, 1881-04-24
VERY UNSATISFACTORY.
r. Is Not Discovered Who Was the
Author Of Her Ruin,
ror Hou the Stryclnine Got into the
Bottle Of Medicine.

wost Madison street yesterday AFTERNOON,
coroner Matson and six jurynavu examined into
.ha case Of Alice MONTGOMERY, the young
~ no,n,n vho died at tie Sheldon Court Hote!
',ndrr such mysterious circumstances on the
u,anr An of Saturday, April 9. AS wifi be rcmcm-
+.arc1 she was employed rs ii dining room girl
=, fno Eve and Ear Infirmary, corner OF
p-oria aud Adams streets. She went to tho
at-,dou Court Hotel on tho night In question,
~ shortly after being shown to her room, was
xond io TIT, hall suffering terribly from spasms,
:. 1rhIch she died. In her room were found
.1a5jciues which she had evidently procured to
.roduee 1T, abortion, and the pOst-mortem ex-
smina1ion showed her to bavo been pregnant.
mi I, also showed that her death WAS caused by
e,rvchninc. This deadly drug was found in large
-nau13tjcs in the bottle OF medicine which she
tenr in her room. and which was supposed to
nnrta;r, onlv fluid extract Of ergot and water
1he prvblcm to solve. therefore, was this: How
"a The .1rychniuc get into that bottle?
Tf1r first witness examined was Sophia Carl
e01.
ru1: YOUNG WOMAN WHO EooMED WITH
ALICE
=, the Eye and Ear 1ntirmary, but her testimony
d,d not throw any new light on the matter. She
cid Alice left tho institution about o'clock ia
1ha afternoon Of April 9 without saying wnero
friend on Lake street She took with her Il
smail satchet filled with underclothing aud
nJeces Of CLOTH and also borrowed SIS from an
other en1ploye OF the place, SO that in ai4 she
had about 81 Ur S.D. Deceased bud never told
Titness that shu was 10 any trouble and nothing
could ever make witness believe that her roou,-
1na1c had intended to commit suicide Deceased
hsd been Keeping company with young man
named George GiddtnEs-
Russell Rarler. tho uruE-clerk who prepared
the medicines found among the effects Of the
dead girl, testified that tue prescription WIS
brought to him ut krart's drugstore byn youn.
woman tAiice Montgomery. Of course'. about
3:u O'Clock that Saturday afternoon, and that
she claimed to have copied the prescription her
sctt frcu1 one written by Dr.. Donald Fraser.
III prescription GATED for two ounces Of tho
fluid extract Of crEot, with four ounces Of water,
aud for fifteen grains Of santocfnr in a capsule.
Witness thought fifteen grains Of santoniuc alto
rether TOO much for one dose. SO he put up only
three grains made up into three capsules The
young woman hadappeared perfectly composed.
Sa11ucl Sharp proprietor or the Sheldon House,
testified that Alice came to his place about 9
o'clock Saturday night, and, without giving her
nsme engaged d room from him Tor the night
Before retiring 10 her room she asked for
Fass Of water and n Tablespoons which were
ctven to her Witness did not see her again
alrc, but heard her screams in the hail when
the was dying.
pE. JOHN i. ROBINSON
testified that he CHANGED to he ia the Sheldon
House on the night tn question. and shortly after
o'clock Was attracted by screams to
the spot where the young woman
II Sue bad Swallowed 1nything. and she answered
yes, hut when he asked her what 1t was she
shook her head und SAID nothing. Witness sent
10 the younE wonan's room aad had he medi-
wAs satisfied that there was strychnin III the
erZot mixture. and, after consulting with DR..
Knox. be administered ether and bromide of
potash th the patient" She died, however, IN
few minutes
Dr. j. VI. Hutchtngs, who. With DR.. Tucker,
made the pos1-mortem examination. testified as
to It's results, what these results were having
already been stAted.
CORONER afATsoS
now gave in some evidence, which. though It
did not tend tc show where the strycnntne came
from. was at least new and very interesting,
after the death Of Alice Montgomery be re-
ccired an envelope containing Two letters and
two photographs: The envelope was received
printed with pen and ink in large and
handsome letters, One Of the photographs
was that Of Alice Montgomery. and the other
tie young man spoken OF by Sophia Carlson.
The Coroner showed the letters Eno photos.
One of the Letters read as follows being written
II hand evidently disguised:
OFFICER R1SGnosE: luclosed is letter written
BY, Alice Montgomery to the author Of her trou-
,les fur Van Sltnchen. S41 West Madison street.
1cr trunk at the Eye and Ear 1ntirmary, corner
of Adams and Peoria streets, where Alice
worked Her writing can be identified by her
mother, and will throw some light on the mys-
~ M4Rr Bnowy.
It vo11}d apnear that the writer had at tirs1 in
tended ecndinr the letter to Ouiccr Hingrose.
but had changed her Tor hisl mind. Tho othar
letter run thus:
l|,c,, ,,,,.,r,,,r,,,,-,.
1~z AoS - touaGh1 ~, LhiAhT'
CHICAGO, Apr1l :, losl--OkAR Joe: called on
-nn+ha s-t,.. ~ q aarFnr, - ~ ~ .oul
ne and IS ro1ne to perform another opera
ion on me next Sunday. And then, he
rs dollars. He saws I must bring him
be other SIS before he operates again. viii
ou please send NC the rest Of the money so as
an give it to him On Sunday. Yours atIec ton
.1e!v. ALICE MOS760AEnr.
The Coroner said he had turned the letters
yer to Lieut. Kearfng, who was present ut the
nQuest to tell what his investigation had shown.
71r,-c xr.r1~c
,
Aao u. Loets Was % "onAu naneo a bto"n a. ING
y 7 ana Eur inurusaIE, w sue VAS oweoe ana