The Wichita daily eagle., 1896-07-03

terious Feature of ths Case and its Con-
tents He VIII Not Divulge Until He
Finds Cer.ain Mau Who is Involved
Shot Through the Heart.
Philadelphia, July "A letter noti-
flying Coroner Ashbridge that Mrs. S.
E. Mexican would probably commit
suicide was received by that official
yesterday afternoon, about two hours
after the woman had shot and killed
| herself in her rooms at the Lafay-
cite Hotel. The letter had been delay
ed in transit, else the tragedy might
have been averted. AS 1t is, there is
sufficient Of mystery surrounding the
case to give it more than ordinary in
terest, and the coroner declines to tell
what he knows of the dead woman's
motive for suicide until he can COM
municate with a man who is in some
way involved.
1t was shortly after noon yesterday
when a bell boy, VINO was delivering
packages on the eighth floor of the
| Lafayette, stumbled over an inanimate
| form that was lying on the floor partly
in the corridor and partly in a room.It
was the body of Mrs. Mexican and blood
was oozing from two bullet holes in her
left breast, directly over the heart. She
had evidently shot herself while stand
ing at the open door of her room, and
fallen backward. The terrified bell boy
ran back TO the elevator to summon help
and met Rev. Edward Conley, priest
from Ocean City, n. j., who was just
coming up stairs.
JUNCTION FOR A DEAD BODY.
Guided by the boy, Father Conley
hurried to the scene and found the wo-
man ciasping a. revolver in her right
hand The weapon had been held so
close to her breast that the f1imsy silk
Of her bodice had caught fire and was
burning freely. The boy extin guished
the blaze with his coat and the priest
uncertain whether the woman was dead
or alive, hurTiedfy administered the
last rites of the Catholic church and
sent the boy to notify the manager OF
the hotel. A physician, who CHANGED
to be in the office, haStened up stairs
but found that the woman had been
dead for fifteen or twenty minutes.
Then the coroner was notified, and he
authorized the removal OF the body to
Undertaken Goods establishment.
1t was on Wednesday last that Mrs.
NcKean went to the Lafayette IN COM
Dany with another woman and directed
an attendant to register her name and
that of Mrs. Cooper, No. 81 West
TWen ty-fourth street. New York" They
were assigned to room on the eighth
floor and were seen but little by tae at
taches of the house. On Saturday Mrs.
Cooper paid the board OF herself and
Mrs. Mexican up to that day and left
the hotel. She has not been seen since.
nor have the authorities been able to
locate her.
KNEW SHE CONTEMPLATED IT.
Som time on Saturday or Sunday,
however Mrs. Cooper wrote letter TO
a male friend in this city, whose name
the coroner refuses TO divulge. 1t was
that missive which was handed to the
coroner yesterday afternoon, after Mrs.
Cooper stated that she was certain Mrs
McKean intended to commit suicide.
She said that on Saturday morning she
had accompanied her friend TO the
store of Market street gun dealer,
where Mrs Mexican wanted to purchase
a revolver. Mrs. Cooper watched her
opportunity and privately warned the
clerk against selling firearms to her
companion. He therefore, refused to
left the store together.
On a table in the room occupied by
Mrs Mexican at the hotel the coroner
found a note requesting that certain
details concerning her death and the
reasons that led up to it should be sup
pressed. The tenor of the letter gave
rise to the belief that a longer and
more comprehensive statement had been
prepared and destroyed. This theory
was substantiated by a thorough search
of the room, when a lengthy letter,
which had been torn in small pieces.
was found in a cuspidore. The scraps
were carefully gathered up and tedi-
ously Joined together so that the letter
could be read.
HUNTING THE MAN.
On the ground that there was a man
connected with the case who must be
found, the authorities refused TO di-
vulge the contents OF the statement.
They did say, however. that the woman
had left her husband for another man,
and after living in New York and sew
erai other cities had found herself de-
serted and almost penuiless an Phila-
defphia. Letters addressed to Mrs
s. z. Mexican. st. Nicholas hotel.
Broadway, New York." were also found
in her room.
This letter bore the card of Pierce
Bros. & jackson. No. 635 Market St,
and from a member of that firm it was
learned that two years ago Mrs. Nc
Keaa and hes- husband conducted a re-
tail notion store at No. 444 North Eighth
street. this city, They afterwards
embarked in a similar enterprise at
Lansdale, Pa. but did not prosper, and
did not get along very well together.
For whom she left her husband and
where she has lived since that time viii
only be known when her ante-mortem
statement is offered in evidence at che
inquest.
From Lansdale Il was learned that in
the faH of 1898 Mrs. Sadie Mexican
rented a store on Walnut street and
embarked in the millinery business.
The venture was not success. and
she closed out and removed 10 Phiia-
delphia. The I,ansdaie Dispatch says:
Mrs. McKean's husband, who Is a
class blower. lives in the western part
Of Pennsylvania. but has not lived with
his wife since they left here in 1888
Mrs. McKean's parents live at Elmer.
y J., and her sister, Lizzie. was for
some time forewoman in RSbcocks ;
shoe factory. Mrs. MCKean was OF q
5ovial disposition and had many ad-
mirers.'
New York, July "A Mrs. s. F. Nc
Kean lived until last October at No.
81 West Twenty-F'ourth street She
had rooms on the second floor, and said
her business was the making Of pattern
dresses for exhibition IN shop windows
a companion, a woman much younger
lived with her. The lessee OF the build
ing. NJ !. Preldegast. says the women
went away owing several weeks reo<.
Mrs. McKsan told DIT. Pest OF No. D