The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1889-06-04
A Man IN THE CASE.
The Cause of Hattie Whites Sui
eide on Sunday.
THE STATEMENT OF THE LOVER.
Refused Marriage by Him, She Resorts to
Strychnine, and Ends Check
cred Career.


An erring girl-a lover-a bottle of stryc-
MIA cofin-a grave.
Such were the principal points in the
tragedy enacted in this city on Sunday last,
and which We're developed in an inquest
held before Coroner Taylor and jury yes
terday, at the old time two-story house at
143 south West Temple street. The room
in which the body was lying, and which
was spoken of by the companions of the
deceased as "Hattie's ROOM" was neatly
furnished and as clean as a new pin !;
the decorations, while not expensive,
gave evidence of considerable taste,
and on the whole there was a
display of refinement such as one would
hardly be justified in expecting. The face
of the deceased was uncovered by the un-
dertaker in order that the jury might in
spect it, and a glance revealed the fact that,
although it was marred by evidences of
physical pain and suffering, it must have at
one time been handsome one.
Barely 20 was Hattie White, and yet she
had drained life's cup to the dregS.
The first witness called was Mrs. Steele,
with whom the deceased had been living
for some months past. She testified, in
substance, as follows Hattie had not
been feeling at all well for some time past.
1t was about 8 o'clock when she called to me
from her room and told me she would soon
be ready to help me with the dinner. She
had rang for messenger, and asked me to
let her know when he arrived. ] did so.
Later, she came out all dressed, and asked
her what was the matter. She replied
nothing" and few seconds later she
called to me- and | cOulQ see that
SHE WAS VERY ILL.
She was subject to spasms, however, and
thought but little about it. She then ad-
mitted that she had taken strychnine
and she begged me to save her, saying she
did not want to die. We sent for DR.. Nc
Lean, and soon after he arrived ne sent for
DR.. STANDARD but they could do nothing for
her, and she died at about7 80. l do not
know anything about her parents or her
other relations. She told me, however,
that she was born and raised in this city.
Hattie had not been in good health for
some time. Hattie had been married to a
man named johnson, but had separated
from him, and was now engaged to be mar
ried to young man whose first name was
Fred. She was to go to school at the Sis
ters' academy for three years, and he was
to marry her when she came out. 1 have
searched her trunks, but found nothing.
heard she had received letter from Park
City.
THE MESSENGER BOYS STORY.
Henry Wilson, messenger in the en-
ploy of the district telegraph company, and
known as mo. q" said he had a call from
the house at about p. N. When he ar
rived the deceased answered to his knock
and gave him 80 cents with which to buy
strychnine, saying to him at the same time
that she wanted it to kill mice. Il did
not" he said, tell the clerk at the drug
store that wanted it for mice, and he did
not ask me any questions about it. 1 had
frequently been on errands for her before
that time"
WAS WOMAN OF THE TOWN.
w. H. Wilson, sometimes known as
''Tug' Wilson, testified that he had known
deceased for about two years, and that she
had at one time resided in Il house kept by
a Mrs. Knowlden. Once while he was TAX
ing Hattie and two other women to the
springs in a hack, she had pointed out to
him the place where she was born-a cob
BILE house on the hill north of McCornick's.
She had been arrested once on the charge
Of living in house of prostitution.
THB MYSTERIOUS FRED FLEET.
Annie Burnsides, between sobs and
means, said the deceased was an "houtcast
from Ter family and had ''liyed at my
eldest daughters for a while before she
married Johnson. She had been in CORES
pondence with young man named Fred,
who lived at Park City. Lately, mis- letters
to her have been sort of Cold-she always
showed the letters to me-and she said to
me, says she, If he goes back on me |
shall go crazy [ am sure that is the cause
of her rash act Her uncle, William White,
works at the Salt Lake brewery, but he
has refused to come and see her, saying he
knew her no longer"
THE DECEAsED's LAST REQUEST
Mrs Steele further testified in answer
to the questions of Juror Shovel: Fleet
was here when she was taken i'll. He
seemed to feel very badly about it, and
asked if there was any poison in the house.
l told him there was none, except some
choral, and l knew she had not taken that.
We found this letter on the table, where
she said she had leftit:
MRS. O'NEnL
Dear friend
You have always been friend to me in life
and now 1 want you to do me favor when you
find what 1 have done. You will promise me
that you will not tell anyone of my folk. Don't
let them know. They will not care. So lay me
away quietly; don't go to any eXpence Fred
will stand all. want my ring that Ihe gave me
and my pin. Lay me away in my blue wrapper,
and all the other things you can have, and his
photograph, lay it with me in the box. This is
all. So good-by, Addie, and Fred.
Hattie.
WHERE is HE!
The whereabouts of the mysterious Fred
Fleet was what troubled the jurors at this
point. If he had been such friend to the
girl as it would appear from the testimony,
il was very strange they thnnpht that he