The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1894-07-05
A GIRL QUITS LIFE.
Despondent and Poor She Pre-
fers to Die.
FOUND FLOATING IN THE BAY



Weller streets yesterday morning. There
were no marks Of violence on her body,
and from . note found in her room At los
Weller street last evening there Is no
doubt that she took her own life. Hour
after hour she would sit in chair az the
head OF the stairs. gazing absfractedIy out
OF the window, never speaking and appar-
entity dependent in the extreme.
At the junction OF King and South
Fourth streets there Is plank walk that
runs south over the tide fats. At its ex-
tremity are two houses. one Of which Is
occupied by Miss Kate Baker, . good
natured coiored woman Yesterday morn
ing about 3 O'Clock she felt something
strike the posts that support her dwelling
and got up to see what was the trouble
60 far as she could see there was nothing
bat two row boats tied TO the post About
7 O'Clock In the morning Miss Baker
was astonished TO hear some one
call out: Miss Baker, they've found
woman's body under your house" Miss
Baker ran out, and sure enough the form
OF woman. face down. could be seen
floating in the water The news Was i'm
mediately carried 10 police headquarters,
and Officer Noble was detailed 10 make an
investigation. He found that The body
had fioated against the bow of one of the
rowboats tied under Miss Bakers house
and stopped. What kind of looking
woman she was could not be determined
until Coroner Horton gave permission to
take the body out of the water Then she
was towed around TO the shore and taken
TO Bonney a Stewards undertaking rooms.
1t was easy TO tell from the cast of
countenance that she belonged 70 the
Hebrew race, but there was nothing on
her person 10 give the least clue TO her
identity. She wore a black alpaca over
skirt and sailors blouse made OF some
white material. In the pocket of her skirt
were letter and small purse. The former
was written in Hebrew, but proved TO be
nothing more than q recipe for dyeing
cloth. In the purse were a counterfeit sill
yer half dollar that had been mutnated,
two-bit piece and a nickel. Several per-
sons had called in the meantime and ex-
pressed the belief that they knew the dead
woman, but no one could recall her name.
She was feet 81 inches tall. OF dark COM
plexion, and apparently about ~ years old
Her features we're comely, but not such as
would attract attention in q crowd. One
thing was evident she bad not been in the
water more than ten hours, for her hands
and face gave no indications usual in such
cases. There were no marks Of violence, so
the case resolved itself down TO suicide or
accidental drowning. This was cleared
up by following out the iniorma-
ton of woman who said she
knew che girl we'll and that she lived at los
Weller strest and that her name was
Bertha Something" Investigation there
by Deputy Coroner James Greene last
evening resulted in establishing the fact
that the girls name vas Bertha Baht and
that when she left her room she intended
20 take her life. She occupied q small
room in which was a single bed, small
stand and on the wall was a sort Of box
made in 20 shelves. on one of which was a
loaf OF bread and a few hard crusts.
few garments hung on the wall and in
little trunk were all her personal effects.
The most interesting discovery was piece
of paper that lay on the stand by the side
of Hebrew prayer book. The writing
was in Hebrew aud when translated read
as follows: please give all the things to
Mrs. Weinberg, the wife of the express
man." There was no signature. but events
and the room in which 10 was found left no
doubt who wrote it and the meaning it
conveyed. Another scrap of paper had
the following in English: sMrs. Larkins,
Olympic hotel or Mrs. Potter. Ladies
Relief CORPS. Third and Cherry streets"
Mr.. sigmnnd Grass is proprietor OF the
lodging mouse, and Ii il due To his kind
ness that the girl has had place to live
for the past six weeks. She has always
been despondcnt, and people IN the house
say that she would SIT for hours looking
out of the hall window, never speaking.
and often times holding piece OF bread in
her hund, crumbling IL slowly. She was
seen 10 leave the house about 10 o'clock
Tuesday night and the next thing known
by the people there was when her death
was announced by people who had seen
her at the NOR que.
Her family lived in Russia aud pos
se.sed wealth She was brought up as a
LADY. educated In good schools and had
some knowledge of music. About $50 her
father left Russia. and some OF those who
knew her here attribute tins TO the perse-
cation OF the Jews by the Russians. The
family settled in Winnipeg, where her
father Is reported to have lost all his
money. Finally il was decided that
Bertha should come 10 Seattle aud make
a husband with money 50 much the
better. year ago last May she
arrived. and for a short time stayed
with the family of NJ Weisfeid at the
corner Of South Eighth and Main streets,
then she moved To the home of A. Gold
berg, ON Commercial street. and stayed for
about three months. She Was of a de-
speudent nature at times, and on more
than one occasion spoke of committing
suicide. MT. Goldberg did not think that
she vas well-ba!aaeed person mentally.
Mrs. Louis Levy. president Of the Hebrew
Benevolent Society. did what she could
for the girl, aud I. Weinbergers family.
who live on Roilin street. had her with
them during the holidays last April. She
also MAS at r Hoeslech's house for
time. Ii appears that daring her stay in
Seattle offers Of marriage we're not fire.
quent. but N. Lnstig, fruit dealer, who
lives on Yesler avenue. near Fourteenth
street. fell in love with her and asked her
20 marry him She did not think the
match as good . one as she ought 10 make
and refused him. However she went 10
h.na q short time ago and borrowed money
10 keen tie wolf from the door. IL wAs six
weeks since she took the room at los
Weller street. and from that time on she
talked frequently OF returning % Wiuni~
pee. She protested To have difficulty In
conforming 10 tire American peoples avs
Of living. and on that account did not ike
90 work in their homes She leaves
father ard sister in Winnipeg.
The funeral services viii he held this