life in order to escape from her thoughts and memory.
About three months ago she made an unsuccessful attempt at suicide, swallowing three and one-half grains of morphine. At that time she declared that she would in a short time make another attempt to reach death, and she has kept her promise.
She leaves two sisters, Mrs. Reinhardt of Hutchinson an Mrs. Bradshaw of Hesston, Kansas. The body was taken charge of by Mr. Reinhardt, and will be given a Christian burial. Mrs. Reinhardt will adopt and educate her nephew “Jimmie” who was born in shame.
The coroner’s jury empaneled in the case this morning returned a verdict in keeping with the facts as above given.