The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1894-05-30
MONEY NO OBJECT.
Mrs. Couch Explains Her
Conduct.
Matchmaking Sims Never Entere d
Her Mind, but 1t Was Sympathy
for His Wife.

The friends Of J. Fletcher Sims, president of
the Western Iron Works assert that he Is STAY.
ing away from business for a few DAYS Simply
10 avoid beng made the victim OF blackmail.
owing 10 his cOnnc elton with Mrs. Lena Soren-
sen, who committed suicide in The St. Nicholas
Hotel on May Is.
1t is asserted that on the day after the sui
eide Mrs. Couch, proprietor OF the hotel, sent
lie ter 10 SIMS hat he had better call upon the
writer or lie would regret il. Sims construed
this letter into a threat that If he did not hand
over some coin TO hush The matter up The hotel
people would injure him.
Mrs. Couch was seen last night and made the
following statement: My only reason for
keeping back the letter which has been so
much ialked about was simply 10 shield an
Innocent woman and her children from the
sc udal caused by her husbands conduct. as a
dear lady friend Of mine is an intimate friend
of the family.
"Some h6nrs before Mrs Sorensen com.
mitied suicide she for tb first time told he OF
her intimacy with Mr.. Sims which commenced
i've years ago In Portland or Seattle. L forget
which. She told me she did mol know lie was
married man TIL II was TOO late.
"Afler she got the letter from Sims that
morning she told me she would kill him if be
called upon her a. lie had blamed her Tor doing
things which lie knew 10 be false. She wanted
10 send the letter she received from him 10 his
wife, but re soned her out OF doing so and
finally got her 10 give II TO me on condition that
! would not destroy il.
Il thought, seeing | had the letter. that il
we could get Mary McCrOne to keep her mouth
shut Mrs. SIMS and her children would be saved
from tie knowledge Of the scandal. That was
why did not produce the letter sooner.
Now, about the letter / sent Mr. sims, which
he says was threat. ! heard on The day after
the suicide that Mrs. SOTtnsen's BODY would be
buried IN Il paupeTs grave, and 10 prevent that
l wrote 20 Mi. sims asking him 10 call at once
and see me, as u was OF vital importance 10
you and yours. Thai expression l suppose is
Whaf he considers a threat But 1, was solely
Tor The purpose OF getting him TO call and make
arrangements tor giving the Door girl decent
burial or letting me know where to wIite TO her
trends. To that letter l got no answer
That night / sent LADY. who Is a guest in
the house, TO the COrOuer's office with the ac-
acknowledgement from Phn Bumauer of the re-
ceipt OF Mrs. SOrensrn's promissory note for
the Coroner was not there. l sent the lady
again on sunday and she found that Mrs.
Sorensen's brother had made arrangements for
the funeral.
About Mrs Sorensen's diamonds | know
nothing. ! have heard that she had diamond
star, diamond cross and a pair OF diamond
earrings. The diamond ring, / understand, she
gave To the DebOy. And speaking about the
bellbOy no attention need be paid TO his State
ment Of rumOrs Of blackmaIl. / suppose some
OF the lazy guests had been joking with him.
The boy has been half crazy since The suicide.
There was a Mrs. Murphy. a transient guest in
the hotel, but the idea that she or any other
L. y boarder advised MIN seriously 10 get
blackmail money out of Nj. Sims is absurd.
Il am too well known IN the city for any one
TO thlDk for moment hat / would b guilty OF
attempting TO blackman any one, and / can
rest content in that belief"