The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1897-12-03
A PLAIN CASE
OF suicide
officials Opinions of the
Recent Death of Mrs
HaWley.
Surprise Over Efforts Being
Made to Prove It a
Murder.
Sheriff Mckenzie Denies He Made
Statements Attributed to
Him.
OAKLAND OFFICE SAN FRANCIsco CALL
90S Broad way, Dec ..

J
The Police De apartment, the Coroner 5
office and the District Attorney were con
siderably amused to read to-day in some
San Francisco newspapers that the Napa
authorities and The relatives of the late
Mrs. Hawley were convinced that she did
not commit suicide in Oakland TWO
months ago, but had met with foul
play"
1t was also stated that the matter was
10 be placed before the Alameda Grano
Jury, when, as matter of fact. the
question has long since been fully consid-
cred by District Attorney Shook, who has
decided hat there is absolutely nothing
20 place before the Grand Jury.
The whole thing is ridiculous" said
DR.. Baldwin, the Coroner, to-day. There
was not the sllghte est suspicious circum-
stance about Mrs. Haw ey's death. | took
more care than usual in the selection OF
jurors and the summoning OF witnesses,
because /. was peculiar case. l inter
viewed all the witnesses personally and
they all tod exactly the same story on The
stand. l did not leave any of The work to
my deputies but attended To 1T al. myself.
The testimony of DR.. w. II. Blood, the
family physician, was very convincing
He testified that Mrs Haw!ey was at a
very critical period in her lie and that she
had often spoken of suicide. He had told
Hawley /" keep good watch as she was
likely to kill herself and him too. Dr.
Blood said he was not much surprised
when he heard that she had taken her life
This is all newspaper talk"
Chef OF Police Lloyd said there is not q
particle OF evidence TO subsjantiate any
1oul play phantasy. ~ made thorough
Investigation at the time OF Mrs. Hawley's
death" said The Chief, land il was clearly
a cas- of suicide. At the request OF the
relatives and Sher IF Mckenzie of Napa
sent them al! tue evidence ard made an
other inquiry to satisfy them. L ere Is
not the slightest ground for suspecting
that 1t was MOI case OF suicide"
Captain of Police Fletcher says the at
tempt to create prejudice against Hawley
is the Il msest scheme he ever heard OF.
That woman was found with the pistol
in her death grin" said he, land / would
like TO see The man that would make a
dead hand clasp pistol.
The inference, of course, is that Haw-
lev was anxious TO get her property. That
is absurd. While he lived with her he
enjoyed the income. He had deeds to it
and also her Will, and so if she died he
would get it anyhow.
They say Hawley was indifferent. 1t
Is lie. de was broken up com pletely
over the affair. He lost fe> b, and he told
me that when her relatives came down
from Napa they were IN such hurry to
get hold of her property that they put on
some of her apparel before they left Oak
land. He was willing to share the prop
erty with them at first, but when hs dis
covered what they were doing he decided
not to let them get a cent"
District Attorney Shook said to-day that
there is no hing whatever to lead to the
superstition that there was anything Grim
inal abou Mrs. Hawley's death.
There is no reason for supposing she
did not commit suicide" said he. "AlI
the facts were Investigated bv me, and
decided hat there was no hing 10 put be-
fore the Grand Jury, and so the matter
ended"
Hawley was in San Francisco tod Y,