El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1899-04-24
FOUND DEAD
In HER BED
A Woman Swallowed ChIoro-
form Saturday Night
WITH SUICIDAL INTENT
She Was Out Of Work And Stranger
In the City And 1t Is Thought That
Her Mind Was Considerably I'm
hol

Another suicide took place in this
city Saturday night.
Ell Paso has long been the favorite
spot for those who decide to remove
their own hands. They often come
here from other cities and end their
lives.
Saturday nights unfortunate was a
woman. Her name was Marie Peter
sen and she was about 35 years of age.
She was a comparative stranger in the
city and was without friends or funds.
Through the kindness of T. G. Ly-
ons, proprietor of the Lindell, the wo-
man was permitted to occupy q room
ct his hotel until she could find work.
She registered there April Is and re-
manned as a guest until yesterday af-
ternoon at l 80 o'clock when ar life
less body was removed to the uorgue
by the county undertaken.
The woman retired as usual S atur-
day night. She had been out ali day
huntipg position as cook or house
keeper and WAS tired out. She had
mind had become unbalanced and
fancied that she was being persued by
relentless enemies who were anxious
to murder or imprison her. Some days
ago she sent'for the chief Of police and
told him that she needed her protec-
tiOn and the other night when Sheriff
Ben Williams of Silver City was stop
ping -: the same hotel she awakened
him in thd middle of the night demand
ing protection.
The woman's queer actions were
knOu to the proprietor and when it
was discovered that she bad taken her
own life yesterday morning he was not
surprised.
The body was not discovered until
nearly noon. The housekeeper in
making her rounds to see that the
rooms were properly cleaned up, found
the doors and windows of Marie Peter
sens room locked from within. She
notified Tim Lyons and an investiga-
ton followed. He looked into the
room through the transom and saw the
lifeless body OF the woman uron the
bed. She had partly disrobed. Her
clothing was lying upon the floor in a
heap and q bottle partly filed with
some colorleSs liquid sat upon q chair
close to the bed.
Justice Spencer was summoned to
hold an inquest and the county under
taker notified. When the magistrate
arrived the door was opened and an in
vestigation followed.
IN THE ROOM.
A HERALD reporter accompanied
Vto the room. No other persons were
a United. The air within was heavy
wi til the fumes of chloroform and the
be tie was found to contain that sub
st.. nee. A quill was lying beside the
DO, tie and it was apparent that Marie
Petersen had used that to swallow the
liquid.
The woman was dead beyond doubt.
Her bare arms were badly discolored
and drop of CONCEALED blood was Wis
ible where 1t had oozed from her nose.
The coroner examined the woman's
effects but found nothing of any impor-
lance among them that might throw
light upon her past career.
He discovered a large number of
recipes for cooking and other memo
randums important to housekeepers.
On one slip of paper was inscribed
Marie Petersen, Congress, Arizona"
Mary Petersen was originally from
She came here from
Phoe nix and worked for time for DR..
Turner. She left his employ short
time ago and since then has been with
out work. The coroner was of the
opinion that she had committed sui
eide while temporarily insane and that
her insanity WIS caused from brooding
over the loss of $500, the savings of a
life time, which. were swept away by
the failure Of a bank in Pennsylvania.