Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1880-08-13

Jennie Boucock, alias Mrs. 4. II. Potter, INT
young woman who committed suicide BY
poisoning at the boarding house, No. 2ii
East Sixth street. Particulars Of the tragit
affair appeared in yesterdays issue of tie
GLOBE and from the information at hand
and In the absence Of positively reliable in
formation, it was intimated that the unhappy
woman had committed the aot while smart
ing under plquant sense of spurned and
unrequited affection. The prediction was
p ,sitiyely verified by the investigation which
took place yesterday morning, aud i. estsb-
lished beyond preadventure that rather than
become an outcast on society she chose the
dreadful alternative of death by suicide.
As will be seen by the proceedings before
girl was actuated by the dread that the man
Potter, with whom she had been living as
his wife, had made up his mind to desert her
to the scorn and charity of cold and un-
| thinking world. It Is one of the peculiar in
consistencies of the law that man may be
| indirectly responsible sor the life Of bu-
| man being, In the beauty and prime OF wo-
| manhood, without being called to some &C.
countability.
Save her Illicit relation With this man, the
| unfortunate girl was absolutely without
friends in this city. he had expressed him
SELF Of being tired of her and desirous of
leaving her, telling the woman he had duped
TO go home. This mockery must have been
felt as keen irony to the friendless girl Who
had no home.
TIE INQUEST.
Coroner Davenport arrived at IL o'clock
and empaneiled the following jury: John
W. Griggs. G. T. Barninghsm,C. H.Schni;t-
Ter, j. F. Pannell, e. @. Starkey and f.
Knauft. After viewing the remains the jury
proceeded to hear the testimony OF the wit
nesses, the proceedings being as follows:
MRS. DOUGLAS.
AIRS. Mary Jane Douglas, Isndlsdy of the
boarding house, was first sworn and testified
as follows: Have known deceased for two
weeks; knew her as Mrs. Potter; she was intro
duced as his (Potter's) wife hY friend; their
relations had been pleasant; deceased had made
nc complaint Of trouble; she was apparently
cheerful and happy; had never heard her make
any complaint; about 8 O'clock Last night Mr..
witness brought cup Of water;
deceased was then in struggles;
had asked her what was the matter? She first
declined to tell, and afterwards said she lad
taken poison; witness exclaimed, 'tyou are
very foolish" to which she replied, "you don e
know my troubles when witness vas called,
deceased was twitching and almost rigid; she
screamed with pain; death resulted fe~
minutes after witness entered tie room; de-
ceased aud Mr. Potter were at supper together;
deceased walked ont after supper;
had heard no talk nor fuss;
had supposed their relations we're man aud
wife, or should not have permitted them to live
in the house.
By DR.. Bosrdman-Deceased passed from a
convulsiOn to death; she breathed her last
right after the spasm; she ate supper at $50
O'Clock; about ten minutes before witness
heard the screaming deceased visited the kitch-
en- for cup ana spoon; there was no relaxation
of the spasm; her face was pale and right efter
the spasm she Hss purple around the mouth.
DR.. RIcHKsoN.
Had been called about $50 or 6:l5 o'clock
the messenger stated that a woman was dying
on Sixth street; not over five inmates elapsed
before witness reached the houae; found her
rigid and dead; thought death ensued during
the spasm; raised the head up; the mouth was
partially open; the symptoms were poisoning
by strychnine; the pupils were not contracted,
but perfectly natural; there were NO indlca-
tions Of prussio acid; thought death resulted
from poisoning by strychnine.
On being questioned concerning the cause
Of death, DR.. Boardmau said he agreed With
Dr.. Rioheson.
W. e. HoNId.
Have boarded with Mrs. Douglas FIVE or six
weeks; knew Mr.. and Mrs. Potter, have known
him for FIVE or six years; first met Mrs. Potter
about two weeks ago; did not consider that
| they were men and wifeI had understood that
they were rot married; had seen them together
| had never heard them quarreli but deceased
had spoken to witness about their trouble; had
remarked that if things came to q
point they would have to separate;
after supper, the night of tie suicide, deceased
| called Mr.. Potter into the room !; could not
| say what took place. Deceased had told Mrs.
| Douglas that she blamed witness for leading
Potter away. Witness had told deceas cd that
one of them had to be at the stable each night
Left the house in company with Potter
about 8:45 o'clock. Returned at $50 o'clock
when deceased was dead.
| e. A. WEBSTER.
| Have boarded with Mrs. Douglas about two
weeks. Knew deceased. About O'Clock last
night I laid down on the loungein the sitting
room; heard q noise in the next
4
went into the room and deceased seemed to be
In great pain; deceased asked for water, which
| was given; Mrs. D0uslas came in and requested
| witness to leave the room; deceased clutoned al
| witness and wanted to hold on to him: SO far
as he knew ths relations of Mr.ead Mrs. Potter
were pleasant, had never heard them quarrel.
| ,. ". STUART.
| J. ". Stuart, of the drug fru of Stuart &
Lutsy corner of Sixth and Wabashsw streets, ws.
callst and testified to selling the strychnins
toy deceased ON Wednesday afternoon n;
| his testimony Was as follows
Keep record Of poisuns sold. Sold ten grains
Of strychnine to Jennie Boucook Wedp .day
afternoon about o'clock; she was dressed in
| white and were gray ulster; deceased called
| for rat poison; she stated that abe wanted
stryohnine, as she had tried other poisons and
they had not proved effectual; witness here
| produced book containing a record of the sale
as required by law. The record bore her own
signature, which Was recognized by Corone,
| Davenport.
| EDWARD H. POTTER.
| My business is selling horses; came here in
| March, 1879, have been here the most Of two
summers; knew deceased; her name was Jennie
Boucock; knew that she passed by the name OF
Mrs. Potter; have known her for two years; she
| oame to St. Paul last summer and returned In
the winter; had lived with her while in this
| city; she was about twenty-five years of age;
bound not to say where her parents lived; un-
derstood that her mother had no home,
have lived with her this time six or seven
weeks; formerly resided at Central house on
Minnesota street; had had no trouble with her
had given no cause for the suicide; abe had
threatened to commit suicide; witness had ad-
vised her to return home; she stated that if
witness went off she would kill herself; a'e
supper at 80 o'clock Wednesday night; Lit a
cigar and started out with Mr.. Honig; she
called him back and asked him to return early;
after supper, Wednesday, witness took out
money to pay their board; deceased neticed
| the action and asked him what he was going to