Los Angeles herald., 1890-04-04
Mrs. Sherbourne Reported
Lost in the Mountains.
The Queer Mission that Took
Her There.
She Was a Clairvoyant and Thought
She Could Locate Mines.
Two Men Took Her to Arcadia, Where
She Expired-Her Body Cremated
Shortly Afterward.

A strange story of the death OF
woman from exposure in the mountains
was brought over from Arcadia few
DAYS ago, since which time the affair
has been the subject of considerable
comment among the friends and ac
uuaintances of the deceased.
On the night of the 18th of March a
buggy containing two men and woman,
who was delirious, drove up to the hotel
at Arcadia, a town on the San Gabriel
Valley Rapid Transit and the Santa Fe
lines, about three-quarters OF an hour
from Los Angeles. The men demanded
rooms and accommodations for them
selves and the woman, and in reply to
questions gave the names of Mr.. and
Mrs. Bertram and j. A. Murray. The
supposed Mr.. and Mrs. Bertram were
assigned to room, as also was Mr.. Muir
ray, and as the woman was very
low physician was summoned from
Monrovia. He remained in attendance
until the next day, when the woman
died, and on the 10Th her body was taken
The men accompanying the woman
were very reticent concerning the cause
of her Illness, and also as to the reason
they appeared at the hotel at such an
hour with the alleged Mrs. Bertram in
such state of health. A suspicion that
all was not as it should be was aroused,
and the town was thrown into fever OF
excitement over the strangeness of the
affair.
Shortly afterward it leaked out that
the man who had given his name as
Bertrand was Bernard Keithly, the sec
retary of Madame Blavatsky, the leader
of the Theosophist faith, and that the
woman was Mrs. Sherbourne, a follower
OF the same tenets, and an active worker
of the 'Divinely Wise" Society. Murray
had given his right name.
When these facts were made known
the rumors that there was something
very mysterious connected with Mrs.
Sherbourne's death flew around thickly
and threats of investigation were heard,
but it was too late for an inquest, for ON
the 22nd of March, at O'Clock in the
afternoon, the body of Mrs. Sherbourne
was burned to ashes at the crematory,
this method of disposal having been
selected by her husband, Mr.. Sher-
bourne, who telegraphed from Minneap-
oils, Mimi The cremation certificate
bears the name Viola Sherbourne and
States that her age was So. Her real
name, however, is said to have been
Mrs. Kate Sherbourne, and the fact that
there were three Names by which she
had been kr.own gave greater air Of
mystery to the affair
Was She Lost?
A few days after the cremation, when
her death became generally known, the
rumors began to take shape and it was.
reported that Mrs. Sherbcurne
had in some mysterious manner
or occult means been informed that
through her clairvoyant powers she
would be able to locate an immense
amount of treasure, which had lain hid
den in the mountains back OF Monrovia,
and that ten days or more before she
had appeared at the hotel in dying
condition she had journeyed into the
mountains alone in her search for this
hidden wealth. 1t was also said that
she had lost her way in the mountain
ravines, and had been caught in storm
which suddenly came up, that she found
a cave and cfept into it for shelter that
she was taken sick with pneumonia
The stories also said that her friends
becoming alarmed at her long absence
and fearing that she was lost, organized
searching parties, and that Messrs. Muir
raw and Keithly found her and carried
her down twelve miles to their buggy
into which they placed her ano
took her to the Oakwood hotel.
1t was also reported that Bernard
Keithly was supposed to be in another
part of the United States and that wher
seen by one who knew him at the rail
road station at Arcadia, pulled his hal
down over his eyes for fear he would be
recognized. Rumors were also circulated
to the effect that Mrs. Sherbourne anC
Mr.. Murray had lived on too intimate
terms at a lodging house on Spring
street. Learning of all these rumors &
HERALD reporter commenced an inquiry
and during the past few days has inter
viewed a number OF persons who knew
the deceased before her death.
Mrs. Sherbourne's Movements.
1t was learned that Mrs. Sherbournt
and Mr.. Murray had occupied rooms a
a lodging house on Spring street few
doors above Second. The landlady o
the house stated that in December las
Mrs. Sherbourne had called on her anC
stated that she was working as cashie
at the Corfu restaurant next door anC
that she did not like the room she occu
pied. She was shown a room which sh'
engaged and moved into. Shortly after
ward she engaged a room which
adioined and opened both into he
room and into the hall. The next day
Mr.. Murray moved into the room anc
occupied it until short time before
Mrs. Sherbourne moved out. Tht
landlady stated that Mrs. Sherbourn'
and Murray appeared to be on very init
mate terms; SO intimate, in fact, tina
remarks were made about them which
she did not like. Some time in Decem
Der Mr.. Murray and Mrs. Sherbourn'
started out together for the mountains
and were gone ten or twelve days. Mrs
Sherbourne had told her that she wa
going on prospecting trip, and claimed
to be an expertin the discovery OF mines
During her stay at this house she wen
out to the mountains several times
sometimes accompanied by ladies and a
other times by Murray. Finally ther
was some trouble between Murray ant
Mrs. Sherbourne, and Murray left th
clearinghouse. Shortly afterwards Mrs
Sherbourne removed to the Baker house