From the Lawrence Daily Journal-World for April 6, 1912:

“Worry over the tragic suicide of her daughter is believed to have caused the similar death of Mrs. Ella Skeet this morning at the Lawrence House after she had swallowed two ounces of carbolic acid. About 11:45 this morning Mrs. Skeet came to the Lawrence House, went upstairs, asked for a glass of water, drank this and fell over on the floor unconscious. Death was almost instantaneous. Mrs. Hite, a chambermaid at the hotel, answered the call for water and to her Mrs. Skeet spoke her last words, ‘If I get sick call Home phone 193, Tonganoxie.’ Then she drank the water and a moment later the chambermaid heard her fall to the floor of the parlor…. Mrs. Skeet was the mother of Miss Olive Skeet who died of poisoning in Kansas City last winter and it is believed that worry over the death of this daughter with dissatisfaction with life in general led her to take the drug to end the misery that she evidently endured…. The Skeet family have been prominent residents of Jefferson county for a number of years and the two sons still reside on the old home place. Mrs. Skeet is the mother of a large family and lived a happy life in the country until the past few years when a series of misfortunes robbed her life of the happiness of the past. Two years ago Mr. Skeet was the victim of an accident that caused his instant death. He was hauling wood when his team became frightened and he was thrown from the wagon under the wheels. His skull was crushed and he was taken home dead. Last winter Miss Olive Skeet, a daughter of the family, who was working in Kansas City, became despondent and died from poison. The mother’s home had been broken up and she became restless and discontented and her tragic death this morning is supposed to have been the result.”