Duncan - Ellen - Montgomery InGenWeb Project

Terre Haute, Ind., Oct. 23—Ella Duncan, a 15 year old school girl, committed suicide Tuesday on her way to school and fell dead on the street. She used the money her mother had given her for candy to buy strychnine. Two weeks ago she confessed that she had been ruined, and since then had repeatedly said she wished she were dead.

Source: Crawfordsville Weekly Journal Friday, 25 October 1895

Terre Haute Express: The remains of Ella Dunkin, a fifteen year old school girl who preferred death to disgrace and committed suicide by taking strychnine, were taken to Waveland, Montgomery County, Wednesday afternoon for burial. Waveland was the home of the Dunkins prior to their coming to Terre Haute, and they have quite a number of relatives residing in that locality. The old man owns in his own name eighty acres of land near Waveland and why he left his farm for the precarious existence which has characterized his stay in Terre haute, is something which no person understands and Dunkin makes no attempt to explain.  John Kennedy, alias “Jim Red” who is charged with being responsible for the girl’s downfall, is still in jail and the disclosures which are resulting from the investigation now indicates that he will get to serve in prison.   The residents near the old cooper shop are talking of tearing down his shanty and there is no assurance that the old deadfall will stand until Jim has an opportunity to remove his filthy chattels from it. One thing is sure—if he is released, the residents of the locality where his old shanty stands will make it unpleasant for him if he returns there with a view of remaining.