Los Angeles herald., 1890-04-03
POISONED HERSELF.
Jennie Wickersham Dies at
the City Jail.
Her Case Puzzled the Doctors
for a Time.
She Wrote Short Farewell Letter
to Her Mother.
The Circumstances Surrounding Her
Death-No Reason Assigned for
the Rash Act.

Sill VIII iiatu Oceil ldkcll W tile Guy Jdll
in an unconscious condition at O'Clock
on Tuesday night, and upon whom Drs.
Lasher and Morrison were still in at
tendance, was uncertain; but, in spite
of the heroic efforts of the physicians,
who did everything to revive the sense
less girl, the patient died at 5 10 O'Clock.
The Coroner was notified as soon as pos
sible and the body removed to the
morgue to await Identification and the
inquest About 10 O'Clock resident of
the East Side called at the morgue, and,
after viewing the body, positively iden-
titled it as that of Miss Jennie Wicker
sham, who lived with her parents
at No. 624 Pasadena avenue 1t
was subsequently learned that
her father, j. NJ Wickersham,
is a sewing-machine agent, and is at
present at Selma in Tulare county. Her
mother, however, was found at the
corner of Lecouvreur street and Pasa-
dena avenue, and it was learned that
the girl had left her home on Monday
evening last to purchase some groceries.
When she failed to return Monday night
her mother did not worry much, as she
supposed that she was stopping with
lady friend. Tuesday afternoon though,
when she failed to turn up, Mrs. Wick
ersham became very much worried.
When night came, and with it no in
formation as to her daughters where
abouts, the poor mother was nearly
crazed with anxiety She passed an
almost sleepless night, and when morn
ing came she started out to search for
the missing one Instead, however, of
inquiring at the proper source, the po-
lice station, and setting the machinery
of the detective force to work upon the
matter, Mrs. Wickersham attempted to
solve the mystery for herself, in order to
escape notoriety. On being informed by
neighbor, who saw the body at the
morgue, the poor mother was COM
pletely prostrated with grief, and when
she received later on, the following
letter, written in pencil in her daugh-
ter's handwriting, her distress knew no
bounds
Los ANGELES, CAL.
"MAMMA-Your watch is up at pom
brokers on Main street, the bracelets /
have on are sum that he gave me on the
watch can give these bracelets and Sc
dollars and then you can your watch.
| want the city to bury me. Goodbye
forever. j."
As at the time Of the girls death the
doctors were somewhat in a quandary as
to the real cause, Coroner Meredith
ordered post mortem examination
upon the body, and at 4 O'Clock Drs.
Lasher and Bicknell assembled at the
hot A
exam nation, however, failed to throw
any further light upon the subject, all
the organs being found in healthy con-
dition, and an analysis of the contents of
the stomach as made by Dr. Morrison
subsequently, failing to show any signs
of morphine, which, it was generally be-
lieved by the medical men, caused her
death. The poison, however, could
easily have been absorbed into her sys-
tenn, during the six hours she was un-
conscious in the woman's cell of the city
jail.
The letter addressed to her mother,
however, proves beyond doubt that she
intended to take her life but, strange to
say, not the slightest cause can be as
signed for such an act on her part, and
the affair is still shrouded with mystery.
At z O'Clock last night Coroner
Meredith held an inquest upon the body,
at the undertaking parlors of Messrs.
Orr u Sutch, on Spring street, which
were crowded with morbidly curious
spectators during the proceedings. The
first witness called was DR.. Morrison, the
police surgeon, who testified to having
been called at II 30 p. m. to attend to
the girl at the city Jail. She was then
Unconscious, and remained SO until her
death at 5 10 O'Clock a. m., in spite of
his efforts to revive her. The usual
restoratives were applied, but without
effect. He treated her for morphine
poisoning, and administered the anti
dote. He then detailed the result of the
post mortem, at which he assisted in the
afternoon, and his inability to discover
any particular cause for death. In his
opinion, however, the patient had taken
morphine, which had been absorbed
into the system.
Officer V. l.. Sanchez then related the
circumstances under which he found the
girl at the Grand-avenue power house at
s AS O'Clock and conveyed her to the
city Jail in an unconscious condition. for
medical treatment, in the patrol wagon.
She subsequently revived after DIR. Wing
had been summoned, and told the wit
ness that her name was Pauline Clinton,
that she was II years OF age and was
here on visit from Sacramento, where
her parents reside She further stated
that on Monday night she stayed with
some friends on Main street, and that
she was on her way down town to visit
some other friends, whose address she
could not then remember. She said she
had been to the skating rink and after
falling OH the back of her head did not
remember anything for a long time.
j. H. Harbour, chief clerk at the of
flee of the Los Angeles Cable Railroad
Company, testified that at rs O'Clock
on Tuesday night, Conductor Schubert
rushed into his office and said that he
had sick lady on his car. The witness
went out and assisted her from the cal
to one Of the benches. She appeared tc
be either drunk or drugged He tele.
phoned to the police station, and while
waiting for the patrol wagon, reused hei
sufficiently to learn from her a story
similar in every detail to that related by
Officer Sanchez. Her breath did not
smell Of liquor.
Conductor A. A. Schubert stated that
at Z :12 O'Clock p. m. on.Tuesday evening
a young girl got on his car at the corner
of Johnston street and Downey avenue
East Los Angeles, and after collecting
her fare he paid no Darticul lar attention