The sun., 1895-03-22
CLARA HATHAWAY'S STORY
FELONY TO TRY Suicide AND FAIL,
HERE, so SIZE uEST To BOSTON


Her ovn History OF Her Reintiens with
Richard Laird. Who Caused Her Arrest
q. Pittsburgh for Matchmaking. and
whom She Had sued for Dnmares-The
Story She Wrote or n MnEdaien's At
tempt to Get Work or Aid In Pittsburgh
Clara Hathaway. tho woman who committed
suicide In tho Adams House. Boston. on Tues
day. went 10 that city with tho nvowed purpose
Of killing herself. choosing Boston instead OF
New York because. MS she once said. They
punish failures in New York" and she was
afraid that shc might not succeed.
An acquaintance OF hers says that she ran
away from schoo, at the age OF II with man
years older than herself, whom she married
that he deserted her two years after her mar
raGe, and that thereafter she lived for two years
with rich mining man. He was compelled To
get out OF the country and she went to Chicago,
aftcrward drifting to kansas City and then to
New York.
All this time her family thought that she was
earning her living honestly. She frequently ex-
pressed disgust with her life. and whenever she
lad saved enough money she reassumed her own
name OF Hathaway and lived respectfully until
her money was gone. A year ago she went TO
Boston to try and get an engagement In one Of
Rce's companies. She said that II she could
make $40 week honestly she would become an
honest woman.
1t WAS on March 24 a year ago. that she met
Richard Laird Of Pittsburgh at the Reynolds
House. Boston. Laird. who at that time was a
wealthy shoe merchant. obtained an ntroduc-
tion TO her. They dined together that night
and went TO the theatre together. The next day.
according to her allegations he called on her At
her room and asked her to marry him. She
consented, but demanded that il be by religious
ceremony. Laird. however. snid that simple
agreement held good in Massachusetts,. and that
he said he preferred common law marriage. but
he finally promised that the religious ceremony
should be performed in New York. They came
to New York on the following Wednesday and
put up at the Oriental Hotel. Thirty:ninth street
az ana she TndeT dhs
Pittsburgh alone. she following him on the fol,
,oWnG sunday day he MT ns her at the ,Sn Sn and
day he took her to rooms that he had engaged
ut the home OF John Goettman. 955 Firth
family family as Mrs. LAIRD his wife, They lived IL there ere
two months and then moved to the Hotel An
derson, he registering her az Mrs. Laird:
According to her story. he said n few days
later that he had rented new rooms. and he
took her to another house, leaving her there for
covery that the house was not of the best char
acter When he came to see her the next morn;
and lie sent her 10 New York for a week and
then TO Atlantic City. where, she rema ned n
month. Unable to get any replies to the letters
sne sent to him. she returned to Pittsburgh July
10 last; and went to see him at the store.
he repul,ed her, refused once and for ali TO have
a religious ceremony performed. and told her
hn m he that he dsns h o 5 .n h' YIN
snd register as Mrs; Laird. she did So; s.; out
would be practically penniless when she reached
Chicago. She remained in Pittsburgh n few
money was gone. and one evening about she
went down to Laird's store. and seeing him still
there tapped on the window. He beckoned to
her to come in. SO she alleged, and again she ap-
pealed to him not TO abandon her. He refused
once more to have anything to do with her and
and. taking a phial of chloroform from her
pocket. poured the drug on her handkerchief
unconscious laird de,ccte,: ,he odor. and
rushing out called policeman and had her
rested charging her with lackmnil.
For three days she was in Jail. She was not
so%municats con ,i with any Of ber friends At the
to her and gave her the choice of going TO Boston
or 10 the work house. She chose the former and
The next he to
Pittsburgh and began criminal proceedings
against Laird. which resulted in hi, being fined
500. Then she brought $4,000 suit against
him for damages for breach of promise OF mar
rieEe by q religious ceremony
New York and drifted again into her old ways
spending part OF the time in Philadelphia. Her
wh9le energy was deyoted to IlnInnK reEense
the firm of laird d RAY was dissolved. and
Laird obtained employment in a wholesale lie shoe
house in Philadelphia About three weeks ago
she learned that he was in this city. and she
tracked him down until she came across him in
West Thirty fifth street. She attempted TO get
into the cab with him. hut she was finally pushed
of. and he drove away;
1t was after this incident that she began to
prepare for suicide
Her brother who has been notified of her
death has started for the East and will take
charge OF the remains.
PITTsbuRGH. March "l.-Clara Hathaway's
t1Hubie W., With Laird FIR first became public here on
10 his place of business. and the police were
called: While under arrest in his office she
placed to her mouth handkerchief saturated
with some kind of n drug, but 1t was taken
away from her before any harm was done.
charged on promising TO leave town. n"t She asked
70 be allowed to go TO the Hotel Anderson, where
she had installed herself a day or two before.
An officer was sent with her. Arriving at her
room in the hote, she managed to outwit the
officer, and locking him on the outside got re-
NJ her breast threatened to commit suicide
should any one lay hand on her Then she
oSt the ry 1s Se ocs sna P
terms they had offered her-six months in the
workhouse or to leave town. 1t was only after
nearly twelve hours Of persuasion that she con
sented to go away. She went no further east
han Harrisburg returning from there to Pitts
hurgh the same night. Then a local paper pub
llshed her side OF the story and it elicited SYM
pathy and two local attorneys took her case
lntormations were lodged against Laird and
several suits resulted. The first of these suits
was for desertion This was decided against her
by Judge White. but Laird was ordered to pay
the costs. Other suits followed. the last ono
being based on claim for 81 OO00 damages for
alleged breach OF promise. This also was de-
In written statement, she made at the time
Of her arrest. she stated that she was born in
New York city, where her mother and sisters |
still lived and that she spent her school days in
a convent. but she entrcated tnat her family be |
not sought for. rs it would do her no good and
only bring shame on them.
IN speakinG to-day OF the suicide OF his former
client, Attorney Rowand said: 1T is just |
what she has been intending TO do for some |
time; 1t is no surprise to me. She killed her
self because She could not make an honest liv- |
Ing. she told me once. sitting right in this
office. hat she would kill herself II she could |
not find some honest way to earn her bread. and |
she has kept her word. She went around Pitts |
burgh looking for employment in stores offices, |
and other places. hnt could not find any. al
though she was willing to do anything. Sho |
went to ministers and she went 10 Christian |
women. only to find that every door was closed |
n her.