The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1895-12-13
DIED IN HER CHAIR.
The Body of a Woman Found Last
Evening.

The Faithful Dog of the Dead Woman
Crouched by the Frozen Body of Its
Mistress.
Last evening when Mr.. John Mcdonald
returned from work his wife suggested
that 1T might be we'll for him to go to the
house OF Mrs. Kate Kelley, as she had
not been seen for the day. "I've sent the
children down several times. - said Mrs.
Mcdonald. "but they couldn't find her.
MI. Mcdonald went to the house in
Carleton court occupied by Mrs Kelley,
but while the curtains were down and a
faint light in the room there was no re-
Spouse to his knock except the almost
frantic barking of dog He saw that
the door was locked on the inside, and so
notified Patrolman A. J. Stewart. who
forced the door and found the body OF
MRS. Kelley. The unfortunate woman
died in her chair in front of what was of
course fireless stove, for it was evident
that she died during the night or in the
early morning. Her clock was still run
ming showing that she must have been
alive after ten O'Clock Wednesday night. a
Deputy Sterling was notified and called
Coroner Littlefeld and Undertaken Nc
Donough. The death was evidently due
to some heart trouble of long standing
of which Mrs. Kelley. had frequently
complained Coroner Littlefeld decided
that no inquest would be necessary
Deputy Sterling made thorough in
vestigation with the coroner, of the
limited place. The bed room showed that
Mrs. Kelley went to bed the previous
night. From the fact that the body was
frozen it vas at first thought that she
died of exposure, but an alb undant stock
of fuel was found. She probably was
taken sick in the night and got up, and
Death was SO sudden that there had APP
parently not been the slightest struggle.
Her hands were folded, and it is possible
that she died while asleep.
She was the widow of Thomas f.
Kelley, who died several years ago. Her
maiden name was Kate McKenna, and she
lived previous to her marriage at Worces-
ter, Mass. A carefully framed and
evidently treasured marriage. certificate
showed that she was married July goth,
1885, at Worcester by Rev. Charles f.
Grace. 1t is thought that she has friends
in Worcester.
A very pathetic circumstance connected
with the case was the conduct of little
dog, the dead woman had been greatly
attached to. When Mr. Stewart entered
the house he found the dog crouched by
the side of it's dead mistress, and the way
the poor creature looked from one to an
other of the little group that later
gathered in the room was piteous. When
Mr.. Mcdonald tried to take it home, it
escaped and ran back to the body, and
there was touching scene when the re-
mains were removed from the house.
The room in which Mrs. Kelley died
was very cold, SO much SO that not only
was the body frozen, but the water in
wash tub in the room was also frozen.
ed, and the little table was set just as
the dead woman left it the previous eve
ming. The fact that the lamp was still
burning showed that Mrs. Kelley got up
some time in the night, and it is thought
succeeded in starting fire.
Deputy Sterling is of the opinion that
the woman died in the early part of
Wednesday evening. He believes that she
was at work at her wash tub when she
was taken sick and that she went to the |
chair in which she died. The body, in
his opinion, remained where it was
found all Wednesday night and all day
yesterday. Mrs. Kelley took supper at the
house of friend Wednesday night. at
which time she complained of bad feel
ing about the heart. She was about fifty
years Of age.