The morning call., 1892-05-15
He Refuses to Tell What He
Knows About May Jenner.
Some Additional Eistory-The Dead Womkn's
Life in Alaska-Her Father and
Brother Living Here.

woman, and at the same time it is de-
veloped that Mrs. Jenner was not the up
right and virtuous woman in all respects
that her many friends believed her to be.
Her friends say however. that whatever
may have been May Jenner's life for the
six months preceding her death, Cum
ming is alone responsible for it.
From gentleman who knew May Jenner
when she was Mrs. Ferguson and was living
In juneau, Alaska. the following interesting
history is CLEANED: "May Jenner, or Mrs.
May Ferguson as l knew her." said the
gentleman, was born in Salem, Or. Her
father and mother separated while she was
yet girl. and later, when a divorce had
been obtained. her mother married again.
1t was al this time, believe. that the grand
father took May and younger brother,
Archie, TO live with him, adopting
them as his own. Mays older brother,
Henry accompanied his father to San Fran
CISCO and they are both here now working
at their trade as compOsit0rs. / believe
that the young man who has so frequently
inquired at the Morgue about the dead girls
body is her brother Henry.
when May married Ferguson and went
TO Alaska, her brother Archie went with
her, and he is there now on the Juneau
Mining Record. Between May and Archie
there existed the warmeSt affection, and
although he was but boy OF 10 he saved
her from actual want more than once. 10
Juneau May had hard time of it. Not
only was her husband worthless, but he was
cruel. and the woman, as l said, would
have wanted for the DecessarieS of life
more than once but for her brother.
Another thing | want to say. and that is
IL May Ferguson had been inclined TO so
wrong she would surely have done so in
Alaska. There were only about forty women
in the whole place and she was far and
away the handsOmest woman there, but /
never heard a word against her good name.
There, as here, she had r host of friends.
Her brother Archie wrote to her after she
left Juneau, l know, and l am inclined 10
think he sent her money here"
THE LANDLADY TALKS.
Mrs S. NJ. Smith. the landlady Of 115
said: The reference q Mays note TO her
condition, which Mr. Cumming cOnstrues
as indicating that she was about TO become
a mother, meant nothing of the kind. |
know ii. positively. What May probably
meant was that he was to blame for the
company she was keeping, the life she was
leading, and the loss OF her good name,
which / firmly believe was without stain
until she met him. Neither did she mean
that she was in financial straits, for she
knew that she could live with me year and
not pay NE dollar, if she wanted to- May
was always prompt pay and. say what they
will, she was good girl at heart.
81 went through Nays trunks to-day, but
found no letters or notes Of any interest.
All there IS in the way OF letters are some
business communications. / am not sur
pIised at this, for May never kept any notes.
have seen her hundred times il once tear
up letters and notes a. soon as they were
received. About the marriage contract /
know nothing n ySeN, except what May
has told ma and what Mrs MaSCia Of GA
land said to me- May has lot of things
stored away somewhere. | don't know
where, and il may be that the contract is
there.
$50 far as Cummings statements are con-
cerned," concluded Mrs. Smith, they are
untrue. He was the girls accepted lover.
and he was her only male company"
1t is said that the reason Mrs. Jenner did
not succeed with her clearinghouse on Post
and Williams streets was because she
entertained friends Of her lover, and invited
their female fTe8ds to meet them at her
house The neighbors say there used to be
high old times" almost every night at the
neighbors complained OF the noise made by
the rOysteTers. Cumming was a "lOdgeT"
at the house Tor months, according TO the
neighboTs and was known by some Of them
as Mrs. JenueT's husband, she explaining
that she kept the house under her maiden
known that she took lodgers
There is growing belief in the minds Of
all those who have investigated the case
that May JenneT tU0k her life while under
the influence of liquor. 1t is said that she
had been drinking freely all evening before
finding Cumming, and that after the
tOngue-lashiDg he gave her in the box at
GObey's she drank even more. The walters
at the saloon admit that after the row in the
box she ceased drinking champagne and
began drinking whisky. That she had writ
ten to Cumming during the morning Of
Thursday and expected to see him that
evening is also certain.
AN APPOINTMENT NOT KEPT
Miss de Forest who has rooms on Ellis
street, was seen last night and said: Il
knew May Jsnner. She came here quite
frequently, and was to dine here on last
Thursday evening. met her on the street
along about o'clock Thursday afternoon
and spoke to her.
Are you coming up to dinner?' asked,
and she answered, / don't know. If l get
note ! am looking for wont be up, but if
don't get it / Will
with that l left her and she went to
Gobey's. She was with a girl ! know as
May, or Mamie, at the time"
1t Is not strange that, half drunk and
smarting under the eontemptuous language
used to her by Cumming, the girl suddenly
determined 20 take her lite.
Cumming remained at the residence of
his parents all day yesterday and refused
to grant an interview. In answer to all
questions he again denied that he had
wr0nged the girl, but attempted no explana-
ton Of his wel-k9Own connection with her.
He claims to be acting under the advice of
his attorney. and contents himself with saw
Ing that everything will come out all right
III due time. Just what he means by the eX-
preston II Is hard TO say. SO far as poor
May Jenner is concerned, everything" is
over and settled for time and eternity.
1t Is said that Cumming has frequently
remarked since the suicide that ''he didn't
care for himself but only for his family"
and that he was nervous and worried over
the affar," as he terms il. These express
siOnS, ~ connection with the statements
made by May Jenner 10 various parties be-
fore her death that "Al was awfully afraid
OF his mother, and that was the reason lie
did not acknowledge her as his wife, lead
many TO believe that he is not enjoying his
self-enfOrced residence at home.
Some effort is being made to arrange
defense for Cumming by the young men
with whom he associates here and in Oak
land, and, while they cite the fact that May
Jenner drank, visited saloons and question
able places. and even associated with women
Of known bad reputation, they all admit
that she had no male friends other than
her Al, OF whom she constantly talked
to all who would listen.
Nothing can be done by the officers until
the body is found and an inquest held. So
far, neither May Jenner's father or brother
have interested themselves in the matter.
Mrs. Smith says she will deliver Mays
belongings only to the authorities, and she,
with other friends OF the dead girl, are
anxious that the goods May had packed
away shall be thoroughly examined.
An attempt to introduce another al"
or Alex" than Cumming into the case
has been made, but no one can be found
who can give even the slightest clew as TO
the identity or whereabouts of this mys-
FERROUS individual other than to say be is a
travelling man. None of May Jenner's
friends have ever heard her mention any
such man or even seen him with her.
Until Cumming gets ready to tell his
story or Is made to do it under oath the case
must stand as at present.
THIRD PARTY CONVENTION