Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1868-11-10
MYSTERIOUS AFFAIR.
Sudden Death of the Wife of an e.
Confederate General.


From the St. Louis Republican Nov Z.
On Wednesday evening last lady, appa
rently thirty-hVe or forty years of age, left
the southwark bound Chicago train at this
point and went TO the Alton House. She
had no baggage, except small hand bag,
aud was accompanied by a man of respect
able appearance, who seemed to be acting
az her escort. After some conversation
with him in the parlor, she was shown to
her room on the second floor of the hotel,
and is supposed 10 have retired at an
early. hour. One of the boarders states
that in passing the door Of the apartment
which she occupied, about o'clock, he saw
a light burning and heard voices inside.
But beyond this nothing ia definitely known
of what transpired within. Yesterday
morning the servant knocked at the door
several times, but ELECTED no reply, and
on trying it found that it was locked or
bolted. Calling the proprietor, an exam
ination was made by looking through the
transom light, when the woman was dis.
covered in bed and so wrapped up 10 the
clothes az to hide her face completely. OBJ
tanning no answer to his questions and
fearing that something was wrong Mr..
Siemens then procured ladder and en-
tered the room from the outer court through
a rear window. The unfortunate inmate
was found dead, and from indications
must have been so several hours. Her
body was drawn up, the features horribly
distorted, the hands partially clenched,
| and she appeared to have died 10 the midst
of sudden and violent CONFUSION, pro-
duced by some unknown cause.
Justice Quarton was Immediately not
fed, and, summoning a coroner's jury, an
inquest was held upon the remains The
| companion of the deceased q Mr.. Roberts,
was sworn, and testified substantially that
he had met the lady in Springfield,
| Illinois, at the st. Nicholas Hotel, a few
| days before, and there for the fret time
made her acquaintance; that she repre-
sented .herself to him as the wife Of Gen.
| Frazier, of the Confederate army; that her
husband was in Europe, and that she had
| two daughters in the Convent of the Sacred
| Heart, in ST. Louis. He stated that she
had procured money from the Catholic
| clergy in Quincy as well as in Springfield,
to pay her expenses to st. Louis; also that
| he took walk with her to Oak Ridge Gem
etery and elsewhere, during their soicurn
at the st. Nicholas. According to his ac.
count, he left Springfield on the same train
| with her, but did not know she was on
| board until his arrival at Carlinville, when
she spoke to him on the platform, and ex-
| pressed her pleasure at meeting him again
He says that she urged him to stop off at
Alton, and continue his journey with her
| TO st. Louis in the morning, and that he
| finally consented to do 80. Previous TO re-
firing for the night, she complained to him
| of feeling i'll, but that he saw nothing more
| of her from the time she left the parlOr nm
| til he was informed of her death next
moraiug.
Roberts gave the jury most accurate in-
formation in regard to the effects of Mrs.
Frazier, money, jewelry, etc, etc, which
subsequent investigation proved to be co.,
rect. Nor was anything brought forward
TO iuValidate the remainder OF the testi-
mony. or to connect him in aBv Way with
her decease. There were no traces of vio-
lenCe on the body, and no signs of poison
having been administered, and Dr.. Hardy,
City Physician, gaze his opinion that che
died of commissions. The jury rendered
similar verdict, and the corpse was con-
veyed 10 the receiving vault of the city
cemetery to await further developments.
One hundred and one dollars in currency,
number of railway passes, quantity Of
Catholic relics, crosses, etc, etc, were
found among her clothing, but nothing
which could lead to complete identified
ton.
A telegram has been sent to the ladies OF
the Sacred Heart, asking that the children
might be brought here; and, should they
arrive, it ia to be hoped some clue may be
found to unravel this melancholy and mys
! teriGns case.