Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1890-05-11
IT WAS SUICIDE.

The Coroner's Jury So Finds in the Case
of Mrs. vallas.
An inquest was held at the Moreue last
evening in the case of Mrs. Margaret VAL
las, who died under peculiar circumstances
last Thursday night. Deputy Coroner
George II. Clark conducted the proceed
ings.
DR.. Charles Mealand was the first wit.
ness called. "On Thursday afternoon" he
said, "a gentleman came to my house hur.
riedly and told me that a woman had
taken poison and he wanted me to come
and see her. / went with him, and on the
way he gave me bottle which contained
carbolic acid. He said he had taken it
from her. He took me to a barn where
Mrs. Vallas was lying apparently dead.
On close examination, however, found
that she was still breathing. l judged from
the beginning that the case was hopeless,
but used such remedies as were proper and
worked with the woman until after Z
o'clock. l then suggested to some ladies
who were there, that she be taken to some
house, but no one seemed willing to take
her. Someone told me that the woman
had a room. l said it would be the proper
place for her. We took her there, but
man and woman met us at the door and
refused to admit US. 1 then sent for an
express wagon and had her conveyed to the
Receiving Hospital. She must have taken
the poison some time before got there. l
found another empty bottle in the barn,
but do not know what it had contained"
Francis M. Burgoon, laborer, who lives
at Sixth and T, testified that he knew Mrs.
Vallas for five years previous to her death.
| SON Thursday afternoon, Mrc VaIIos- da,rl,
ter came to my house and asked for her
mother. told her l didn't know where
she was. She then went away, but came
back soon afterward crying. She said her
mother was dead over in the barn. | ran
over to the barn and found Mrs. Vallas in
the manger, with a small bottle in her
right hand. She looked as if she was dead.
She held the bottle between the first and
second fingers. l then went for a doctor,
and got DIR. Mealand. gave him the bot
tie"
"Why did Mrs. Vallas' daughter come to
your house for her mother ?'' asked Deputy
Clark.
Burgoon replied that he supposed it was
because Mrs. Vallas was in the habit of WIS.,
iting his folks frequently. She had been at
his house Thursday morning, but said
nothing about committing suicide. On
other occasions, however, she bad fire.
quently wished she were dead. when |
returned to the barn with the DOCTOR" said
the witness, the daughter was gone, and l
did not see her again.
Georgia Hendricks, the daughter of the
deceased was then sworn. She said "On
Wednesday l was at Mrs. Shad's house.
My mother came there and told me that
she was unwell, went to DR.. Tyrrell and
told him how my mother felt. He gave
me prescription and / had it filled. l
took ii back to Mrs. Shad's, and mother
and remained there all the afternoon.
When left she told me to come to Shad s
and see her the next day. She was not
there when called the next day, and /
went in search of her. After calling at
several neighbors, l finally went to the
barn, and there found her, as thought
| dead. l then ran to Mr.. Burgoon's and
| told him. He went over to the barn and
/ went to Mrs. Shad's."
did you ever get any carbolic acid OF
any other poison for your mother ?" asked
Mr.. Clark.
mo. sir, never did, was the young
lady's reply. She added that she had
| never seen any carbolic acid in heI
mothers possession. She had never seen
| the bottle containing the acid before, but
recognized the other empty bottle which
was TIC poEu DIS DcluS Tie Oue
which had been filled by DR.. Tyrrell's
order.
Antoine Vallas, husband of the dead
woman, was the next witness. He testified
that he and his wife had not lived together
for two months. He had never seen any
poison in her possession at any time but
| had frequently said that she wished she
was dead. When her house was burned in
| April she became respondent. He frs,
hesrd of her death late Thursday nigh
and went to the Receiving Hospital to SEE
her.
| A letter was read from Police Surgeon
c. B. Nichols, who could not be present Al
the inquest, to the effect that he found
Mrs. Vallas at the Receiving Hospital or
the evening of the Sth in an unconsciou.
condition, pulseless, cold, and unable to re-
spond to questions. From the condition
of her mouth he was of the opinion tha
she had swallowed carbolic acid.
After hearing the testimony the jury
took the case under consideration. A yer
dict of suicide was the result of their delib
| erationS.