New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-09-04
MRS. SPARR'S suspicious:
CHARGES AS TO HER DAUGHTERS DEATH.

Coroner Martin went to the Bureau of Vital Sta
tistIcs yesterday and consulted with Dr. John T.
Nagle the Deputy Register. in reference to charge
of malpractice which had been made in the case OF
Rosa Is. Burns. age twenty-seyen. who died at NO.
3l3 East Fourteenth-st on August 10. The GER
tcate Of DEATH which was sent to the Health De-
partment by DIR. Mark Fl. Williams, of No. 257
West Eleventh-st, stated that Rosa b. Burns died
from cancer after an illness OF long duration. On
that certificate Dr. Nage issued burial permit and
the body was placed in n vault IN The cemetery at
tached to the Church of the Nativity in Secondave.
The dead wOman's mother. whose name was gwen
in the certificate Mary Burns. told Coroner Mar
tin last week that she believed that her daughter
had been victim of malpractice. She also asserted
that her daughter had had improper relations with
Mr. DE MARITIME, the secretary of the
Spanish Consulate in this city, who lives
at No. 3l3 Fast Four.eenth-st. During
the investigation which followed it was learned
that Mrs. Burns. has been known for years as Mrs.
Dr. Sparr clairvOyant. and that she is sister OF
| Victoria Woodruff and TennIe c. Cliflin.
The woman was married early in life to Ross
| Burns a lawyer, who established a practice in
| Topeka Kansas. They had two daughters,
| one of whom died several years ago.
Mrs. Burns separated from her husband
and began an intimacy with a man named Sparr
| whose name she adopted. She told her daughter
Rosa that the girls father had been killed by
Indians of the Territories 1t is asserted that
the woman has had children since then who bear
the name of Sparr The life of her oldest daughter
from girlbood up was one of hardship accord
ing to statements made by her to intimate friends.
| About six years ago Rosa became a warm friend OF
| Rosalie De MARITIME the daughter of the Secretary
of the Spanish Consulate, and cOnided to her many
| of her troubles. Rosa's mother then lived ut
Sec0nd-ave. ana Twelfth-st To Miss DE MARITIME
Rosa said that she compelled TO leave her home
frequently tor DAYS at time III order
| TO escape ill-treatment. She made welcome
| at the home of MIR. DE MARITIME who took an inter
| est In her. At a late hour uight i'll 1876, while
! Rosa was staying with Rosalie DE MARITIME, her
mother moved away from the house at Second-ave.
and Twelftb-st, taking property which be-
| longed to tho daughter. Rosa then be-
! came foster.sister Of her friend and
lived aftcrward IN the DE MARITIME household.
| She had talent for embroidery and earned some
money by working for Si1th-ave. dry goods mer-
chants.
| FINDING A LONG-LOsr FATHER.
| Mr. DE MARITIME, wrote 20 lawyers in Kansas for
information about Rosa's father and learned that
| Ros, Burns was alive in Topeka. BY advice of her
| friends Rosa went to Kansas and saw her father,
who then was a promient lawyer IN that State. lie
| had been married a second time. although he had
not procured a divorce from his first wife. He re-
ceiyed his daughter with Affection but he was
unwilling to have her remain IN the West and she
returned again to the care of her foster iather
Rosa's illness began soon after she
returned from Kansas, and she became
unable to perform any work more
| tLan wear ago Her father died in June 1882.
aud she maze another journey 70 Kansas Co lay
| claim 10 his estate, which was valued at over
$4,000. She found rival claimant III the person
| OF her fathers second vile, aLd "a contest wncn
| was begun III the courts Is still unsettled
| Dr. Williams was called to attenl Rosa at Mr. De
Marines mouse on December l, 1852. she was then
| bedridden. An examination convIuced the physl-
| cIan that the cancer had extended 81 lar that IL
could not be removed Al his suggestion Dr Lee.
Hospital, was called IN consultation win
Dr. Vo,burg, DIR. Willlams's associate.
To determine If al operation was
| advisable. The physicians came 10 the conclusion
that the cancer could not bc removed ahd that
death must result in the conrse OF LEV months.
About 'ix months ago Rosa told Dr. Williams that
| size feared tnat her motner would seek to make
| trouble Sne said she hal made Will, leaving all
| the property whioh belonged TO her to RosilIe De
| Marine, had nurscd her constantly. Dr.
| Williams advised her to seek u reconciliation with
| her mot nor. Rosa however, declined TO sea Mrs
| Sparr who went To the house III Fourteenth-st
and demanded an interview. FAther EVeiett
| one of the priests III cnarge OF the Church OF
the Nativity, paid frequent visits to
| Inc was prolonged several months by the caretu
! nursiuv of Rosallo Dc MARITIME and other members
| of the fanny. He spoke Of the accuSat' '0ns made
| by Rosa's mother as being unnatural anu absurd
CHARGES IysrIGArED BY SPITE.
Mr. De MARITIME said to a TRIBUNE reporter that
the charges of Mrs Spar were iustlgLted by spite,
because no had helped her dau ghter to escape from
hardship. lie thought also that tho woman
wanted to get the property of Rosa Burns, and
that she expected to break the daughters VIII oy
| .ons of false accusations The dead
| von,an he said had been like mis- own daughter III
the house. and the base SANDERS would nol be pc
! isyed among her many friends III Tie city' lhe
ouly disgrace Rosa ever had To pear was cdSI upon
her by her mother and her mothers sislers IL nal
| been uis privilege to shield hoT a. lar as possible
| from the odum of ner kndrcd. lie expressed sur
Lrise that Coroner Marlln would listen to charge
so ridiculous and coming iroma a woman Wno>e char-
| acter made her statements unworthy 3l oehei' A.
| It was SAID at the COrOneTs office that the
| hodv of Miss Burns would be taken 10 the
| Morcue to-day and that an autopsy wouid oe
made to set at all doubts regarding the cause
| of her death. DIR. Williams mad noG rccciVeu any
| notification of the autopsy last evening lie sau
| that IL was "A matter OF no consequence I'D MN
whether an autopsy was made or not ihere was
10 doubt in MS own m,nd as 10 the result oI sucu
| an examination aud II the body Ot SisS Burns re-
NAMED xainlned the stories Oi malpractice came
| from "A source which made them powerless 10 DO
| him any harm. >, A., A., c,orJ,
| bouse No SO St Johns p ace, Brooklyn, last even
Inp but was uuaple TO sec ner ~ sue was sunerinB
from severe hea ,aehe. She sent message 10 lllo
effect that tie true story or ner dauehtcr uc"tn
aud all circumstances relating To nor lato huspaas
| nrone rtv could only learned through ler auu Ill
a few DAYS sue hoped 70 furnish an accurate account
| of the whols affair. In the reception room th,ie
| WIS "A siIyer sign on the nantei Win hrS' Di'
| Sparrp engraved IN large black letters
| .