The morning times., 1897-01-23
POISON FOR A CHORUS GIRL
Emily Constantine Took CarboIic
Acid i'm New York.
HER FATHER In THIS CITY
He Is With Otis Skinner's Company
at the New National-His Daugh-
ter Hovering Between Life and
Death-worry Over Domestic
Troubles the Cause.

No doubt the audience present last night
at the New wNationalTheatertho thought asthey
listened to Polonius' advice to his son,
Laertes, before his departure in one of the
scenes from Hamlet, that the quiver of
the lip was but assumed to give the char
acter represented more force.
But this was not the case. Mr.. w. j.
Constantine, as good an actor as he is,
could not forget in his lines the thought
that away off in the distant city of New
York, his daughter was even then hanging
by a mere thread between life and death.
But this was all too true.
Early last Friday morning Emily Con
stantine, chorus girl OF an opera COLI
pany, now playing an engagement at a
New York thcater attempted TO commit
suicide in a theatrical boarding-hOuse, al
No. Is West Twenty-fourth street, by
drinking carbolic acid. She was removed
the New York Hospital. where she is now
IL preCarioUs condition.
The girl. New York paper states, at
tended the performance at the theater as
usual and returned home about midnight.
lady. heard a noise in her room and went
upstairs. She found the young woman in
d state of nervous excitement She said
she was sure there were burglars in the
room. a search was made to satisfy her
that she was mistaken.
Mrs. Stephens quieted the girl as much
as possible and left her. Shortly after that
the girl went to Mary Higgins room and
asked her if she had a stamp. She held
d letter in her hand which she said she
wanted to mail, Her friend did not have
a stamp. and she left the house ostensibly '
70 get one.
The next heard OF her was at O'Clock
this morning, when Miss Higgins was
awakened 10y loud rapping on the door
She asked what was wanted. Emily Con.
srantine's voice answered, May, oh, May,
let me in. Her friend opened the dool
and Admitted her.
What is the trouble?" she asked.
''Oh, May. l have taken carbolic acid
she answered. The young woman mouth
was burned by the acid and she was Sc
weak that she fell on the floor. Miss
Higgins alarmed Mrs. Stephens and a mes.
Senger was sent out for a policeman.
cinCt had the young woman semitic the hos
pital. Her condition is said TO hc critical
butit is believed that her life can be saved
On making a search Of her room. a note
was found unaddreSSed, which read:
God bless you, dear mamma l write
this at a m Mamma, God bless you
and daddy. You know how much / have
gone through. tSignedD. EMMA
on a table beside this note was found a
bottle partly filled with carbolic acid.
The poison had been purchased at near
10y drug store
An effort was made last night to see
Mr.. Constantine, but TO no purpose. He
refused admittance to all reporters
Mr.. Joseph Buckley, manager of Mr..
Skinner, was seen and asked what he knew
of the affair He said:
son, yes; ] know what you want. II
is about the Constantine affair. Mr. Con
stantine VIII not be seen and the less is
said about this affair the better. There
is nothing in il for the Washington public
and l wish you W ould not publish it. What
is the use OF stirring up all of this
again.
A second time Mr.. Buckley was seen and
asked for statement. He said:
You may say for Mr.. Constantine
through Inc, that he can assign no cause
for his daughters act We know nothing
about it, excepting the facts as related in
the New York papers,