The morning call., 1894-05-29
WORDS THAT KILL.
Sims Letter to Lena Is
Produced.
1T DROVE HER TO SUICIDE.
She Wanted to Kill Him, but
Shot Herself.
BOARDERS ADVISED BLACKMAIL.
Some Sensational Testimony Is Given
at the Inquest on Lena Sorenson
in the Morgue.
BOARDERs ADVISED BLACKmAIL.

The letter that drove Lena Sorenson to
kill herself in the ST. Nicholas Hotel re-
Gently was produced by the landlady,
Mrs. l. Couch at the CorOner'S inquest
yesterday. and with its publication all
mystery connected with the tragedy was
removed.
But j. Fletcher Sims, president of the
Western Iron Works. was absent. al
hough his presence would be very accept
able at the inquest Indeed. it is said he
has been studOusly keeping out of the
way at ONE as we'll as in public.
Mrs. Couch teephoned she had found
the missing note and would produce 1t for
Coroner Hughes benefit if necessary. In
the afternoon she arrived at the Morgue in
a carriage, but before her arrival Mary
McCrone, maid in the hotel, testified that
she (Mary) had charge of Lena Sorensen'S
jewelry.
when did you see the iewelry last?''
asked Coroner Hughes.
81 saw the diamond cross and the dia-
mond earrings at l P. NJ. on the day she
committe suicide" said the witness.
Were there any men in her room that
day?''
mo; pone except the bellboYs.
Mrs. Couch accused me of making too
many statements, and discharged me TO-
day for talking too much about the Jew
elry."
After brief delay Mrs. Couch ap-
peered. She was excited and eager to
make a thorough statement, and also
wanted others, who she said were
familiar with Lena Sorenson, TO testify.
Said she:
in the first place, DIR. Beel was her
physician. He has frequently met Mr..
Sims at the house. and Mary Cody was her
nurse, who came with her from Seattle or
Portland. She was with her for about five
weeks. Thew can tell more than | about
this case. The woman was guest in my
| hotel, and l never saw anything wrong
with her.
''She wanted to kill Mr.. Sims, and /
| prevented her from doing it. l said
| You had no right to have anything 10 do
with him. You know he is married
man. I didn't know he was married.
she said. Then she told me that Mr.
! Sims accused her of dong wrong. but she
| had done DO wrong, and il he did not take
these words back she would kill him like
| q snake. She said he was the means OF
having her where she was; that she had
| been a good, pure woman. She told me
| how she was connected ald who were her
! relatives"
Did she say who Sorenson was ?" asked
the Coroner.
NO. She said it was contract mar
| rage with him." replied Mrs. Couch.
she said she got money from her
| father. / think she was born in Seattle in
1862, and her Efather was Captain An
drews."
Mrs. Couch insisted on telling every
thing she had heard about Mrs. Sorenson,
| but the Coroner declined to hear it and
| instead took the much-Wanted letter of
| the deceased, which was shown to the
jury. Lena SOreDson asked Mrs. Couch
to take the letter. saying: You see now
that man wants to have nothing more to
do with me. He has wrought my ruin and
deserts me-" The note was hastily
written with blue pencil on a slip of
| paper, as follows:
Lena; VIII not be up. Am very busy esti-
mating on work where figures are TO be in to-
| morrow. l caunOt break away as two of US
are working together and if / should leave il
! would prevent my pard going on. l am sorry,
| as L wanted TO see you to-day. Ny frau is
over and she will be here at 4:30 10 take me
| nome, so coming up tonight is out of the qnes-
! ZION. KID.
II said" continued the witness. ''you
! should have had nothing to do with him. T"
Then the half-frantic woman, smarting
under the pangs OF disappointed love and
| desertlnn, declared she would kill Sims,
and before doing that would send letter
to his wife that there was nothing on
| eartn that he would say would be believed
| oy MIS-. SiinS. MIS-. C0ucn SalQ tndL the
dead woman declared she would rather
die than disgrace her family. The wit
ness gave her good motherly advice, that
she was young woman and ought to
| leave San francisco and begin new life /;
that her friends would not desert her; but
Mrs. SOrenson was obdurate. She stated
that all the notes signed kid" were from
Sims. who was about to rent a cottage for
her In Oakland. He advertised for it, and
a Mrs: Lacy on McAllister street went
with Mrs. SOrenson TO select one
Stanley Murphy. bellboy in the ST.
Nicholas Hotel, recalled, stated that beard
ers in the house wanted him 10 backmaii
Sims. They said: II suppose you'll make
a good deal of money out of this case, ="
and the witness said he replied: mot
that know of. | have lost my best friend.
She had given me So a week, and also a
diam nd Nng, and always told me TO keep
the change. no matter what it was when
went out for anything for her." Mr.. Sims
accused the bsJboy and others in the
house of going 10 Mrs. SorenSon's room,
but l never saw any man there but him.
self, and he went in the afternoon.
The jury returned verdict that the de-
ceased had shot herself with suicidal intent