The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1897-08-06
LED A DUAL LIFE.
Alice Barrett's Mother Did Not
Know Her.

SPOSuiabed IN SUOCkS-IOlu very many
Falsehoods and Finally Killed Herself
Boston, Aug. 2.-Of all the mystery
which enshrouded the death of Alice M
Barrett in the office of Goldman & Cod
man, 40 Kilby street, week ago Satur-
day, only the fleeciest vestige remains,
and that will probably be dispelled with
in a few days.
only two points remain to be cleared
UP. The irst is the question as to
whether the books show a defalcation.
They are now undergoing a thorough
auditing, and, so far as the examina-
ton has gone, they do not make such a
showing. This is the declaration of
MIR. Goldman.
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
Wheelwrights denial, and the fact that
this denial is supported by evidence COM
ing from other sources, the visit and her
explanation of it, which seemed so simple
and natural, now becomes a complicated
puzzle
That she did visit the Thorndil1e there
is no question. She went there on the
evening of June 7, and remained over
night She engaged a suite of rooms,
for which she paid 49, and occupied them
that night. On June she returned to
the hotel and took a cheaper suite. For
this accommodation she paid $4.
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 girls
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
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 it is known
that in one bucket shop" she operated
to the extent of about $500, 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 railnent. This fact is at
tested by extract from some of her let |
tiers. On a salary of So per week it 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 it is hardly prob
able that the loss of $500 of her own
money would have made such an i'm
preston as to drive her to suicide. 1t
seems likely that she found herself in
financial quicksand which threatened to
enguIf her.
She had reason to believe that the firm
for whom she worked was about to be
dissolved or reorganized. She knew this
meant an auditing of the books. This
POSSIBLY, would have made a damaging
showing, and the general supposition is
that she went back to the office on that |
Saturday afternoon for the purpose of
destroying these books. The fire started
in the toilet room would have destroyed |
the contents of the SAFE whose doors T
were purposely left open.
Then the letter carrier came up stairs
for the purpose of borrowing an UNI
brella, tried the door, and stood for
a moment on the landing, looking for I
the janitor, from whom he had hoped !
to obtain such an article. The fire was
going. 1t could not be extinguished. |
A moment or two would have brought |
sure detection. Then there might not
be merely embezzlement. but incendiar-
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
it was probably not contemplated for
afternoon. Had the fire been
in destroying the books, and
she had been able to leave the building
without detection, the probabilities are
the revolver would never have been used.
But with detection staring her in the
face, the probabilities are that she fired
the shot rather than face the possible
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