The record-union., 1892-09-22
THE SAN JOSE SUICIDE.
Story of the Facts Concerning Lul1
Godfrey's Death.

story OF the Facts Concerning Lulu
Godfrey's Death.
A lady in San Jose writes to George II.
Stipp of this city the following particulars
of the suicide in that city the other even
ing of Miss Lulu Godfrey.
DEAR FRIESD: Yours received this
evening, and I will tell you what / know
OF the circumstances concerning Lulu
Godtrey's death. On Thursday evening
Lulu and May Beach, a chum of hers,
Sam Foltz and DR.. Caldwell were talking
when the fire bells rang. Lulu ran up
| stairs and asked her mother, Mrs. Rice, If
! she might go to the fire. Gaining her
mothers consent, the quartet started for
the lire. 1t seems they had supper at the
restaurant before returning, and conse-
| quently were late. Lulu's mother be-
coming alarmed, went to the Overland
restaurant and to the Lamolle in search
| OF her, but not finding her returned
| home. Presently the four put in their APP
pearance, and the mother met them at the
/ foot OF the stairs and commenced talk
ing quite loud, as she was very angry,
| saying to Lulu that she would telegraph
10 her iather informing him of her con-
| duct, and that when he came home he
would whip her until her flesh fell OFT
/ her bones.'7
DR.. Caldwell said they had better go to
! his Office (which is in The same buildIngl,
and tried to get the mother TO desist
4 The mother went up stairs and left the
/ four talking in the DOCTORS Office, Lulu
/ promising TO come Immediately; but not
/ doing SO the mother called again. there
upon the two girls went upstairs 10 their
room they had been rCOming together)
the mother following. Mrs. Rice told
Lulu to come and sleep with her. Lulu
! said, May have i've minutes before |
| leave the room?" The mother replied,
No, shall stay right here until YOU do"
Ehe three were in the room. Mrs Rice
! was seated on the bed, Miss Beach
walking toward the window, and Lulu
in front OF the mirror. The latter put
! her hands to her head (as her mother
/ thought 10 take Off her hat, instead 0.
which they heard the report Of the pistol
and Lulu fell To the tloor, shot through
/ the right temple, the bullet coming out
on the other side and hitting the window
! DIS. Caldwell and Curnow were called.
but nothing could be done.
! That was about ll:30 o'clock Thursday
night, and she lived until the next day ut
! p. NJ. The funeral took place on SatuT-
! day. y great many friends were present
! but only one carriage, containing the
! grandmother, mother and aunt, followed
the remains to the grave, the father be-
| ing absent in Fresno. 1t seems that
when the father left for Fresno on Tues
! day, Lulu said, "Oh, won't l have q nice
/ time while he is gone" She has told me
|
| father.
! There seems to have been great deal
| of comment lately about Lulu's actions
| with Or. Caldwell and two or three OF the
| lawyers. l did not think anything about
! 1t, as | always knew Lulu to be such 4
child, free-hearted, so full Of life and so
very thoughtless, and | would say, "Uh.
\. you don't know her; if you knew
/ Der ways you would think nothing of it,"
| because you know how she used to act:
| she aStoniShed us more than once. But
| always looked upon her as q mere child
and thought when she got older she
! would De different.
| Poor little girl! know how she used
! to go to Mrs. Stipp with all her troubles.
| When she learned Of Mrs. Stipp's death
] she came to me crying as If her heart
! would break, and said: "Oh, Mrs. Col
| Inns, you don't know how much [ miss
/ her! loved her better than my mother
could always go to her with all my
! troubles, and she would advise me and
| talk so kindly to me-" Ofcourse the i'm
| pressiOniS that she took her life in the heat
1 OF passion. Poor little Lulu! She was too
/ much OF a child for anyone TO speak
! wrongly OF her. The mother stated that
| she was not aware that Lulu had a re-
| vOlver. She said that a few weeks ago
Lulu asked, as she supposed, in a joking
| manner, the best means by which to COM
init suicide, and the mother told her the
| way she would commit suicide was by
| hiring room and turning on the gas;
and that another way was to take some
laudanum and some strychnine. Lulu
remarked at another time that the month
OF September was an unlucky month.
But the mother did not know that she
was contemplating suicide.
Well, 1t is very sad that one so young
should take her life. Yours respect
fully, Mrs. NJ. V. COLLINS.