The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1867-04-09

CIDE.-On Sunday evening ~ ahor, o
o'clock woman named Irene rhon,nson
was found dead in room 81, old JIn;,od
States Hotel, by man named Pratt, who
rents the room together with two others,
and alleges that the woman was his house
keeper. When found, the deceased was
quite warm; and from this fact Pratt did
| not think she was dead; so he went out
after physician. When he returned with
doctor she was quite dead. She was an
elderly woman, apparently about forty,
and showed traces of former beauty. A
coroner's jury was summoned yesterday
morning, before which the following evil
dence was taken:
John w. Pratt, sworn.-Testified that he
had had Irene Thompson in his employ for
about twelve months as housekeeper. He
came in on Thursday evening, and found
her lying on her bed. He did not think she
looked right, so he went after the doctor.
When he left the room at o'clock that
afternoon she was lying down, and as he
was going out of the door she looked
around at him. She had recently made
threats to commit suicide. Witness
thought that the fact that the deceased
had become a mother some years since
always weighed upon her mind and re-
cent intelligence from her sister to the
effect that she had met with the same mis-
fortune made her still more respondent.
She was from Surry county, and is be-
tween thirty-five and forty years of age.
Lemuel Howell, sworn.-Testified that
he had known the deceased for the last
five years, and she had repeatedly made
threats of killing herself, as she was tired
of the world. Last Sunday week she
stated to witness that she had found out
that morphine would kill her, and she in
tended to take it. He did not see her on
Sunday until after she was dead.
John F. Froman, sworn.-Testifed that
he had known the deceased for four or
five months, and that he had heard her
frequently make threats of killing herself.
He had only known her as Mrs. Pratt. He
had heard her quarrel with Pratt, and say
that if he did not cease visiting another
woman she would kill herself. She had
complained of this to witness mother, but
had always said that Pratt had treated her
kindly.
Margaret Horne, sworn.-Testified that
she had heard deceased say frequently that
she was in trouble, and intended to kill
herself. Never knew her except as Mrs.
Pratt.
Lemuel Howell, recalled.-Had visited
the deceased, but did not consider her as
living with Pratt as his wife. He had al
ways spoke Of her as bis housekeeper.
Witness knew her when she was working
at the cotton factory in Manchester. She
was always an industrious, hard working
woman, and bore good reputation.
John W. Pratt, recalled known
Irene Thompson for eight or nine years. She
had always been virtuous woman, to his
knowledge. He did not know what caused
the deceased to quarrel. He thought it
was on account of her discharge from the
cotton factory in Manchester, which was
occasioned by report concerning her cha
racter. She had forbidden witness to have
anything to do with his wife, from whom
he had separated about year ago. She
had no right to do this, as she was only his
housekeeper. Deceased had visited his
wife very often before and just after the
evacuation. Witness had never known
deceased as his wife.
The jury, not being able to arrive at a
verdict from the conflicting statements
made by witnesses, was adjourned until
4 o'clock this afternoon.