Daily Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1876-1884, 1881-02-15
A SAD SUICIDE.
Mrs. Powers, while Laboring Under Nervous
Depression, Outs Her Throat.

II
| The boarding house Of Mrs. Kin
ney, on Temple street. opposite tn
Pavilion, yesterday afternoon wa
the scene Of one of the most melan
choly events that has ever tran
spired In Los Angeles. About 81,
weeks ago Mr.. and Mrs. Edward II
Powers returned from the Ojai val
ley, Ventura county, where they
had been for several months pre-
vious for the benefit of Mrs. Pow
ers's health, she having been q suf
ferer from the asthma for the pas
fourteen ysars.
About 2 o'clock in the after
noon Mr.. Powers went over te
Brooklyn Heights to take Span
ish lesson. Before starting he and
his wife took two or three turns
about the garden and parted at tbs
gate, he to 60 over the river, she
to return to their room, which Is
in the second story, over the par
Tor. Mr.. Powers returned about
O'CLOCK, and on going to his room
found the door locked. He knock
cd, and receiving no answer, he
called to the landlady and asked
where the key was. In reply she
told him he would find q hey in
the door on the opposite side Of the
hail. Procuring this, Mr.. Powers
attempted to uHlock the door. but
discovered that 1T had been locked
from the inside, the key remain.
ing in tho LOCK-. Not knowing
what to make Ut this, he was about
to force the door, when Mrs. Kim
ney, who thought that Mrs. Pow.
ers remained quiet through play
fulness, told Mr.. Powers
that he would find q
ladder In the yard, and sug.
gested that he place it against
the bay window of the parlor and
gain access to his room in that
way. He adopted her suggestion
and mounted to the top Of the bay
window. On looking into the room
. horrifying sight met his gaze.
Sire tched on the floor, in q pool of
her own blood, lay the body of his
wife! He gave an agonized scream
and hastensd into the room. The
sight that there presented itself
was ghastly in the extreme. The
woman lay In the center of the
room, her head resting on pillow
and her throat cut from ear to ear.
Near her head lay. razor, the
weapon with which the rash act
was committed. From the posi-
ton Of the body, 1t Is supposed that
the suicide, before inflicting the
fatal wound, laid down on the
floor, her head on u pillow, from
which the case had been removed,
aud then drew tho razor across her
throat. The body, which, when
first discovered, was lying on it's
back, had been turned over by the
husband, face to the floor, to con.
seal the CHASTITY cash.
Mr.. Powers, almost distracted by
The shock, commenced q search TO |
see II his wife had left no explana.
lion of the cause that impelled her |
to end her life. Her portfolio was
lying open on the bed, as though |
she had been examining it's con-
tents before com mittipg the fatal
deed, but nothing explanatory
could he found. The bereaved hus.
band, falling In his search, seated
himself, anu as he gazed on the re.
mains seemed dazsd by his great
and for q time II was
feared that his reasOn,would give
way.
Iu addition to the asthma, Mrs.
Powers had been afflicted with at.
Jacks Of nervOus depression, some.
lines almost amounting to insani-
~, 10 one of which, it is believed
BY all who knew her, the fearful
Iced was committed. Mr.. Powers
was o most devoted husband, Civ.
Jog up his business ut Denver,
where he was q practicing lawyer,
ia order to try II residence In this
climate would not cure her of the
asthma. They came here fret
nearly y year ago. After stopping
in this. city three weeks they went
to the OLAF valley, where they re-
mained until they returned to this
,ity.
The deceased lady was about AZ
years old and leaves one son, who
10 now in Paris, France. Her re-
10 aims were EN- balmed last night,
and will be sent East for inter.
nent. Coroper Nadeau will hold
An inquest at 8 O'Clock this morn
ng.