Washington sentinel. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1853-1855, 1853-12-29
Strange Circumstance-Two Young Girls
Found Dead In bed.

Two girls, who took lodgings on Friday night at
the Merimac house, We're found dead in their beds,
on Saturday morning. They Were girls of good
address and appearance, and were unknown to
Mr.. Drake the landlord, or his clerk. On inquiry
they found to be Elizabeth Durham, alias
Bradley, aged twenty years, and Annettee Sam
pier, aged nineteen. They were girls of bad re-
putaton, and had been recently residing in Sea-
brook. The facts in the case, we learn are as
follows:
On Wednesday evening the girls called at the
Office OF the clerk and stated that they intended
to attend the dance at Phoenix hall that night, and
wishe2to secure a lodging. They We're accord
ingly directed 10 roonl aud in the morning stated
that they were going away for the day, but should
probably want 10 return at night, and wished TO
take the key of the room, which was granted
They did return on Thursday night, and on Fri
day morning, woman, the mother ofthe Sampler
girl called for them, and they came down, paid
their bill, and leaving the key departed. On this
occasion, Mr.. Drake, the landlord, saw them for
the first time, did not like the appearance of the
woman and was about 10 give some directions to
his clerk in the natter but finding they had set
lied their BILL and were about leaving, RETAINED.
On Friday night, al halfpast ten o'clock, the bell
of the room rang, and the clerk, not that the
room was occupied, answered the summons. To
his surprise, the door was opened by one of the
girls who occupied the room the night before and
who he did not know had returned 10 the house.
She stated that they We're cold and much chilled.
and wished some hot peppermint. This was sent
up, ana nothing more was nearu from tnen during
the night except by one lodger in the house, who
heard some groans' from the room between two
and three o'clock
On entering the room in the morning the, Sam
pier girl was found in bed, on the pillow apparent
ly having died quietly, and without struggle
The other girl appeared TO have attempted to rise,
and to have fallen in the act with her head near
the foot of the bed, and her hands spread out over
the side, but in an easy position. The tumber
was found in the room empty, not smelling strong
Ixr IF fha arTnInt 'T,trn IS ph1aa
which they had purchasedthe day before, were on
the table II also appears that they had purchased
some articles Of dry goods the day before, but whe
Their they were in the room not we have not
learned There was also some money found on
them, but nothing which gave any explanation of
the matter.
We learn that there is no trace of poison APP
parent upon superficial examination Of The
stomachs, which would probably have been the
If any of the ordinary poisons had been used.
There is no evidence that they have either of
them at any time tempered with medical drugs,
and none that they moved in any circle of society
where il was an object for any one to put them
out Of the way. il is impression at this stage
of the evidence, that they both died natural deaths
which, considering their feeble health exposure,
unchaste habits, and depressed spirits, would not
have been at all remarkable, if only one of them
had died at the time-the only thing out of the
common course Of events being the coincidence
that they should both have expired on the same
night
The Newburyport Herald states that the mother
of the girl Bradley, alias Burnham, one Of the two
who was found dead in bed at hotel in this city,
arrived on Monday night at Great Falls, where
the girl was born in the year 1888 She was from
highly respectable family, of abundant pecunary
ability. Burnham was her true name, and she
called herself Brady, claiming TO have been mar
ried or promised marriage with some person of
this name. She was girl of good moral training
and reputable character, until she fell into evil
hands. Ii is stated that analysis of the con-
tents OF the stomachs cannot be had until the close
Of the week, if SO soon.
[New6nrypor Herald Dec. 10.