The San Francisco call., 1897-10-06
, Tragic Death of Young
Mrs. Nelson at San
Rafael.
No Inquest Held, Though 1t
Seems a Plain Case OF
Suicide.
Said to Have Been Discharged From
an Asylum as Cured, With Poison
in Her Possession.

SAN RAFAEL CAL, Oct. 5.-Mystery
surrounded the death of Mrs. Marie a.
Nelson. who succum bed to q dose of
cocaine administered by herselfla Satur-
dav night in one of the rooms in the
Tamalpais Hotel, on the main street of
San Rafael. Mrs. Nelson's death was
tragic. She refused to allow the hotel
people 10 send for physician. The death
certificate, signed by DR.. w. ]. Wickman
and on file in the office of Coroner Ed
ward Eden, recites the cause of death as an
overdose of cocaine and congestion of the
lungs. Nowhere is it stated that the over
dose was taken with suicidal intent, yet
that that was the intention is shown by
the woman's refusal to have the services
of q ply sician even after she had swal-
lowed the deadly draught and it had COM
menced to eat away her life.
Mrs. Marie Nelson was a married
woman a trihe over 81 years of age, and
Lad relatives living in San Rafael Her
father, August J. Starke, lives here and
he is employed at the powder works on
Pinole Point, whittier he goes every day,
returning to San Rafael at night. Mrs
Nielsen leaves two children. Leonore and
Eric Nielsen. She was born in Germany.
The facts concerning the death of Mrs
Nelson have been kept quiet and only
leaked out to-day. She came to the
Tamalpais Hotel last Thursday. On
Saturday night she drank the cocaine and
on Sunday morning she died. The funeral
took place from Edward Eden's undertak-
ing parlors this afternoon and the body
was inferred in the Tamalpais Cemetery.
Coroner Eden held no inquest, as Eric A
har Of }, dan Id
a document with the Coroner setting
forth that he had investigated d the case
and believed his sister had come to her
death accidentally. He deemed an inYes-
tigation or an inquest unnecessary. As
this is customary sometimes on the part
OF relatives of the deceased, Coroner Eden
granted the burial permit without an
inquest.
Mrs. Nelson has been for some time an
inmate of the Ukiah Asylum, where she
had been incarcerated for insanity. Only a
short time ago she was discharged from
the institution as cured. When she left
the asylum. 1t is claimed she was given a
bottle of cocaine, which for her ailment
she was IN the habit of taking in small
doses.
When Mrs. Nelson came to San Rafael
last Thursday she engaged a room at the
Tsmalpais Hotel on Fourth street. On
Saturday night al O. clock she gave the
call bell vigorous ring, and NJ. b. Ra-
mos, the proprietor, answered the sum-
mons. She asked for q pitcher of ice-
water, saying to Ramos that she was not
feeling wen. Ramos returned with the
water, and suggested that it might be well
to engage the services of a physician, but
to this the woman strongly objected, say
ing that she was only experiencing a
slight fainting spell and would soon be
over it.
In a short time the bell rang again.
Ramos made another trip to the room
Mrs. Nelson this time asked for q glass of
wine and Ramos went downstairs to the
bar and got it. When he reached the
room he found the woman lying on the
floor. A physician was then summoned,
but he came too late.