The morning call., 1892-05-14
ALL FOR love.
The Cause of Pretty May Jen.
ner's Suicide.
Her History-Was She Married to Alexander
Cumming by Contract I-The Lover Re-
fuses to Be Interviewed

The mystery surrounding the suicide Of
the young woman who jumped into the bay
from the upper deck Of the ferry-steamer
Piedmont. on Tuesday night, has been
solved.
The identity OF the woman has been CON-
pletely established and the motive for the
rash act found.
1t is the old, old story Of woman's sove
and mans perfidy with just enough features
to make 1t interesting
The woman was Miss May Jenner, and
she drowned herself because Alexander NJ.
Cumming, her lover, would not marry her
in legal form and acknowledge her as his
wife.
May Jenner was born in Oregon, but her
maiden name is unknown. When child
her father moved to Seattle, Wash. and
after the death of his wife he deserted his
two children, May and a brother. The
father of the wife. Jenner by name. legally
adopted the girl and boy. and when he died
a few years ago left to each of them con-
siderable property.
May Jenner was WoOed and won by a
man named Ferguson. who took her to
Juneau, Alaska, where he abused her, and
from him she fed, returning to Seattle.
where she obtained divorce and took the
name of her grandfather.
She then came to this city, about three
years age, and took up the study of stenog-
raphy and typewTiting under a Miss Miller,
who Is now a teacher in BFyants College
here. Being a bright girl she advanced
rapidly in her chosen profession, and soon
secured situation as a typewriter with
George T. Lamson. the auetioneer at 425
kearny street.
At that time she was receiving an income
of $50 week from the property her grand
father had left to her, and, as Mrs. Carrie
Wayne, the landlady of the house at 40
Kearny street, says, was free from care OF
any kind.
BRIGHT, JOLLY, HAPPY.
MAY was a bright. jolly, happy innocent
girl when she worked here" said Mrs.
Wayne. "and she told me time and time
again that she wanted no lovers and no
husband, for sheEhad enough to keep her as
long as she lived if she took care of it.
OF the girl Mr.. LamsOn gives the same
account. adding that she was at all times
modest and ladylike in all her actions.
She remained in Mr.. Lamson's Office for
almost a year and then left him, the bust
ness not warranting the continuation Of the
services.
After she left Mr.. LamDsOn's Office May
JenneF seems to have fallen into bad COM
pauy. She met Alex NJ. Cumming, young
insurance broker doing business at 800 Cali
fOrnia street and living with his parents in
Frutvale, Alameda County. Cummings
mother is wealthy, and from the first,
May told her friends, he feared his mothers
diSpleasure should she know OF his keeping
company with her.
May was infatuated with the man, and
the only complaint she ever made was that
he used to talk TO her IN a most abusive
way when drinking.
The girl had made many friends during
her short residence here and one after an
other these friends urged her to be careful
or Cumming. In reply she said TO them
that ''Al had married her by contract and
was only waiting until his mother could be
reconcled to marry her before the woxld.
This announcement was most alarming TO
her friends, and Mrs. Allen, the landlady Of
the LongwOrth, with whom May was board
ing at the time, urged the girl 10 be careful.
Suddenly May JenueT seemed to drop out
OF sight Of all her old friends aud for weeks
they neither saw nor heard Of her. Then
came the news that the girl had sold her prop
ertY in the north and intended to start
lodging house. This proved true, for
shortly afterward May JenneT bought from
the indianapolis Furniture Company the
l0dging-hOuse at the corner OF Post and VIII
liams streets and set out as landlady
HER LOVE FOR CUMMING.
. 10 the time OF LakluS luo tUusiuB-
house, all that could be said against May
Jenner was her love for Cumming, but
she had not been IN the house tong until
she began TO be seen on the street with
questionable characters. She became a fire.
QueDt visitor to saloons with wlneToomS,
but always went with women or with Cum
ming, and, so far as can be learned, she had
no other male company.
The l0dging-hOuse proved a failure. After
investing about 5000 In the venture May
Jenner was forced TO give itup losing every
cent she had invested.
This was about five weeks ago, and
homeless the girl turned to one Of her old
friends, mrs. S. n. smith, who keeps a
clearinghouse at 115 Taylor street.
" ! was glad to see May" said Mrs. Smith
last night, land while | had no room such
as she wanted put her in a suite Of rooms
until there was single room vacant. May
came back to me a changed woman. She
used TO live with mo when she first came TO
this city, and a meTrier, prettier girl l
never knew. | feared this time when she
came TO me that she had gone wrong, not
because of gentleman company, for she had
no gentleman callers here except Al
Cumming. She wOrShped the man, al
though she often told ME that ne had the
most abusive tongue she ever heard. She
told me, too. that Al had promised to marry
her, and that his father knew all about it
and blamed his son for not dong what
was right by her, but she added al is
afraid Of his mother
1--WE had frequent talks about him. and
May would always stick up for the man,
although admitting that he talked to her
shamefully. She had plenty Of money.
By that / mean she had $50 or S1C0 in the
bank, what bank | do not know, and had
some ready money. She bought herself
number of new dresses while here and many
other things. Why, there is a dress hang
inn hor plp mo-
and know that she had other dresses not
yet made up-that is in the dTessmakers'
hands"
CUMMING CALLED REGULARLY.
Cumming used to come and see her
quite regularly and outside of his visits
there were only two others who called fire.
quentiy, May COffey, the daughter Of De-
lectiye Coffey, and a girl named Ida
Woods. Who and what Ida WOODS is |
don't know.
Things went on as usual and May
seemed in good spirits, except when Cum
ming would give her a tongue lashing,
until Thursday morning. About 1880
O'Clock that morning went up to Mays
room and found her dressing to go out. |
helped her dress and she said when she left
that she was going to the dressmakel's.
THAT is the last | have seen Of her. She
left no note. Her few things she had here,
for most OF her belongings are packed
away, are just as she LETT them In the room.
There are no letters, pictures or anything
in her trunk or among her effects. cannot
believe she is dead"
From Mrs. Smiths clearinghouse on
Taylor street May Jenner went to the rooms
Of Nellie Burnell. her dressmaker, who
lives at the Irvington. Here she met Miss
C0ffey and the two remained at the hotel
with Miss Burnell until about O'Clock in
the afternoon when they went downtown to
meet Clara Woods. a young woman whe
lives over the Assembly saloon, at Califor-
MIA street and Central avenue
Miss Woods was i'll and refused to re-
main with May Jenner and Miss Coffey,
and the two girls saw her on her car and
then went TO GObey's on Suffer street, where
they were joined by gentleman and had
several drinks.
The two girls left their escort and went
int