The morning call., 1892-03-04
Why SIZE TOOK POISON.
Mrs. L0mberger Feared Her Hus.
band and Died.
An Inquest Showed That She Swallowed
Matches Because Her Lover Threatened
to Kill Her-Letters to Fritz.

Some interesting testimony was intro
duced yesterday morning during the Coro.
ner's inquest in the case of Mrs. Alma
LON berger, the pretty young housewife WHO
died Wednesday night under circumstances
indicating that she had been maligned and
bounded to her death.
The first witness called was John Lom-
berger Of 10 Bryant avenue. husband of the
deceased. In answer to questions he made
the following statement:
II was over to HaywardS choppiug wood
for eight days. had a roomer in my house
by the name of Fritz Neifert before went
away. He talked to my wife and coaxed
her to leave me. / then turned him from
the house He told me after / returned
from Haywards that / was not man enough
to get him out of the house. and said il
did not keep still he would thrash me and
throw me out. Then l called policeman
and had him removed. He told me he
would fix me. When / returned from Hav-
wards my wife was not sick. Neifert asked
her TO leave me, and she said she had no
reason TO and would not 60.
NEIFERTs THREATS.
ale then told her if she did not leave me
he would shoot her when he saw her on the
street. He told her he was going to get
place as foreman in the Golden City Brew
cry. She was afraid of ME scolding her on
account OF Neifert leaving the house. This
was on February %. At / o'clock that
afternoon she became very sick at her
stomach and she told me she had soaked 10
cents worth of matches in vinegar and had
drunk the solution. DIR. Kaufman attended
her until the 18th. when had her removed
to the CITY and County Hospital. Before
she died my wife said she took the poison
because she was afraid would accuse her
OF having been too friendly with Neifert
during my absence"
Questioned by a juror the witness said he
had trouble with his spouse In Sacramento
over the attentions of a man.
DIR. Kaufman told how he had treated the
deceased for PHOSPHORUS poisoning.
John j. Zimmar Of 303 Ivy avenue testi-
fed that when he visited Mrs. Lomberger,
after she took the solution of matches, she
said she was respondent because her hus-
band had returned verv drunk from the
country, and with only 81 of his earnings.
DIR. X. T. Williams, who made an autopsy,
testified that the cause Of death was pleurO-
pneumonia and cirrhosis of the liver. She
died from natural causes, and there was no
evidence Of poison in her stomach
The jury returned a verdict that the
woman's death was superindueed by phos-
phorous poisoning administered by her own
hand. Deceased was aged 20 years and was
a native of Germany.
NEIFERT's STATEMENT.
Neifert was not present at the INQUEST
When interviewed i'll reference to the death
of Mrs. Lomberger, he said that he had
roomed in the house for four weeks. 1t was
true that he had not paid rent, but all the
money he earned he paid into the family
treasury TO buy coal and provisions. The
first time Lomberger went to work at Hay
wards he returned without cent. aud from
his second trip he brought only 81. After
his second return Lomberger ordered Neifert
to leave the house aud he did So Soon after
he departed he received note from Mrs,
Lomberger, which read like this: Fritz.
stay here. Ii you do not I'll poison myself"
A second note from her read as follows
Fritz come this evening. Husband will
be at meeting. Am all alone and cannot
Sleep"
Neifert says that the deceased tried to
poison herself a year ago at Sacramento,
where she had considerable trouble with
her hns N nd