The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1884-05-22
A STRANGE. Sad Story.

We noticed last week, in brief para.
graph, that young women protesting to
hail from Harper's Ferry. and passing un.
der the name of Edna Tate, had been suf-
located from escaping gas in her room in
the Niagara Hotel, Baltimore. 1t was
supposed that before going to bed. she
blew out the light, without turning off the
gas. There is connected with this sad
death train of circumstances which NAV
lead to important results. Her real name
is Jennie Gundolph. Her mother resides
in Mt. Crawford, Va. She had been do.
nestle in the family of Mr.. E. I'll. Cromer,
near Harrisonburg, and left there about a
week ago. She was brought to the depot,
at Harrisburg, by Mr.. Cromer. She pur-
chased ticket to Baltimore, paying for it
herself, and after that nothing was heard
from her until her sad death was an
nOunced.
We learn that several days before her
departure, Mr.. D. G. KoOgler had tele-
| graphed to gentleman in Baltimore that
she wonld arrive there at certain time
and asking that he would take care Of her
for few days. This gentleman met her
at the depot and escorted her to the Mag
ara Hotel. A room was assigned to her,
to which she Immediately went. The next
morning gas was discerned in the hall Of
the house where her room was located.
| The door of her room was broken open,
and the girl found FRUSTRATED from the eff
feet Of the gas. Drs. Claggett and Smith
were called in, the former remaining with
her during the day. At one time, it was
thought her life would be saved, but in
the evening reaction took place, and death
soon followed.
Inquiry was sent by telegraph to Har-
per's Ferry, to- learn if she had friends
living there. The response came that no
such person was known there. The body
was taken charge of by the City Marshal
of Baltimore, and laid away in vault. In
day or two young man made his ap-
pearance, under the name of w. C. Rob-
erts, claiming to be cousin OF the de-
ceased, and representing her uncle, MIR. S.
II. Roberts, of Illinois. He paid her bill
at the hotel, the physicians charge and all
others that was presented, amounting to
about $65. After this her purse, contain
ing $22.45, was handed to him. Her trunk
was placed at his command, and orders
were given by him for the body to remain
in the vault to await his Commands. He
then disappeared.
In the meantime. information had
reached Mrs. Gundolph, at her humble
home in Mt. Crawford, that her daughter
was dead. She had known nothing OF he1
departure, and the shock of the startling
announcement caused the most agonizing
grief. She was an only child, and con.
tributed literally of her scanty wages to
the support of her invalid mother. A gen.
tleman, a friend OF the distressed old lady
learning the facts as reported in the pa
pers and others connected with the sad at
fair, wrote several letters TO friends in Bal.
timore, and sent photograph of Jennie
Gundolph to Marshal Gray, giving him
the particulars of her leaving Rocking
ham. A comparison of the corpse and the
picture clearly established that Edna
Tate and Jennie Gundolph were one and
the same person. In obedience to the re-
quest of the mother, upon this satisfactory
evidence that EDNA Tate" was Jennie
Gundolph,:: and the daughter of Mrs. Gun
dolph, of Mt. Crawford, the remains were
sent by express to the mother, reaching
there ON Friday night. and were buried on
Sunday, large funeral cortege accompan-
ying the remains to the grave, and kind
hands strewing the tomb with flowers and
evergreens.
Miss GundOlph was beautiful girl and
was fOndly loved by her mother, although
most of her life had been spent in service
to help to support the little family. She
was about 20 years of age, and at the
time of her death was about to become a
mother.
We have learned Of other facts in con-
nection with this cruel and distressing af-
fair, which we will not now mention
There has been great criminal wrong
perpetrated young life has been sacri-
and mothers heart agonized and broken
1t is the purpose Of the friends of the de-
ceased to probe the matter to the bottom.
and if there is law to punish the guilty, if
discovered, to have it melted out to the
| fullest extent.
1t is hardly necessary to state that w. C.
Roberts, representing himself as cousin
of the deceased and who paid the bills
took the purse and claimed the trunk and
body of the dead girl, was a fictitious char
acter. But it is believed that the real
name will be discovered, and an expos G
made of the whole sad affair.
! Religion and Politics.
Last Sunday night Rev. r. Smithson
preached in the Methodist Church, an
able sermon on Religion and Politics. to
a large audience. If there were any who