The morning times., 1895-08-09


The inquest over the body OF Mrs Mar
tha A West OF Canal road, Georgetown,
who, as stated in The Evening Times
yesterday, committed suicide by walking
overheard into the Potomac at Tenneys
wharf, Georgetown, was held at O'Clock
Yesterday in the Seventh precinct police
station.
The testimony showed that Mrs. West
had been in ill-health for some time past,
and had manifested signs OF great mental
excitement on the day of her death. The
patrol wagon seemed to those who were en-
deayoring TO reSuscitate the unfortunate
woman to bean unnecessary long time com
ing To the scene This was explained sat
isfactorily 10 the jury by showing the
circuitous route of a mile and quarter
jnlength that had To be traversed before the
place can be reached.
After hearing the testimony the jury
rendered a verdict of death by jumping
into the Potomac River rear the Aque
duct Bridge, and decided that the act was
voluntary ard suicidal, and that medical
attention could not have been secured in
time TO save her life.
NO BLAME IS FOUND.
The jury attached no. blame to any one
for the death. The empaueled men were
William w Brenton, Arundel T. Davis,
Harry Howes, Benjamin F Harper, r obert
2 Pettitt, and Harry .Burro ws. Coroner
Hammett conducted the inquest.
The first witness called was Mrs, Annie
NJ Renncr, who lives but short distance
from the scene of the tragedy. She stated
that she had known Mrs. West by sight for
some time; had often talked with her,
but had never until yesterday kno wn her
name. Between half-past 8 and 9 O'Clock
yesterday morning Mrs. West went past
Mrs Renner's house. and stopped TO ask,
In a rambling sort of way, how she could get
to the river Mrs Renner thought this
little strange, and remarked to her daugh
ter that that lady had often gone down to
the river. and certainly knew the way
there Mrs. West appeared 10 be greatly
excited and quite anxious TO escape from
some one.
The telephone call which brought the
patrol wagon was sent by samuel E Swim
DELL the next witness Mr.. Swindell said
that his attention had been called TO the
matter by a fellow-clerk IN an office in the
neighborhood where he was employed, and
he went down to find out what had led to
| the collection of the crowd The body had
Just been gotten up on the wharf when he
arrived
There were unmistakab!e signs of life III
the body, and ne hurried back to the office
and telephoned to the Georg getown police
station that a woman had jumped into
the river and asked that a wagon be sent
| out there In answer TO a question from
the station if the woman was dead, he re-
piled in the negative, but said that she
would beso soon unless a doctor arrived im-
medately
GASPED WHEN Takes OUT.
Mr.. Swindell said that he saw the woman
| give several convuIsive gasps when taken
out If he rad otreceived a reply from the
| station call he would have gone for doe
| tor.
George Warren, mate of the schooner
| Clytic, who pulled the body out of the water,
| did not see her jump or fall, in and he
thought that it was a floating corpse, so
! without any particular haste took a line
! threw it over the body and brought it ashore.
1t was stated by Eugene Lucas, the bridge
! keeper, that the woman W as evidently alive
when taken out of the water and if medical
assistance had been at hand her life, so
| far as he was competent to judge, could have
| been saved.
The following letter left by Mrs. West
| and directed to Willie, her eldest son, was
read to the jury:
'Good-by to all; love to all. In the river
you will find my body. am going to leave
all of you forever. 1 am tired OF life.
| Take care of my children. My life is no
| good to me- Put me beside Nellie, Look
in the river for me. Take care of Howard
for my sake. Farewell to all. In the river
! lay"
There was no signature to this, but the
writing was Identified by Howard West
as that Of his mother and by the dead wo-
mans husband. ~.
Alexander West, a stone quarryman,
stated that his wife had been complaining &
for the past few weeks of terrible pains
in her head. During the past winter she
| had suffered from two severe attacks of
grip, and had never reHtirelyrecoveredf from
the effects. The presence OF the bottle WAS
explained by the fact that just before leay-
ing home she had asked herson Howard to
| go and get her some tincture OF iron, and
this was perhaps was in the bottle which she
| carried.
The body was turned over to Undertaken
Chalmers to prepare for burial, but will be
taken to-day to the home OF the Vests, on
the Canal road. The interment at Rock
vile will take place on Saturday.