The herald., 1896-10-29
SHE TOOK CA|RBOL|C ACID
Tragic Suicide of a Lovesick
Schoolgirl
INFATUATED WITH AN ACTOR
Expires While Being Taken to the Re.
ceivlng Hospital
Pretty Nettie Pritchard, Only Sixteen
Years of Age, in a Moment of Des-
pondency Takes Her Own Life

|
On a slab at the morgue lie the re-
mains of pretty Nettie Pritchard, 16-
| year-od school girl who yesterday after
noon in fit of dependency ended her
| life by taking half the contents Of a
! three-ounce bottle of carbolc acid. A
love affair was probably the melting
| cause, as she was infatuated with Err
nest Martin, a young actor now with
| the Black Crook company playing at the
Burbank theater. Why she took her
life is not definitely known and can only
be explained in the suppostion that she
became desperate and moody because
her parents did not look with favor on
the young man, and she could see no
prospect of their ever holding any closer
relation, despite the fact that their love
was mutual.
Nettie resided with her mother and
stepfather. MIR. and Mrs. Eugene w.
Wilson, at No. 621 South Spring street,
and attended the public school close by.
She was a handsome girl, with a fine
form, regular features and masses of
dark WaVy hair parting above a broad
and Intellectual forehead. Her char
acter was above reproach and she is
said by her mother to have always been
dutiful and obedient daughter.
Some months ago she met in this city
young Martin, a youth of Is or 19, who
had adopted the stage as his profession.
He had formerly sung in Seattle and was
on the lookout for an engagement. Be-
tween the two strong attachment
sprung up and they were much in each
others company. Mrs. Wilson did not
fancy the idea of her daughter becom-
s,r,r frnt
times insisted that Nettie should dis
continue seeing the young man. The
mother says that she had no personal
reason for disliking young Martin, but
had high ideals for her daughter, and
hence discouraged his suit Finally he
left the city and went north, joining the
Black Crook company.
This, the mother thought, ended the
affair, but it did not. Nettie was III
years of age on Tuesday evening, went
to the theater with young drug clerk
and saw Martin on the stage. Whether
the sight of him and the knowledge that
he would within a few days leave the
city, probably for long time. if not for
ever, so worked upon her feelings that
she resolved on self destruction, is not
positively known, but such is supposed
to have been the case.
Yesterday morning she started or at
the usual hour for school, but did not
go there At 10 o'clock she appeared
at the residence of her bosom friend.
Lulu Bates, at 1927 Birch street, and
spent the morning there. She wrote sew
eral letters and little before noon went
back up town. She went home to dinner
and said nothing to her mother about
not having been at school. The meal
was eaten in her accustomed good spir-
it's and she once more departed toward
the school house. Her stepfather met
her few minutes afterward IN front
of the postoffice, where she had evidently
been mailing letter.
Then Nettie went back to her friends
house. She told Miss Bates that she
had written and mailed letters to her
mother and to Ernest bidding them
good bye and said she was going to COM
NIT suicide. Believing that she was
testing her friend said few soothing
words and thought no more OF the mat
ter A little after o'clock Miss Bates
happened to go out into the back yard,
leaving Nettie alone for few moments.
While she was there suddenly her
friend ran out of the back door and with
an exclamation cried out that she had
taken poison, at the same time casting
the bottle partly filled with carbollc
acid to the ground.
The terrible drug took effect almost
Immediately and she was assisted into
the house and a physician sent for. Dr.
Kruell who lives near by at the corner
u
responded and found the girl writhing
on the floor in terrible convulsions Her
face and mouth were terribly burned
by the fiery acid. Seeing that little
could be done and that Nettie was
doomed, message was sent to police
headquarters for the city physician to
come at once. The patrol wagon was
sent to the scene and the now uncon-
scious form placed on the stretcher and
started for the receiving hospital. Be
fore it was reached Nettie was dead.
The body on arrival at the station was
taken into the hospital and the coroner
notified of the death. He had the re-
mains removed to the undertaking
rooms of Kregelo u Bresse, where an
inquest was held at 8 o'clock in the even
ing. Mr.. and Mrs. Wilson, the parents,
Lulu Bates, Ernest Martin and officer
Shields, who went with the patrol wag-
on, for the suffering child, were sworn
as witnesses and gave their testimony
Two letters were produced which had
been found under the corset of the de-
ceased, pressed against her heart. They
were both from young Martin and had
| been written to her from Stockton sew
| eral weeks ago where he was then play
| ing. They breathed fond terms of en-
| dearment and had evidently been among
| the most priced of Nettie's possessions.
| To her mother she had never told of re-
| ceiving the letters and nursed her love
| in secret. Beyond the letters which she
| said she mailed to her mother and Mar
| tin the dead girl left no word or reason
| for her terrible deed. When, today, the
| missives are delivered the cause will
probably be known. Enough evidence
| had, however, been presented and a
verdict of suicide was rendered by the
| coroner's jury.