The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1888-09-06
HOW DID SHE DIE?
A Sad Case for Jury to Decide.
Mysterious and Sudden Death of
a Friendless Girl
Alone and Deserted Among Heart.
less Strangers.
The Anxiety of Old Aunt Rhoda to
Have Her Quickly Buried.
Circumstances OF Suspicious Nature
Surrounding Her Last Hours Her
Piteous Cries for Help Shortly
Before Her Death.

the theme OF poets pathetic song, and
scarcely day passes but il becomes the
duty OF n reporter TO chronicle story
equally tragic, but without the magic OF u
poets pen to invest the narrative with
touches Of tenderness that 20 TO the heart
and bid the tears rise 10 eyes unused
TO weeping. Such duty conironts
the writer now. The story is unspcak
ably sad, and its elimination saddcst OF
all. To see young woman OF more than
average beauty, laid out in howell with a
squalid sheet for q burial shroud is piteous
enough under any circumstances but To re-
fleet that she lay there the victim OF mans
pcrfdity and that she paid the wages OF
3in alone and in agony without a human
soul TO pity her or stretch out helping
hand, is so unuttcrably sad that the mind
shrinks from referring to it. But il must be
done, il for no other purpose than TO give
the living lesson from the dead.
Some few weeks ago u young woman, OF
fair hair and complexion, medium hight
and quiet manners, applied To Mrs. Fer
guson, at No. 80 Marshall avenue, for
board. She appeared TO be- respectable
and well supplied with funds, and was ac.
cordingly admitted and assigned 10 u room.
She gave her name rs Nlrs Willie Jordan,
but u telegram leccivCd few days later
addressed to Miss Willie Tisdcl gave rise
20 the suspicion that things were not rs
they should be. She explained, however.
that the sender OF the telegram did not
know she was married, and her cXplanl-
ton WIS accepted Ms satisfactory. When
she paid her first or second weeks board,
SHE DISPLAYED 4 BiG ROLL 90 HILLS,
none OF them less than $40 in amount,
and among them also two or more
twcntics This fact IL will he important to
remember in view OF subsequent occur
rcnccs shortly nitcrward Miss Iisicll
left No. 30 Marshall avenue leaving be.
hind her no trace OF her whereabouts.
YESTERDAY SHE WAS FouND DEAD
at No. 2lg Madison street kept by an
old black hng named Rhoda Turner, whose
sign, "NIrs. Turner, Midwife, is couspic-
uously displayed on the gallery.
The death Is said 10 have occurred NJ 7
O'Clock am, and before . o'clock she was
on her way 10 the health office with a
doctors certificate, signed 10y j. Nixon,
certifying that the cause ui the girl death
was "congcsiivc chill.." A certificate oi
burial was promptly issued aud before :
o'clock in the afternoon the corpse WAS ON
its way 10 Poticr's field.
the ArrEAL REroRrERs SUSPICIOUS WE'RE
AROUSED
by The black woman's extraordinary anxi-
city to make II appear that she took the
girl in for charity, aud that the deceased
had no money or clothes when she arrived,
nothing but small satchol filed with let
tiers and an empty tin trunk. Tho woman
dwclt with 80 much iteration upon the
dcCedonts poverty that tho scent
Of largo sized mouse brgan 20
snturato the atmosphere. Ilc OK
amined the sltchcl. There were no
letters IN II, but u collection Of empty en-
vrlopcs Her letters, ns was ailcrward
learned, had been taken possession OF 10y
the reporter OF IN evening paper, who
turned them over 10 the police. Titg Ar-
PEAt rupor CT examined the envelopes. One
WAS adtlrsscd, "Mn. Willie Jor,lon, No. ~
Marshall avenue" al the Others, "Miss
Willie Tisdcll. Water Valley. Miss. "
Asked ns 90 the cause OF death the old
woman answered, "cpngcsiiblo chills'
Was the woman cnccintu' yvniur'd the
reporter, in order o. confirm his snspic-
ions. Tho woman reluctantly confessed
that such was the ease anl that the father
was married man. The mouse began Ia
smell louder and louder.
At 30. % Marshall avonnc the reporter
secured denial that the girl had been Ia
destitute circumstances, and reference was
made 10 the roll oi money she had oXhib.
tied to the landlady.
The next person visited was
pn. >. NIEoS, DRUGGIST.
nj No. % Charleston aycnuc. llc told TuE
ArrgAL reporter that lac had been called
in nj q o'clock yesterday morning to see
the Girl NJ 2i9 Madison street, found her
dying with congestion and left hUt without
making any attempt n prescribe for her,
M she was beyond the reach u all. lie
declared that that was his frst, last
and only visit b. the girl, and that lac had
mover seen hcr before or since.
The reporter Their returned 10 Rhoda
Turner'S house, with the Wow Of ascertain.
ing what other physician hal treated the
case, NJ Il did not secm possible than oven
an inhuman colopd woman would defer
calling Ia AID until the patient was Ia the
throcs Of death. The following woru the
questions put TO Rhoda Turner, and the
answers given by her.
GLOW long was this girl sick2'
about two weeks
"Who treated herr
"Dr. Nicholson
"Tho same who signed her death Ger.
tihcaiog'
st.f.a -
"Ilow often did he see hcr7'
Lots Of times. Sometimes three times
a day"
"6id he SEQ her sundOy''
"Yos."
"And Monday"
"Ycs."
"And Tuesday,"
"Yra"
Here Il occurred 10 tho reporter that
Bertha buchanan, a dcspcrntr colorud
woman, arrested Sunday for shooting nj
another woman, lived IN the same yard
and was likely 20 have been around II
there was mischief 10 pay. Acting upon
that idea be askc'l
ibid lloriha Buchanan wait on hcr?"
"Yos, she helped wait on her."
This was enough from Rhoda.
Inquiry In the ncighborhood developed
that At an early hour yesterday morning
AaoNiziSg 1iRiEKs wEnE heard
coming from Rhoda's house, and WON.
aus voice was distinctly heard crying
ooh, Aunt Mary Aunt Mary, can't you
| help meg'
This mus, have been before the congus.
tive chill ST In, because there IL M case
on record where congestion produces that
effect.
rng CONTENTS oY T1g LvrTERs.
Among the unfortunate young woman,