The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1890-11-27
SUICIDE OF MRS. SPENCER.
Morphine Supposed to be the
Drug of Death.

The Deed Wns Committed at Mrs. Good
scy's, on Luck Street Temporary In
sanity Probably the Causc-An Inquest
hut no Verdict Yet--The Jury to Rcas-
scmble ut 10 o'clock tubs morning.
/ A year ago II. ID. Spencer and his
) wifc Clara came to Roanoke from New
) i,erne, N. G. Mr.. Spencer was car
pcnter, and soon obtained employment
II They boarded at different places about
Y the city until about Il month ago, when
\ they secured rooms and board at the
! house Of Mrs. Goodscy. $50 Luck street.
i Hero they seemed to get Il long indif-
J ferently together. although it is CON
cedcd on all sides that AIR. Spencer
3 was IL kind and even afFectionatc hus-
) band. Mrs. Spencer. however, was
given to fits of weeping with no appar
cause and She also had the uncomforta
1 bic habit of becoming violently angry
i upon the slightest provocation.
\ Last week the work on which Spencer
was engaged ran out and he obtained
[ other employment at Salem.
Monday morning he went to see
about tho work at Salem, and was or
dcrcd to report the next day. lie re-
turned to Roanoke, and when he went
ITO his boarding house Mrs. Spencer was
apparently i'll and informed her husband
THAT She had taken morphine.
1t appears that on the previous even
{ ing she had told him she intended to
commit suicide, and that he laughed at
her. But when he saw her condition
which was not such. however. as to OK
cite alarm he taxed her with taking
morphine. This she denied, and as She
appeared to be we'll. Spencer left Mon
day evening for Salem. To he prepared
to go to work the next day.
When he left he told her that he had
secured a good position in the city
mentioned, and She replied that he
would never see her alive again.
This, notwithstanding her apparent
/ illness, was regarded as an idle threat.
and Spencer left, with the following re-
mark from his wife, which was to he the
i last words she ever spoke to her hus-
4 band:
'Good-byo, old Mig you will never
4 sec me again until ! am dead.
That (Monday) night she was taken
violently i'll, and Drs. Jones and Sim
q mons were called in and they admins
q tered antidotes with the effect OF de-
II
4 her life.
a AT Il Subsequent visit from Dr. Jones
Il the ne x i morning She informed him that
4 She would kill herself. and that gentle
asman advised Mrs. Goodscy to keep Il
q strict watch over her to prevent her
q getting hold of any morphine She might
a have concealed.
4 This was done by Mrs. Goodscy to the
Il best of her ability. but Tuesday morn
a ing she was called from tho room for 4
a short period, during which time she
q heard Mrs. Spencer moving about her
a room. This was late Tuesday evening
ID Mrs. Spencer grew rapidly worse after
ii this incident, and DR.. Jones was again
q summoned.
Fl Before the doctor arrived She was in
II Il cOmatose condition. and when he
Il answered the call she was dead.
81 Officer Gee, who boards at the house
II of Mrs. GOodscy. informed the coroner.
a who ordered the remains to he conveyed
"a to Olley &; Woolwnc's undertaking esta-
ID blishment and jury summoned for All
81 inquest.
& The following letter was found in her
& room yesterday morning:
8 My DARLING IlvsnASp: When told
ID YOU last night what was going to do
II YOU laughed at me. | suppose You
s. didn't believe INC, but. 'Niggcr.' have
81 done just what ] told YOU would do.
s; So, now, goodbye, my darling. | hope
81 you will sometimes think kind of nc,
q fpr love you, but YOU do not love me.
81 lirom your poor, hcart-brolicn CLARA
J AT 2:30 yesterday Coroner Gray con-
"A yened the following jury: II. *. Rice
S j. N. Jordan, O. IL. Owens. H. Hart
ia barger, j. w. Gold. and j. ID. Steele
81 Tho jury viewed the remains and
81 heard the testimony of DR.. II. l.. Jones'
81 who testified about as outlined above.
So IN addition, the doctor, stated that the
@ Suicide had told him her reasons for
81 wanting to die, but as he received the
I'd confidence while acting in his profess
i sional capacity hc could not answer.
}a The foreman OF the jury cndcayorcd
IS III vain to get him to recede from this
$S pbsition-a position thoroughly under
Stood in the professions. and DR.. Jones
AWas excused.
- The jury then concluded to adjourn
IA until to-day ut 10 o'clock, rs Mr..
Spencer had not hccn heard from in
answer to kilograms to Salem, and the
81 jury thought it prudent to examine that
jgentleman.
s Mr.. Spencer returned from Salem last
&scyening, and avcrred that he knew of
to induce his wife to commit
;ssaf$ suicide, except that she was temporarily
3&insane.
S German Last Night.
1 a most delightful german was given
4by the Roanoke Junior German Club
last night at the Rorer Park Hotel
ss Among the ladies were: Misses Walt
hall, Trent, Lille Waugh, Dickinson.