The evening tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 189?-190?, 1897-07-27
MYSTERY is
DEEPENING.
The Cash Book Kept by
Miss Alice Barrett
Was Burned.
Another Astonishing Revelation
In the Investigation OF
Her Death.
SHE PREMEDITATED SUICIDE.
Her Employers Say Her Accounts Are All Right
The Latest Developments In the
Strange Case.
SHE PREMEDITATED SUICIDE.

Boston, July 27-The most astounding
revelation Of yesterday, during the pro-
grsss of the investigation into the death
OF Alice M. Barrett. who committed sui
eide In the office OF Goldman & Goldman,
40 kilby street, last Saturday, was the
discovery Of the loss Of the cash book OF
the concern, and the finding Of some OF
its half burned leaves In the pile Of rub
bish which had been shovelled into .
rear areaway by the members OF the
protective department when cleaning up
the debris from the fire.
The full significance Of this find can
not at present be determined. II 10 as
sumed by some that Is shows that Miss
Barrett WAS a defaulter-that she had
been using the money Of the firm and had
burned the cash book in order TO destroy
all evidence Of guilt.
This is a harsh assumption, however.
and is modified and almost contradicted
by some of the other elements In the
case. There Is no doubt that $500 Of her
own money was lost in a wildcat spec
uation by man TO whom II had been
loaned. The supposition accompany
ing the discovery OF the burned cash book
was that additional funds had been ad-
vanced to this person, and that these
funds might have been borrowed from
the cash box o Goodman & Goldman.
The police are evidently impressed with
this idea, but there Is fiat contradiction
in The fact that Miss Barrett had over
$500 left in her own savings bank account.
A girl OF her character and ideas of
honesty would be apt to make use OF her
own money before taking that Of her
employer, even IL she were caught in
the fever of speculation. More than
that, IL seems probable that II she had
borrowed from the cash box IN the Office
sfle would have made good the amount
instead OF running the risk of detection.
That she did not do so is shown by the
presence of about $500 in the savings
bank in her name, and by the fact that
as late as last Saturday morning, few
hours before her death, she deposited
$40 on that account.
The discovery Of these charred leaves
of the cash book was not the only excit-
ing incident of the day. 1t was ascer-
tanned that the revolver from which the
fatal bullet was fired, and which was
found by the body Of the dead girl on the
uOOI VI the OHlcC, Hdu DceIi puTCHdScu
by herself at the store of the John p.
Lowell Arms company. corner Of Wash
ington and Cornhill.
1t was also ascertained that Miss Bar
rctt had been making preparations dur
ing the last week for some extraordinary
event. One peculiar fact was that she
made g will, and the other is that dur
Ing the week she had been gathering her
effects together.
To the unbiased outsider these facts,
together with those which have already
been detailed, confirm the theory Of sui
ode. but still the members Of the family
adhere 10 the opinion that the girl was
either murdered or else accidently shot
herseif while placing the revolver in
the safe.
The idea advanced that lightning had
nothing whatever to do with the IRE
received additional confirmation yester-
day. Assistant Chief Regan Of the fire
department., Commissioner Of Wires
Flood and his electricians, and the ex
perts Of the insurance companies unite
In the declaration that there Ia no evi-
dence that lightning touched the build
ing.