Knowles, Abe

Mrs. Lena Knowles of Commerce, 27 years old, committed suicide at 9:30 o'clock this morning at Snag Hole in the Neosho River, northwest of Miami, and drowned her two children at the same time. The children, Ilene Knowles, 8 years old, and George Knowles, 4, were tied to the mother with a length of electric cord, one end of which had also been tied to a piece of driftwood on the gravel bar to keep the current from carrying them away. The bodies were discovered about two hours after the three were seen walking near the river. Deputy Sheriff Arthur Luttrell and employees of the Cooper undertaking company removed the three from the water. It was not known that the children were drowned until the mother was pulled from the water. A note, written to her husband, Abe Knowles, was found on the gravel bar. The note said: "Dear Abe. I am saying goodbye and good luck to you. May God bless you. With love, your loving wife, Lena. Lena Knowles, Commerce Oklahoma." The tragedy was discovered by Mrs. Dora Morris, who lives on a farm northwest of Miami. Mrs. Morris and her three children passed along the river at the point of drowning and saw the woman's body partly submerged. She immediately advised A. C. Hoffman and John Sallee, residents of Miami who were nearby setting up a sawmill. Ty Morrison, a truck driver, drove to Miami and told the authorities. Knowles was found asleep at home. It was understood that he works on a night shift in a mine near Picher Oklahoma. He could give authorities no reason for his wife's act.

Funeral services for Mrs. Lena Knowles of Commerce and her two children, Ilene Knowles, 8 years old, and George Knowles, 4, will be held at 10 o'clock Wednesday morning at the First Baptist church at Commerce. The Rev. I. E. Taylor will be in charge. Burial will be in G.A.R. cemetery at Miami, under direction of the Mitchelson undertaking company. Abe Knowles, husband and father, survives. The bodies of Mrs. Knowles and her two children were removed from Snag Hole in the Neosho River at 11:30 Monday morning. The two children were tied to the mother with a length of electric cord, one end of which had also been tied to a piece of driftwood to keep the bodies from washing downstream. A part of the children's clothing and Mrs. Knowles' shoes, were found on the gravel bar at the river along with a farewell note written to Knowles. No reason had been advanced today why the mother, only 27 years old, had decided to take her own life and take her children with her. Relatives of the dead woman, including her father and mother, a Mr. and Mrs. England, living in Commerce declared that the hand writing on the note was that of Mrs. Knowles. County authorities were still carrying on an investigation today after learning that the three had ridden with a man living west of North Miami Oklahoma. The man, whose name was not disclosed by the officers, told them that he picked the three up and gave them a ride to a point west of North Miami Oklahoma. It was said that the woman told him they were going to Snag Hole to meet friends and go in swimming. County attorney A. Clark said that he had learned nothing to point to anything but suicide...there was no evidence of foul play that today's investigation was merely to clean up every angle of the case.

Funeral services for Mrs. Knowles and her two children were held yesterday morning at the First Baptist church with the Rev. I. E. Taylor officiating. Burial was in the G.A.R. cemetery at Miami, under the direction of the Mitchelson undertaking company...

Note: May have been the same as Abe Knowles, a young Miami man was charged with first degree manslaughter following the death of a Quapaw Oklahoma resident from injuries received in an automobile-motorcycle collision. Abraham Lincoln Knowles, 47 year old, operator of a garage and welding shop at Quapaw, succumbed at 2:30 am Saturday in St. John's hospital, Joplin Missouri. He was injured Friday afternoon, Robert Anderson Whitebird, Jr., 24, of 227 B Street southeast, Miami. It was alleged that Whitebird was driving a car which veered into the wrong traffic lane and struck Knowles' motorcycle head-on. A cousin Thomas Knowles, 35, also of Quapaw, escaped colliding with Whitebird's sedan. Whitebird drove 990 feet from the pont of impact before stopping. . . Knowles was rushed to the Joplin hospital where last night his mangled left leg was amputated near the hip. An attending physician said he suffered multiple fractures and internal injuries. Investigating officers said Whitebird had been drinking. The Indian youth was arraigned on manslaughter charges yesterday... Knowles is survived by his wife, Dorothy Knowles; a son, Roy Abe Knowles, and a daughter, Dorothy Madge Knowles all of the Quapaw home, and four sisters, Mrs. Ellen Hollway, Webb City Missouri; Mrs. Martha Sloan, Java Missouri, Rose Sherwood, Goodman Missouri and Mrs. Bertha Wilsox, Colorado Springs Colorado. Knowles belonged to the IOOF lodge at Quapaw and held the office of Noble Grand at the time of his death. Funeral services will be held at 2 pm Tuesday in the chapel of the Thomas funeral home at Picher Oklahoma. The Rev. Ivan Underhill will officiate. Burial will be in G.A.R. cemetery, Miami. Members of the Quapaw IOOF lodge will be pallbearers and will conduct graveside rites. The body will lie in state at the mortuary until the funeral hour.