Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-11-11
TAKES HER OWN LIFE
Mrs. Annie Patterson Commits
Suicide This Morning.
HER MIND PROBABLY UNBALANCED
Feared She Would Be Sent to
Asylum for Insane.
INQUEST NOT NECESSARY

Mrs. Annie Patterson, fifty-one years old,
wife of John Patterson, who is an invalid,
committed suicide about 745 o'clock this
morning at her home, No. 623 C street
northeast, by shooting herself in the right
temple. Tie fear that she would be sent to
the insane asylum. it is said, prompted the
deed. There was nobody in the house at
the time the shooting occurred except Mrs.
Patterson and her husband, she in the par
lor and he in bed in room in the rear Of
the parlor. 1t is not stated whether or not
he heard the report of the pistol, but if he
did he evidently gave it no attention, for the
servant girl, who entered the house few
minutes after the fatal shot was fired,
heard nothing of it from the sick man.
Gertrude TAFT colored, fourteen years old,
the servant girl in the family, found Mrs.
Pattersons dead body on the parlor floor.
The girl lives at No. 304 Canal avenue
southwest. and has worked in the Patterson
family since the time they moved to the c
street house, about six months ago 1t had
been her custom to call at the house each
morning about 30 o'clock and do the shop
ping for breakfast before starting in to do
the house cleaning. This morning Gertrude
reached the house a few minutes after $50
O'clock, and carried in jar of milk and the
morning newspaper and deposited them on
the table in the dining room.
Goes on an Errand.
Mrs. Patterson met her al the door of the
basement, and when she had disposed of
the milk and paper she was told that she
might go for the bread. The child went to
a store at the corner and made the pur-
chase. She was detained there only a few
seconds, and was absent from the house
not much more than five minutes. Walter
Patterson, the only one of the children of
the couple living at home, had left the
house earlier in the morning and gone to
his place of employment in the store of
merchant on Pennsylvania avenue.
When the colored girl returned with the
bread she went to the dining room and re-
manned a short while, expecting Mrs Pat
terson to come and give her directions
about her days work. The woman had
been in the habit of doing her own cook
ing, and Gertrude assisted in the cleaning.
The house was unusually quiet when the
child entered. and Mrs. Patterson failing to
come to the dining room to give her usual
directions, Gertrude went to the foot of the
steps and called: Miss Annie. what do you
want me to do this morning."
Body Discovered
Receiving no response the girl ventured
up the steps to the parlor and there she
saw the body of Mrs. Patterson lying on
the floor, with her head in a pool of blood.
She had fallen on her side. and the girl saw
at glance that the woman, who, only
five or ten minutes ago had sent her for
bread, was dead. The bullet hole in her
right temple was observed by the girl, but
she did not see the revolver. for il was in
the dead womans hand, partly concealed
beneath her clothing.
Instead of becoming frightened and
alarming the neighborhood by screaming,
as might have been expected. Gertrude
walked calmly downstairs to the dining
room and resumed her seat at the table.
After thinking the matter over she went
to the next house and notified the people
there of what had happened. They hLr-
Tied to the house. and when the sight had
confirmed the story told by the child, they
sent for a physician.
DIR. \. j. Barnes of No. 13S 9th street
northeast, was first to respond. II was just
o'clock when he reached the house. The
body was still warm, and he thought the
woman had been dead about fifteen min
utes. He then notified the police, and
Lieut.. Daley and Mounted Officer Will
Jams responded to the call. There they
found the condition of affairs as already
described.
In addition. they went into the back room
whore they found Mr.. Patterson in bed.
Word of the tragedy was Immediately
sent to his son.
Note to Her Son.
Pinned on the wall in the parlor was
found a note that Mrs. Patterson had ad-
dressed 10 her son as follows:
"Walle:
81 cannot live knowing I am sane and
be put in an asylum. l hope God will guide
my hand Alright and take me home to rest.
MAMMA"
Lieut.. Daley took charge of the note and
carried it to the police station. He after
ward turned it over to the son to whom 1t
was addressed.
Sergeant Wright and Policeman Wilson
We're left in charge of the house until the
arrival of Coroner Carr The latter heard
the statement of the cOlOred girl and gave
certificate of death without holding an
inquest.
The note left by the unfortunate woman
indicates that some action looking toward
her confinement in the asylum was in con-
temptation, or had been already taken, but
such was not the case. There had never
been any intimation that her mind was af
fected, although she recently showed evil
denCes of the strain which she had long
endured on account of her husband 8 condi-
ton. He is almost totally paralyZed, and,
besides this his mind is affected. 1t is only
once in long time that he appears con-
sciOus of his surroundings and understands
what is said to him.
Complained of Being Tired.
Several times during the past three
weeks Mrs Patterson complained of being
tired. Yesterday she remarked to the col
ored girl:
I'm so tired that 1 don't know what to
do"
Her husbands continued illness had af-
fected her mind, il is thought. and caused
her to end her life. She probably feared
she would be similarly afflicted, and the
thoughts of going to an asylum were more
than she could stand, When neghbors
entered the house and saw what had taken
place they went to the husbands room
to tell him of what had occurred, but were
unable To make him understand.
Mrs. Patterson, who was sixteen years
younger than her husband, was a woman
of quiet disposition. During the FIVE
months Of her residence on c street her
neighbors seldom saw her out of the house
With the exception of the time she spent
in house work she was in the sick room
nursing her husband.
Arrangements for the funeral had not
been made this afternoon.
$1.2J To Baltimore and Return $I.25
via Pennsylvania Railroad.
Tickets on sale Saturday and Sunday,
Nov. IL and l., good to return until Mon
day, Nov. Is. Ali trains except the Con-
gIessional Limit ed.-AdVt.