St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-09-09
Done IN A DEbAUCH.
a Tacoma Woman Found Dead
in q st. Paul Mans
Room.
He Is Charged by a Yardman
With Having Murdered
Her.
An Evident Attempt at Sui
eide by Means Of a Dose
of Atropia.
The Terrible Lesson of a Night
With a Bottle and Bad
Company.
Special to the Globe.

Special to the Globe.
TACOMA, W. T., Sept s.-About 8
o'clock this morning Stewart, of the
Stewart & Holmes Drug company, on
coming to the store found his shipping
clerk, F. Eugene Clark, looking very
strange, and accused him of being in
toxicated. Clark denied the charge,
but handed over his keys on Mr..
Stewards demand. He had hardly
done this before he fell back
wards inSensible. Mr.. Stewart had
him carried up stairs into the
Office OF DIR. I. F. Smith. where it was
found that he was suffering from
poison. A search of the store revealed
the fact that bottle of atropia had been
emptied but few minutes previously.
The proper antidotes were administered,
and this evening Clark is doing well.
As soon as Clark had been taken into
the doctors office, Mr.. Stewart crossed
the hall into the room occupied by
Clark. where a shocking sight met his
view
about thirty years of age was lying
dead on the bed with her mouth open
and the back part of her head shot off.
The deputy coroner, DR.. Hamilton, was
notified and opened an inquest, at
which evidence was given to show that
the woman, notorious street walker
named Florence Cross, both in Seattle
and Tacoma, had been drinking with
Northern Pacific yardman last night and
4hof eI,n too II hi fn ly7c oI,
10 o'clock, stating that the room was
her own. About 1890 Clark was taken,
in a very intoxicated condition, to the
room by the son of prominent politi-
clan, who had found him. almost he lp-
lessly drunk. in the store, and had
locked up the place. When the door
was opened this man saw
SOME ONE ELSE
in the room and left him, supposing him
all right. The yardman, whose name is
Thomas r. Weems, stated that after
Clark came to the room he ordered him
out, stating he had been there long
enough, and drew a revolver on him.
Weems left and went home, and on
reaching his room began to think he
had been bluffed, and returned to the
room. Some one opened the
door and again presented the
pistol, lwhem Weems said, "Oh,
you wouldn't shoot any one, and the
woman made some remark, when the
man turned round and said, "Wouldn't
I?" at the same time putting the pistol
to the cheek of the woman and firing.
Weems, when giving this testimony,
was very drunk, and was finally locked
up till tomorrow to sober up. His evi-
dence is not believed, as the doctor
thinks the woman must have
COMMITTED SUICIDE,
from the fact that the revolver must
have been inserted nearly to the end of
her mouth, as there are no powder burns
on the face or front of the mouth. AL
fred l.. Curtis, another yard man, testi-
fed that Weems had made a similar
statement to him early in the morning.
The inquest was adjourned until to-
morrow. Clark was from St.
Paul, where he was employed
by the Ryan Drug company,
and prior to that was employed by Wis
dom q Co., Hodge, Davis & Co., George
II. Holbrook & Co., and he had also
been with Briggs & Co., of Salem, Or.
He was considered very good clerk,
and except when drinking, which hap
pened once or twice year, was very
steady and reliable. DR.. Smith says he
will not be able to make any statement
till tomorrow, when he can be exam
inod