Los Angeles daily herald., 1888-06-27
HEART-BROKEN.
Sad Suicide Of an Estimable
Lady.
D Driven TO HER DEATH.
The Placid and Peaceful Embrace
of Coveted Ending
of Life.
HEART-BROKEN.
RIvEN TO HER DEATH.

Some six years ago, on chilly, miser-
able and iorbidding night, a HERALD re-
porter, in passing through city park,
heard the sounds Of suppressed but
heartrending sobbing. He turned back
and found o beautiful woman with bitter
tears streaming down her cheeks. She
covered her face with her hands upon
bis approach, and he, astounded at the
discovery Of her identity, passed
silently on. This suffering woman
was Mrs. Sara R. De Puy,
the wife Of Judge Theodore ]. De Puy.
The shame and disgraceo Of her husbands
weakness had driven her into the pityless
night to weep out her grief unseen.
Yesterday morning the unhappy lady
was found dead by friends who called
and deadly her own hand. "Driven to
DEATH" eaid the weeping women
who gathered about the couch
of death. She lay trashy
importunate, but in peaceful and eternal
quiet, with one white hand pressed to the
heart stilled from trouble, and the other
dropping as il wandering aimlessly
through the dark. Tenderly she was
borne to the dread slab Of the undertake
ers in the pure and unsullied garments
in which she had arrayed herself-white
as her lips with Deaths kiss.
The Cordner's inquest which followed
threw but little light upon this domestic
tragedy. The jury were there, the re-
porfers and q bevy Of sympathetic and
weeping lady friends. The first witness
was
MISS NELLIE COLBY.
She testified that on Monday night, with
her father and mother, she spent the
evening with Mrs. De Puy, and thought
Of remaining with her all night. Mrs.
De Puy said: II am so unhappy that /
shall keep you awake, and besides there
are no conveniences for you" "This
morning." continued the witness,
mother and went to Mrs. De
Puy's house, at 1873 South Hill street,
at absut IL O'Clock ard found no one
stirring. tried the door, and entering
found my friend lying dead. | sum-
moned assistance, and went for doctor,
while my mother sent for my father"
: "Did youever know her to be despond
ent ?" interrupted Coroner Meredith:
Lawyer w. w. Stewart, who said he
represented Judge De Puy, at this point
raised an objection to the question. The
Coroner politely but firmly "sat down"
upon the attorney, and Miss Colby said,
in answer, hsk Mrs De Puy was very de-
spondent whenever her husband went
on sprees. She had never heard Mrs.
De Puy threaten to take her own life.
The next witness was
DIR. F. n. BrcKSELL.
He testified that he had known the de-
ceased for four or five years. He was
called at about IL O'Clock in the morning
and found Mrs. De Puy dead. She evil
IDENTIFY had been dead for some hours,
and had died peacefully. "In my opin-
ion," said the Doctor, "she had taken
some narcotic poison with the deliberate
intention Of killing herself"
d. W. COLBY
Testified that his wife told him about IL
O'Clock that Mrs. De Puy was dead. II
went to the house and found it to be
true." In answer to the Coroner, Mr..
Colby stated that Mrs. De Puy was often
Respondent because OF her husbands
dissipated habits. Mr.: Colby produced
a note which the dead woman had in
dited him. It read Is follows:
My sister and sister-in-law's address
upon these two letters. Tell Mr.. Colby to
tske the ring on the ribbon lit was tied
about her neck) and open the locked
drawer in my desk and take charge Of
the package addressed to him.
Another note left by the unhappy wo-
man said
'fTheo. Cher husband) take care Of this,
your watch and mine are here; this con-
trect is worth something to you."
The contract was an agreement be-
tween G. w. Harvey and Mrs. Sara r.
De Puy, for the conveyance to the latter
Of lot 20, block z, in the John NJ. Thomas
Rancho.
This ended the direct testimony, and
the jury, after few minutes delibera-
tion, returned verdict that the deceased
came to her death from ''an overdose Of
poison taken by herself with intent to
commit suicide, while laboring under
great mental depression"
The examination of witnesses also
brought out the fact that on Monday
Mrs. De Puy received letter from home
announcing the sad news Of the death Of
her father; but worse Of all it was shown
that the Judge was on one Of his "per-
iodicalsv and had returned to his home
after an absence Of days to find his faith
ful and long enduring wife dead. 1t was
aleo shown that Mrs. De Puy was not
addicted TO the use Of narcotics.
Judge DePuy, after leaving his dead
wife, went to the Hammam baths and
through drink and remorse became
insane of conduct. His friends bad
him conveyed to tie County Jail, and
when visited by HERALD reporter was
pacing up and down the corridor ex-
claiming: ut was my fault; it was my
fault"
But the strangest part Of the pitiable
story is that the Coroner would throw no
light uron the cause Of the suicide.
The letters addressed to the sister and
sister-in-law he opened and read. To
the members of the press he stated that
they were too Sensational to be pub
lished-too rough upon the living.
When pressed to let the public
know something Of the mystery which
surrounded the untimely taking off Of the
life Of an estimable woman, he peremp-
torily refused to even outline the tenor of
the felltale missivea. 1t needed but the
red garb 10 transform public Office into
an Inquisition. The mute lips Of the
dead woman will never tell the history,
and the public will wait and wonder for
the unfolding.
Mrs. De Puy will be buried to-day un-
der the solemn and beautiful ritual Of the
Eastern Star Degree. Matron Mary ]:
Parker has charge Of the obsequies and
Rev. VIM. Knighten will ofiiciate. In
. lonely lot in Rosedale Cemetery will be
inferred by those who loved her the poor