The Topeka state journal., 1897-07-30
IN MYSTERY.
Secret of the Death of Miss
Alice Barrett
During a Fire in Her Employ
ers' Office in Boston
is STILL UNSOLVED.
Police Stick to the Theory OF
Suicide.
Her Employers Believe the Dead
Girl Was Murdered.
is STILL UNSOLVED.

Boston, July 3O-Fire Marshal Whit
comb yesterday continued the hearing as
to the cause of the fire last Saturday in
the office of Goldman &, Goldman, in which
Alice NJ. Barrett was found dead with a
bullet in her heart. The most sensational
feature of the day was the testimony of
P. J. Collins, proprietor of the London
Shrub Collins stated that he was with
Miss Barrett on parts of Thursday and
Friday night preceding the Saturday on
which she died; that he took her around
to several hotels for suppers, and that
they drank a bottle of wine. Thursday Y
night, he declared, Miss Barrett asked
him for loan of 81 200 to meet a pressing
need. He could not furnish this amount,
but gave her $40. He said the girl was
very despondent. He would not tell where
he had the suppers with the girl.
After the hearing Collins alluded to
certain Improbable speculations in sugar
and talked about a shortage in the ac-
counts of Goldman & Goldman, but the
members of the firm deny that there is
any truth in this statement.
In every point Mr.. Collins testimony
was met by counter testimony on the
part of relatives of Miss Barrett. The
young Woman's mother stated under oath
that Alice was at home on both the
Thursday and Friday nights to which Col
daughter never asked Collins for s., 200.
Mr.. Foss swore that the much talked
of $500 mentioned in the will of the dead
girl was not paid to him.
Medical Examiner Stedman has no be-
lief in any stories which reflect on the
character of the dead girl.
The Traveller publishes an affidavit by
Mr.. Collins in which he says: "I firmly
believe that Miss Barrett committed sui
eide because she was between $1,000 and
$1,000 behind in her accounts with Cod
man & Goldman. 1 based my belief
the fact that the day she bought the re-
volver (Friday) she asked me to loan her
s., 200, saying that she needed the money
that day. did not have that amount of
money with me and as the banks were
closed I could not raise it. She told
that Mr.. Foss was the person to whom
she loaned the $500 about which so much
has been said and the loss of which has
been thought to have an important bear
ing on the case. He invested the money
in his business she told me-"
FOss is the man to whom Miss Barrett
was engaged. The engagement was
broken about three weeks ago.
William c. Goldman, the employer of
Miss Barrett, pledged his word for the
correctness of the following statement:
First, no money above $500 is missing.
1ne caSn DOOK, cneck DOCK ana letter
book are the only books burned. Mr..
Goldman admits that 5000 in bills is gone
from the safe, but believes it was paid
out in the ordinary course of business on
Friday. Not over $500 could be missing
without Mr.. Codman's knowledge of it.
Second, the statement that the girl
speculated in sugar or any other stocks
to the extent of 81, 600. 50 900. or $4,000 loss
is absolute untruth, emanating from
wholly irresponsible person.
Third, no Miss Wheelwright or any
other female relative of Mr.. Goldman ever
gave Miss Barrett cent of money or
clothes had any dealings whatsoever
with her. Goldman says that he had
heard that the girl told her 1ntimates
that a Miss Wheelwright gave her dress
es, but declares that the name is fictitious
and pure folderol of Miss Barrett if it
was mentioned by her at all.
Fourth, Miss Barrett did not go to the
Hotel Thorndyke or any other hotel with
a lady about to depart on a journey.
Fifth, she was murdered. Mr.. Goldman
says that Mr.. Stedman has told him that
the wound was not such as would be in
f1icted in the average case of suicide and
admits of no shadow of a doubt. Mr..
Goldman challenges the police in their
derer was a would-be thief who escaped
by clambering in the light shaft with the
aid of projections there. He thinks Miss
Barrett bought the revolver for protec-
ton on account of the robbery a year ago.