The San Francisco call., 1898-12-23
THREAT OF SUICIDE
 WAS ONLY A RUSE
RELATIVES OF MRS. HOLDEN
 BELIEVE SHE STILL LIVES.
Disappeared From Alameda Last August, but It Is Now Thought She Fled to Escape
 Creditors.

ALAMEDA. Dec. 22.-The relatives in this city of Mrs. Nellie M. Holden, widow of the late ex-Lieutenant Governor of this State, who disappeared from here last August. claim to have infor- nation that the woman is still alive. They refuse to divulge her present where abouts and decline to make any statement further than that the woman Is safe and sound.
 From other sources 1t is learned that Mrs Holdens letter threatening to commit suicide was a ruse, and that instead of plunging into the foaming surf off the Cliff House as she intimated, she made her way to Mendocno County, where she has prop erty and friends and where she is pre- sumed to be living at the present time.
 Mrs. Holden was a bookkeeper in the real estate office of Thomas A. Smith, the morning of August Il, ostensibly to go to Ukiah to arrange some property inter ests On August IS Attorney R. B. Tap pan received letter from her dated at the Cliff House the afternoon of the day she left Alameda. It reads as follows: .
 Long before you get this letter l shall be dead. 1 have borrowed money and people who owed me money have not paid me. My brain is reeling. The ocean is the best place for me and will drown my sorrow"
 
 cisco, August 12,' and had been forward ed to Santa Rosa, where Tappan had been visiting The relatives of the woman at once set on foot an investigation ana traced her movements to the Cliff House, but there all trace of her was lost. The search continued for a week or more, when it was dropped.
 The suddenness with which the searcn for the missing woman ended created comments and rumors hoated about that the woman's relatives had heard rom
 TTz1-- . ,a+ ndT public benefit, but to intimate friends they freely expressed the belief that the woman had not committed suicide: They went further and insisted that sne was ali right. The grounds of their belief were kept a carefully guarded secret.
 After Mrs Holden's disappearance 1t was learned that she had become nope d was being bounded by her creditors. II is now generally admitted that she ols, appeared to get beyond their reach, ana is now dwelling in peace In some secludeo locality of Mendocino County:
 Judge M. P. Wiggin, relative oy mar riage of Mrs. Holden. said to a Call re-
 "Oh, the woman is all right: I was al ways under the impression that she did not commit suicide, and all the subse- quent developments in the case nave ano- ed strength to my ideas in the matter
 Alameda's Poundmaster Dead.
 ALAMEDA. Dec 22-Victorine Joseph, Alameda's poundmaster. died to-day, after a brief illness. Joseph first became prominent in this city as the valet of the late Judge Charles Uznay; Deceased was a veteran of the war and a member of Joe Hooker Post, G. A. R., under whose auspices the funeral will be con- ducted.
 Alameda News Notes.
 ALAMEDA, Dec. 22.-Columbia Lodge, I. O. O. F., of this city, paid a fraternal visit last night to Harbor Lodge of West Oakland.
 The musical organizations of the Uni versity of California will give a concert Thursday night in the Unitarian church.
 The graduating class of the Alameda High School serenaded their teachers held this evening at Harmonic Hall. To- morrow evening a mock graduating ex-