The morning call., 1894-07-22
PARTED FROM HER HUSBAND.
Mrs. Jennie Miller of Bodie Blows
Out Her Brains.
SHE SOUGHT RECONCILIATION.
No Reply to Her Appeal-Deputy
Coroner Jones Conceals Her
Death From the Press.

|
was wife and mother. lies in casket in
an undertaker's parlor on Geary street.
! There is a bullet-hoe on one side Of the
shapeiy head. but the placid features tell
nothing of the mental storm that must
have ragged before the shot that made the
fatal wound was fired. The dead woman
I was Mrs. Jennie Miller, wife of prosper
GUS contractor who lives at Bodie. She
blew out her brains at the residence of her
sister, Mrs. c. r. Hansen, 110R Geary
street, Thursday afternoon.
Mrs. Mlller's life was an unhappy one.
| Domestic trouble is the all-com pretending
term given by her friends when asked why
she fled from her home In Bodie and came
to reside with an old schoolmate In this
city. She married Thomas Miller, the
, contractor, when she was but II years old,
and had she lived one day longer would
| have celebrated the twenty-fourth ami
versary of her birth. Early in March Mrs
| Miller Quarreled with her husband, and on
the 9th If that month left him and her
| little boy in Bodie and came to the resi-
dence OF her old schoolmate, Mrs. Holt.
| on Scott street. She was very respondent,
but had little to say about her separation.
from her husband, and soon after her ar
rival she called upon lawyer and placed
her case in his hands.
About two weeks ago Mrs Miller visited
her sister on Geary street and decided to
remain with her until after the trial of her
suit for divorce. She was melancholy and
respondent, and frequently lamented over
the absence of her little boy As child
Mrs. Miller had often spoken of suicide as
the possible end of her existence, and
| their remembrance of this filled her friends
| with the lveliest apprehensions. They
counseled her to forgive her husband and
return to her home. Their advice was not
wasted Mrs. Miller finally decided to 90
back to Bodie, and urged Mrs. Hansen to
accompany her. Mrs. Hansen consented,
and they arranged for their departure on
Monday last.
Mrs. Miller announced her intention of
returning to her husband on the 18th. and
wired him the following message:
Decided to drop divorce. Coming back with
Lizzie. Telegraph answer. JENNIE.
She was apparently very happy after
sending that message and eagerly awaited
a reply; but no answer came.
Mrs. Miller's dependency returned
She became melancholy and distracted,
and after waiting several days wrote her
husband long letter. the contents of
which were not confded to any one. Hav-
ing mailed the letter she frightened up
again, and made u o secre. of her hope that
it would lead the way to reconciliation.
But the letter, like the telegram, was not
answered, and once more the mind of the
young wife was filled with gloomy FORE
bodings. She did not know that the let
ter was delayed by the strike and did not
fall into her husbands hands until the
day after her death.
Early Thursday afternoon she asked
Mrs. Hansen to take walk with her,
adding that she wanted to see the lawyer
that had handled the divorce case. She
was greatly agitated, and just before re-
firing to her dreSsing-room exclaimed, Il
fear / am going to lose my mind"
Mrs. Hansen went to another room to
prepare fer the visit to the lawyer and had
dressed, when she heard the report of a
pistol 1t was muffled sound, and she
thought came from the street. She ran to
the window, blu: saw nothing. Then she
called to her sister. hut no sound came
from the little room to which Mrs. Miller
had retired.
Mrs. Hansen ran to the apartment and
saw little curl of smoke issuing from the
keyhole. Fearing to confirm what she sus-
pected was the case the frightened lady
summoned clerk from her husband'r
Office, and he not knowing what had hap
pened entered the room. Mrs. Miller was
lying on the floor. her head resting on an
ottoman, from which tiny stream of
blood was flowing On the carpet. A pistol
that she had taken from her brother-in-
laws desk lay by her side.
Mrs. Hansen summoned a physician,
but his services were not required. The
bullet had caused instant death. Word
was sent to the Coroner's Office and one
of the physicians who makes autopsies for
the city went to the house with Deputy
Coroner Leon M. Jones. The doctor ex-
amined the body and consented to its re-
moval to an unGertaker's. He also con-
sented to receive fee for his services from
Mr.. Hansen. Deputy Jones. who is an
old friend of MIR. Hansen, promised 10
keep the story out of the papers, and he
was as good as his word. When he returned
to the Morgue he wrote a report of the
case, but took particular pains to place it
where it would rot be found by the re-
porters.
Late at night the body was removed
from the house to the undertaker's and the
following dispatch was sent TO Miller at
Bodie:
Your wife lies dead at an undertaker's. Wire
Instructions. c. r. HANSEN.
The answer came:
Letter 18th received this m orning. Have her
buried. Wire particulars.
Hansen telegraphed in reply that Mrs.
Miller had shot herself and that the body
would be kept five days. Miller then wired
that he would come to the city. He will
be here to-day.
The part played by Deputy Jones in con-
cealing the case from the public is freely
denounced. The memory of old Morgue
scandals that grew out of just such con-
duct on the part of Coroner's assistants is
still green, and this is the second case of
the kind that has happened since DIR.
Hughes took charge of the Office. The
other case that was concealed was that of
Mrs. Glhooley. who committed suicide
on June 10 last. 1t is insisted that If
one deputy can conceal suicide from an
honorable motive, another. actuated by an
entirely different motive, may cloak
crime.
Coroner Hughes is absent from the city.
but his brother, who is chief deputy, cen