The San Francisco call., 1896-09-11
POISON WAS IN
ALL THE CANDIES
Mary Mcdowell Was a
Very Determined
Suicide.
TWO PATHS TO DEATH.
Failing to Be Drowned She
Then Used a Deadly
Drug.
RESULT OF AN ANALYSIS.
Failure of the Victim to Conceal Her
Identity by Taking
False Name.
RESULT OF AN ANALYSIS.

the young woman who jumped into the
bay Wednesday and who said that she
was Harmona Wells seems to be in e fair
way to be cleared up. Being rescued from
the water by two boatmen, she was taken
to the Receiving Hospital. On the way
she ate chocolate creams from bag. She
died at the Receiving Hospital few hours
later. There were some chocolate creams
IN the bag remaining, and these were
handed to DR.. Charles G. Morgan, physi-
clan and chemist, whose Office is at the cor
ner OF Sixth and Harrison streets, TO ana
lyze. He has reported to the Coroner that
the chocolate creams were poisoned. In
the bag with the candy was a white DOW
der which is proved to be arsenic. The
woman evidently intended first to commit
suicide by drowning. but probably had
previously eaten some of the chocolate
creams. She leaped overheard in what
seemed TO be deep water near Meiggs
wharf. but the tide was very low and she
was pulled out by the two boatmen, Nes-
bit and Hennessey.
The story which Joseph Nesbit, the
boatman, told to the Coroner yesterday
throws some light on the affair. He heard
the woman scream for help after she
Jumped into the bay. He noticed after
he had rescued her with the assist
ance of Hennessy that the bag with
chocolate creams in it was open
on the wharf. The woman said nothing
excepting that she could not see. At the
Receiving Hospital she said that she had
no cause 10 wish 10 live.
Yesterday Mr.. and Mrs. John LutteIl of
Linden street, Oakland, positively iden-
ufied the body. The woman was Miss
Mary Mcdowell. She came from the East
and has been living in PItrville, this State,
4, - L.
Mrs. Luttell met Mary Mcdowell on the
cars on the way to this City, Septe m Der 1,
and lett her at Sixteenth street, Oakland.
She came at once to this City and went to
the New Western Hotei, where she regis
tered, giving her address as Des Moines,
Iowa. She remained at the New Western
Hotel until about 4 80 Tuesday afternoon,
Where she went Tuesday night is a
question. There is also a question con-
cerning the disappearance OF certain ar
tcles which she Is supposed to have car
ried with her when she left the New
Western Hotel. The missing articles are
a lady's gold watch upon which her
monogram was engraved, a diary in
which she had entered an account of her
movements in this City, and a brown
leather satchei. James Mayles, a bell
boy at the New Western Hotel. called at
the Morgue yesterday and added his
identification o. the body to that pre-
viously made by Mr.. and Mrs. Luttell.
Mrs. II. Hall, who is employed in the
teresting facts. She says that when Miss
Mcdowell came to the hotel she gave
signs OF being careless about her vaIuables
the first day that she was there.
She went out, leaving the key in her
door, and was gone some time. Her
watch and a purse containing what
seemed to be considerable sum of money
were found by Mrs. Hail in Miss McDoy-
ellis room on table on that occasion. At
another time Mrs. Hall noticed a diary
lying open in the room in which Miss Nc
Dowell lodged, and in this book Miss Nc
Dowell had made memoranda concerning
her movements in this City. She wrote
OF visiting North Beach and South
Beach," the latter memorandum, giving
evidence that she was a stranger here.
She also wrote about visiting the Cliff
and a brief memorandum also furnished
the knowledge that she "got back from
the Cliff in time To dine at the Palace Ho-
tel" She also visited the Grand Hotel.
according to another memorandum, Mrs
Hall noticed Miss McDowell's watch and
observed the monogram, IN. McD.," on
the case.
During her stay at the New Western
Hotel Miss Mcdowell talked with Mrs
Hall and SAID that she expected to 90
away last Monday, but that she had pack
GESo " oCA0 away al40 tudk, dS she found
the express Office closed, she had to re-
main over until Tuesday. She had four
small packages to send by express, each
OF the size OF small candy-box, and also
had four letters to mail. One of these
was directed TO Des Moines ana one to
George" This is all that Mrs. Hall re-
calls concerning these letters. Mrs. Hail
is positive that one was addressed to
George, the other name not being noticed.
Her attention vas attracted by the fact
that Ler own husband (Mrs. HalPs) was
named George, and the cate when she saw
the letters WAS the anniversary of her hus.
bands death.
While Mss Mcdowell was at the New
Western Hotel she had little Company.
She said to the guests, to Mrs. G. W. Har-
rison, an Eastern lady, among others,
hat she was lonesome Other euests
noticed that she was despondent. obsery
ing her to sit with ner head on her hand
at times and falling to read the open book
on her knees while she seemed tn he Iost
in thought. The clerk of the hotel. seeing
that she had registered from Des Moines
asked her about her knowledge of persons
in Iowa, but she seemed inclined to avoid
the subject. She tried to hide her identity
also st the Receiving Hospital, giving
false name.
The name of George" may lead to
clearing up why Miss Mcdowell came to
this CITY. To Mrs. Lutten she said that
she came here for a good time. and thar
she was soon going to make a trip 10
Shasta. Yesterday letter addressed to
Miss Mcdowell was received by the Coro-
ner from the New Western Hotel. When
this was opened it was found to be signed
George" This letter was written on a
sheet of paper which was headed with the
business address of George W. Leyens.
proprietor of the Sissons and Fall River
stage line. This letter was dated Septem-
ber 5. There we're several more or less
seemingly significant sentences in the
communication. George" wrote that he
supposed that she would start East soon:
that he did mot want you to believe for a
moment that / thought there was
anything in that report" and expressed
belief that he wonid never see her again.
The letter concluded as follows:
Jim Scott came down and took dinner
with me Sunday. He said that Leona
had received letter from you, but he did
not know what was in it. Don't you think
you had better come back to Fall River,
where you have 80 many friends? How
long do you expect to stay in the City? Be
careful you 90 not get discouraged and go
to-that place you spoke of, for if you do