Butte semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1886-1890, 1889-07-17
FOUL PLAY FEARED.
Mrs. Belle Foster Dies 20 Suddenly that
an Inquest il Held.

Sunday morning q very sudden q mys-
FERROUS death occurred on West Copper
street, which, from the circumstances sur.
rounding it, gave rise to considerable sus.
picion and talk Of foul play, and Coroner
Howard was requested to hold an inquest.
After obtaining all the facts he could the
coroner concluded to heed the request and
summoned Thomas Wilson, John Goebel,
Donald Fraser, G. H. Cody, Thomas Nor
ris and Nathan Smith as jurors. The
premises were examined by the coroner
and the jury after which the body a or.
dere6 removed to Sherman's undertaking
rooms.
The person found dead was o woman
known as Mrs. Belle Foster, and with her
little son, Louis Jasper Jarrett, resided in
o small house on the street mentioned.
One room in the same building was occu.
pied by John Roach, al employee Of the
Lexington company, who rented it from
Mrs. Foster. .-..t.,s
Roach war the first witness subpenaed,
and before ne could give his testimony, was
locked in Jail to allow him to overcome
the effects OF q liberal cargo of 'sheep
Dip which he had ON board. The other
witnesses EXAMINED were Drs. Murray and
Tremblay, Mrs. M. Gamble and deceased's
SON. Roach testified that at about 1880
O'Clock, Saturday morning, he heard the
deceased moaning. and opening the
door which lead into her room,
said she was in great pain, and he offered
to 70 for q physician, but that she told him
it wa unnecessary, as she would be better
in q lew minutes. He said he decided to 60
for q doctor anyway, and summoned DR..
Tremblay. He said that he had known
Mrs. Foster six or eight weeks, and had be.
come acquainted with her while she resided
at Chicken Flat" in Walkerville, where she
had done washing for him. He also said
that he was with her about all the time
while she was sick, and that she vomited
almost continually up to the time she
died.
Mrs. Gamble deposed that she chad known
Mrs. Foster while she resided at Chicken
Flat" and that Sunday morning at about
$50 O'Clock deceased's son had come to
her and requested her to 60 to his mother's
house "a she was very sick. Witness fur.
Their deposed that she arrived at deceased's
house shortly after six o'clock and found
her ''cold all over" and unconscious. She
said said stayed with deceased until death
occurred which was at $50 o'clock. She
said she had no idea what caused death as
deceased did not speak while she was with
her.
The little boy was next sworn and,
although crying bitterly he proved to be q
most competent and bright witness. He
said that about q year ago his father and
mother were divorced at Spokane Falls
and that he and his mother then left there
and came to Montana, stopping a short
time at Helena. From there he said they
came to Butte and moved to VAUDEVILLE
where his mother took in washing until q
little over q month ago when they moved
to Copper street. He said his sister 4 years
old was living with his father on q
ranch about ten miles from Spokane Falls.
His neither, he said had always been we'll up
to ab%outn noon Of Ssturdaywhen she beg IN to
complain OF pains in her stomach and that
she had cramps in her fingers. He said ne
had an aunt named Mrs. /. j. Burget, who
lived 1t Sand Point, Idaho, and also
several uncles named Tumbull, who lived
at the same place. At the confusion OF
his testimony DR.. Howard sent the poor
little fellow to his v home and told him
he would take care OF him until he heard
from bis relatives and knew what DISPOSE
ton to make OF him.
see deceased at about 2 o'clock Saturday
afternoon and found her In d cold sweat
and suffering great pain in the lower abdo-
men. He remained about half an hour and
prescribed stimulants which seemed to help
her. He called again at 8 o'clock hat
evening and found her worse. Sunday
morning at half past three O'Clock he visit.
cd her again and found her SO much weak
or that he decided to call in another ply. |
siclan Tor the purpose Of holding q consult.
alton. DR.. Murray came and the only con.
clusion they could arrive at was that the |
OF her trouble was locatedin the low
or part OF tie abdomen. The cause Of
death, he said. was obscure.
DR.. Murray's testimony was about the
same and he said that he hadno idea what
death resulted from.
The jury decided the evidence insufficient, |
as they suspected something wrong, having
found O small bottle half full OF carbolic
acid in the room occupied by deceased, and
this, together with other facts, caused them
to demand that an autopsy be held. DR..
Legault was accordingly summoned, and he
the post mortem, assisted by
Drs. Murray and 1remblay. The examina.
ton showed that q blood vessel had been
in the ABDOMINAL cavity, causing
hbrinous deposit in the heart, and that the
had caused the sudden death. A
verdict In accordance was then rendered by
jury.
The body remains at the morgue, and
unless word is received from deceased's
win be buried this afternoon.
Although kilograms have been sent to q mum.
Der OF the lady's friends up to last night
had been heard from.