The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-05-23
LOOKS SUSPICIOUS.
An Investigation Of
Mrs. Whitney's
Death.
DR.. STUART TALKS ABOUT IT.
He Says That Her Demise
Resulted From Natural
Causes.
DR.. STUART TALKS ABOUT IT.


It is expected that the death of Mrs
Louise Whitney of Westboro, at the
Highland House in Shrewsbury, Friday
evening, will be investigated. Medical
Examiner f. H. Baker has been called
on to look into it.
Mrs. Whitney has been living in
Worcester about five weeks, rooming
at the home of Mrs Helen e. Bennett
604 Main street, and during that time
has been suffering from some ailment
Saturday morning. May IS, she went to
the office of DR.. Charles ]. Stuart, $40
Main street, and was treated by him.
After she left the office she started to
board car for Westboro at the city
hall and slipped and fell.
Later in the day she entered the
Highland house in Shrewsbury quite
Ill, with DR.. Stuart, and here they reg
istered as DR.. Johnson and wife. Fri
day night Mrs. Whitney died, and the
death certificate stated that she died
from peritonitis.
DR.. Stuart was with her until Friday
morning. Sunday she was buried in
Grafton cemetery in the presence of a
large number of her friends. DR.. Stuart
made arrangements with Emory L.
Wood, undertaken at Westboro, and
Mr.. Wood was given to understand by
DR.. Stuart that he would pay all the
bills contracted for the funeral.
District Attorney Hoar, when seen
by Spy man last night, refused to dis
cuss the matter, and would not say
whether or not an autopsy would be
held.
DR.. Stuart, at his home on Austin
street, told the following story of the
affair, which he said was plain state
ment of facts, and that if any one
questioned that there was a criminal
act connected with the death Of Mrs.
Whitney, he was willing to have them
eXhume the body, and he would be
present at the investigation.
Mrs. Whitney has been suffering
from tumors for "a number of years, -
he said, land she came to me for treat
ment- I took charge of her and for a
time she got along nicely, and in fact
the tumors were being absorbed and
gradually disappearing until she met
with the accident Saturday
rive weeks ago she came to Worces-
ter and took her to the home of Mrs
Bennett and there secured a room for
her. Saturday, May 10, she started for
Westboro and slipped in front of the
city hall and was injured. She re-
turned to my office and 1 found that
she was suffering from the fall.
She went as far as Northboro on the
car, and at that point became very i'll.
She CID not feel that she could proceed
further, and telephoned for me, and I
went there l decided that it would be
best for her to return to Worcester,
and told her l would join her there.
We started for Worcester, but as the
car reached Shrewsbury she suffered
from such pain that I decided she
could not possibly survive if she made
the journey and thought it best that
we should get off and go to the High
land House, which we did.
Mrs. Whitney had a conversation
with the proprietor of the house or the
man in charge, and when I came in she
told me it would be better to register
as DR.. Johnson and wife and no aues-
tons would be asked, and did as she
requested.
Il attended her as physician. and
did not leave the room from that time
until the following Friday morning.
when / was called away. What sleep
I got was when I fell asleep in the
chair. Her condition was very bad and
when she reached the hotel l got such
remedies as I could in Shrewsbury and
gave them to her.
Thursday evening I called in DR..
George who Is stopping at the hotel,
and we held a consultation, deciding
that she would not live long We did
everything we could for her, but we
saw that peritonitis had set in and she
was a hopeless case. No operation
could be performed and she died about
10 o'clock Friday evening. DR.. George
was called in about 6 o'clock Thursday
evening"
1t is claimed that Dr. George, who
is stopping at the Highland, denies that
knew absolutely nothing about the case
until Friday evening about o'clock.
When asked about DR.. George, DR..
Stuart stated that he was positive ii
was on Thursday evening, but when
told later that DR.. George stated that
he did not know about the case until
Friday night, DIR. Stuart thought il
must have been Friday night
IF the people Of Worcester" he said,
think there is anything suspicious
about the case, they are at liberty to
have the body exhumed and I will at
tend to the investigation. Her death
resulted from perfectly natural causes. -
Mrs. Bennett who manages the board
ing house at the corner of Austin and
Main streets, when seen by a Spy man
last night, stated that Mrs. Whitney
hired the room from her and later said
that DR. Stuart was with her when
the rooms were engaged.
"She was suffering while she was
here and 1 do not know what her all
ment was. 1 made life as pleasant as
I could for her."