The morning call., 1893-10-12
STILL A MYSTERY.
The Sad Fate of Amelia
Donnely.
MRS. LAPHAME'S HUSBAND.
A Mysterious Individual Who the
Madame Says Is Her Lawfully
Welded Spouse.

Investigation of the events surrounding
the death of Amelia Donnely, the 16-year-
old girl who died from the effects OF q
criminal operation at 430 Natoma street or
Tuesday, shows that the girls sufferings
must have been terrible in the extreme
Although the different members OF hel
family must have known that her illness
must terminate fatally they allowed her to
suffer unattended until the very last mo-
ment
To what extent, il any, Mrs. Laphame
is responsible for the young woman's
death the police have not yet been able to
determine She is still detained at the
City Prison awaiting the result OF the
Coroner's inquest. She remained IN bed
all day yesterday. and refused to discuss
her alleged connection with the Donnely
family.
After clearing her skirts Of the charge
of murder in the Lottie Watson case Mrs.
Lapbame disappeared from her old haunts
on Geary street and was not heard OF
again until about three months ago. Al
this time she secured front room at oos
Mission street and told the landlady that
her name was Mrs. DR.. Godfrey. She did
not wish to practice her profession. she
said, but wanted TO remain quiet Tor time
until she could secure suitable Location.
About this time she inserted an advertise
ment in different city papers.
She received very few callers, so the
landlady says, and appeared to be per-
fectly respectable. After week or so OF
this quiet life she began to receive evening
calls from small, weil-dressed and very
bald-headed gentleman, who spoke with a
pronounced foreign accent. The landlady
was called into the room one evening and
the gentleman was introduced as Nj.
RoZet. Mrs. DR.. Godfrey explained that
she and the monsieur were TO be married
the next day, but refused the landlady'
offer of the use of her front parlor for the
ceremony. saying they wished to avoid
publicity. and would go to Oakland and be
married quietly.
The alleged Mrs. Godfrey was away
from home all of the next day. and when
she returned she announced herself to be
a bride. Although she remained in the
house two weeks longer the gentleman
Toomed elsewhere, and only spent an
occasional hour during the evening with
his bride. The madame one day about
two weeks ago announced that she had
secured a house at 1121h Howard street,
and after paying her rent departed. The
advertisement in the papers was changed
to fit the Howard-street residence, and all
went well until the police appeared on the
scene Tuesday night and arrested Mrs.
SI0UIr6V on suspicion IUdC Sl0 udu CduSCU
the death Of Amelia DOnnely.
Since the madame's arrest her alleged
husband has remained discreetly out of
sight and did not present himself at the pris-
ON yesterday to inquire after the welfare of
his wife. He was at home when CALL
reporter called at the ROward-StTeet house
last night, but when he learned who MS
visitor was slammed the door and locked it.
The, officers working on the case will at
DO 70 fair ha Of In
relations with Mrs. Laphame and with the
business she conducted.
The mysterious lpersoDage who Mrs.
Donnely said wished to sign death GER
tificate giving pneumonia as the cause of
death turns out TO be DR.. G. }. McGovern,
whose Office is in the Phelan block. When
asked for a statement yesterday he said:
Il was called in to see the girl about 9
o'clock Monday evening. From her ap-
pearance at first thought she was suffer-
ing from pneumonia, and so statad 10 the
mother. Upon further examination, how
ever, l discovered the real nature of her
illness and refused to prescribe for
her. l knew the girl could not
live more than a few hours. and as
to the house the next morning, as mat
ter of duty, to see if she was dead, and if
so, to report the case to the Coroner. The
girl was not yet dead, and of course
could do nothing. The mother asked me
if | would sign death certificate if she
died. and / told her | would not. That is
absolutely all l had to do with IT,"
DR.. McGovern made substantially the
same statement to the Coroner yesterday
afternoon.
The mother of the young woman still
protests that she is innocent of any con-
neetion with the operation which resulted
in the death Of her daughter. and is equal
ly positive in her statement that Mrs.
Laphame had nothing to do with it.
The mother admitted yesterday that heI
daughter. now dead, had been wronged by
a cook named Brady some time last W inter-
No one seems to know the present where
abouts of Brady. Some of his former asso-
ciates say that he separated from his wife
and that he is now in New Mexico and she
in Omaha, Nebr.
August Wicke, the dead girls father
appeared at the Coroner's Office yesterday
and made the following statement:
II am laborer al the Pacific Mail dock
l last saw my daughter Amelia alive
about three years ago. | secured {
divorce from my wife, who is now
: known as Mrs. Donnely, in 1885, or
the ground of desertion. She left oul
three children in the street. | kept then
along time, but finally got out of work ant
could not support them and they were
ldkOu W Luc hcoCuo I1Uuic 0ouIf dUl
franklin streets. The mother took then
away from there and they have been witt
her ever since.
AFTER leaving me the mother took ur
with man named Green, who afterward
deserted her and took all OF her household
effects. She then picked up with this mar
Donnely."
The house in which the Donnelys livs
has but three roOms-a kitchen and two
small sleeping-roGms. There is bed il
each Of the sleeping-rooms. Before the
death of Amelia Donnely the family con
sisted Of the mother, stepfather and thre,
grown daughters.