The evening tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 189?-190?, 1897-08-02
Alice Barrett's Love Of Fine
Dresses Led to Deception
and Suicide.
The Mystery Which Surrounded
Her Death is Practically
Cleared Up.
Whether the Girl Was An EmbezzIer Cannot
be Told at This TIme-Sbe Knew the Stock
Market and Speculated Considerably.

Boston, Aug. 2.-The mystery which
surrounded the suicide Of Alice Barrett.
the stenographer In Goldman & Codman's
office. week ago. In now practically
cleared up. There are still two points
In doubt. but they do not bear d.
rectly on the girls death. The first is
whether she was an cmbezzler, which
cannot be told at this time.
The second question relates to her
reason for visiting the Hotel Thorndike
Her explanation that she was going TO
stay with Miss Wheelwright seemed suf-
hcent at the time, but In view Of Miss
WheeIwright's denial and the fact that
this denial is supported by evidence COM
ing from other sources, the visit and her
explanation OF IL, which seemed SO simple
and natural, now becomes a complicated
puzzle.
That she did visit the Thorndike there
ts no question. She went there on the
evening of June z, and remained over
night She engaged a suite OF rooms
for which she paid S. and occupied them
that night. On June she returned to
the hotel and took a cheaper suite. For
this accommodation she paid a.
The only visitor she Is known to have
had Is Mr.. Foss. He called on the eve
ming OF June s, and remained until 10
o'clock. He supposed. as did the girps 4
mother. that she was there to meet Miss
Wheelwright. He was not aware that
she had been at the hotel the previous
evening.
The suicide theory, which was COM
batted by her relatives. by her employers,
By her friends, and by many who only
knew of her from the statements of
these friends, has gained strength from
the very first
The verdict was disputed because the
Alice Barrett whom they knew was an
entirely different person from the real
Alice Barrett. Hers was dual char
acter. Even her mother was not aware
Of one side of it. She did not make a
confidant OF any one.
She covered her extravagant expendi-
lures and several mysterious visits to
Boston by series Of clever fabrications.
1t is assumed that the story of the loan
Of $500, which she claimed to have made
to Captain John Goldman, was invented
for the purpose of accounting for the
money which she had lost in stock spec
ulations. That she did speculate there
Is no doubt. To what extent has not
been fully ascertained, but 1t is known
that In one bucket shop she operated
to the extent of about 5000, and when
she stopped trading there was balance
Of $3.50 on the wrong side Of her account.
1t Is now certain that she had fond
ness for the good things Of life, par
ticularly fine raiment. This fact is at
tested by extract from some Of her let
ters. On q salary Of 80 per week 1t was
impossible for her to obtain them. In
spite Of this fact. however, she Is known
TO have spent $500 within the last month
She may have made some OF this money
In the stock market, but II IL hardly prob
able that the loss Of $500 OF her own
money would have made such an i'm
pression az to drive her TO suicide. II
seems likely that she found herself in
financial ouicksand which threatened to
engulf her.
She had reason to believe that the firm
for whom she worked was about 10 be
dissolved or reorganised. She knew this
meant an auditing Of The books. This
POSSIBLY, would have made q damaging
showing. and the general suppesition Is
that she went back to the once on that
Saturday afternoon for the purpose Of
destroying these.books. The fre started
In the toilet room would have destroyed
the contents Of the safe, whose doors
were purposely left open.
Then the letter carrier came up stairs
for the purpose Of borrowing an um-
brelta, tried the door. and stood for
q moment on the landing. looking for
the janitor from whom he had hoped
TO obtain such an article. The fire was
going. II could not be extingulshed.
A moment or two would have brought
sure detection. Then there might not
be merely embezzlement, but incendlar-
ism. charged against her.
She may have been contemplating SUI
eide as a last resort. This would ex-
plain the purchase OF the revolver. But
Il was probably not contemplated for
Saturday afternoon. Had the fire been
successful In destroying the books, and
sne had been able To leave the building
without detection. the probabilities are
the revolver would never have been used.
But with detection staring her I'm the
face. the probabilities are that she fired
tta ahot rather than face the posalbIo