The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1890-02-17
WHISKY OR lAuDANUM
Killed n Dlssoluts Woman In Sadie Trncy's
lTousp uf III. Fnuc In.t Sit,hf

House Of Ili.fnmc Last Night.
In little dark, eight by ten room, up
a flight Of rickety ramshacklo winding
stairs, In Sadie Tfacy's house OF ill.iame,
Bertio Robinson died last night from IN
overdose oil laudanum or the excessive
use Of whisky. Whether whisky or
laudanum caused tho death Is not posi-.
lively known, but that she drank q |
quart OF very vile whisky yesterday Ia n |
well established fact, and the three ply.
Bicians who viewed the remains agreed |
that that alone was enough 10 kill her. |
She was lying on hard narrow unin.
viting single bed when tho physicians
and reporter got 10 the place, and her
limbs had relaxed and iroth was Issuing
from her mouth.
Sadie Tracy. the proprietrcss OF the
place, said that tho girl had been very
drunk all day and that at o'clock she
came into her room reeling drunk, and
insisted that she would commit suicide
and stated that she had the laudanum TO
do 1t with. Tracy said, however, that
Berthe was OF q very morose, sullen dispo.
sition, and that whenever she got drunk
had made threats OF suicide, and on that
account she had paid no attention to her.
From other inmates Of tho house 1t was
learned that tho girl drank quart OF
whisky during the day and had taken n
pint OF 1t after seven o'clock. About
half past nine o'clock one OF the women
went to her room 10 see how she was
looming on, and found that she had
ceased breatbingand WIS becoming cold.
Carrie Wilson, colored woman, who
cooks at the Tracy house, said she saw
BERTHE with bottle OF lauJanum in the
morning, but paid no attention to her,
because women OF her class nearly
always have laudanum about them. In
tho evening about 1850, when, she got
eupper, she went upstairs 10 call Berthe
. and found her very hard to rouse.
. When she awakened she said she did
not want any supper aud that she had
drank u bottle OF laudanum and wanted
to die. The cook paid no attestion 10
that statement either, thinking it was
only the drunken vaporing Of IN inebri-
!, ate.
When the dead woman was discovered
q telephone message was sent from tut
!, Atlantic engine house for physician
! aud Officers Buch and Daum were called
in. Word wassent TO Coroner Schultze,
| but he was sick and unable to attend
| last night, but will hold an inquest this
morning. On the advice Of the ply ST.
clans, the police ordered that the re-
mains be not disturbed until the inques,
/. is held.
. Berthe Robinson's correct name is
!; Laura Walters, and her home is in ALE
= gheny City, Pa. She has been at the
Tracy house oil and on for three years
her last sojourn having commenced
i about seven months ago. That time SHIT
= came direct from Allegheny, where mel
:, mother had been buried ten days before
= She was only 20 years old, but VIC!
addicted to excessive drunkenness, ant
> drank whisky almost exclusively. Sht
was slight Of stature and her face was rec
!. and bloated from the free use Of spirits
o In the room where she died there wer,
quite q number OF empty bottles, ant
s but few Of the usual furnishings OF bee
Z chamber.