The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-09-03
Powell and Ellis streets, yesterday morn

Powell and Ellis streets, yesterday morn
ing.
She went to the hotel between and 6
O'Clock Tuesday afternoon and asked for a
room. Tie landlord, Thomas Withers,
asked her to register her name, but she
declined, as she had her gloves on. With
ers told her all guests had to register, and
again asked her name.
Put down Marks" she said after some
hesitation.
MRS. or Miss?" asked Withers.
Mrs. H. Marks she replied.
She looked at room % on the first floor,
but did not like 1t, preferring room 80 on
the top floor, which she paid for.
The woman carried in her hand a small
vallse. He- clothing was neat but of cheap
material, and she wore an ecru cape, a
black wooden dress, straw colored waist
and rough straw hat. Withers thought
she looked like a woman from the country
About O'Clock she came downstairs
and asked Mrs. Hooper, the housekeeper,
for some matches and she got supply.
Half an hour later she went down in the
elevator to the street. 1t is not known
when she returned, as she must have
walked upstairs instead of taking the ele-
vator.
About o'clock yesterday morning the
night Waterman rang the housekt eper's
bell and told her that something must be
wrong in room 30, as he heard woman
moaning a. If in pain. He got the house.
keepers passkey and opened the door. A
peculiar cracking noise scared him for
moment and volume of gas that poured
out of the open door almost suffocated
him. He rushed for the window and
threw it wide open. Then he CROPPED for
the gas-burners and found both turned on
fnll cock He nniallxy frr 0ff
and staggered out of the room and noti-
fed the proprietor.
They went to the woman's room and
found her stretched on the bed. She was
frothing at the mouth and her lips were
blue. She was moaning and was seized
with occasional spasms.
An examination of the room showed
that she had made careful preparations
for death. The cracks in the door had
been covered with strips of wrapping
paper which she had pasted on with mu-
cilage. She had stuffed her skirt into the
space at the bottom of the door, and had
covered the keyhole with her cloak ALI
this was done to prevent the gas from es-
Gaping.
After making these preparations she
put on clean undertaking and a neat
night robe. Then she apparently drank
some carbolic acid from a bottle which
was found in one of the bureau drawers
and turned on the gas from both burners.
The carbolic acid must have caused her
intense pain before she lost consciousness,
as towel in the room was covered with
blood which she had expectorated
Withers summoned the patrol wagon
and the woman was taken TO the Receiving
Hospital, where DR.. Fitzgibbons used all
the usual remedies to restore her to con-
seriousness, but without avail In view of
the fact that she also took carbolic acid
her chances of recovery are doubtful.
In her purse was found 81 so, but no pa
pers to give clew to her identity were
found either in her purse, valise or peck
cts. The mucilage bottle was in the room,
but pair of scissors could not be found,
and the supposition is that she had clipped
the wrapping paper into strips before go
ing 10 the hotel anu had placed the strips
in her valise.
Four or five cigarettes, partly consumed,
were found on the floor, and some tobacco
in her valise.
The woman came from Arizona about
three years ago and had been working as
dressmaker and milliner.
For the past year she had been rooming
In the house of Professor Albert lie Forst,
80 Lewis street. She left there Tuesday
afternoon about O'CLOCK, and as she did