The times., 1899-08-13

who is the wife of C. b. Thompson. 1t is
said that Nellie Haslam, another sister of
the dead woman, committed suicide some
time ago. Mr. Thompson was seen yester-
day afternoon and stated that his sister,
in-iaw had been suffering for some time
with typhoid fever, and was possibly men
tally affected because of il. Such an opln-
ion is accepted by many who knew the
dead woman.
Il is known that Miss -Haslam was pc
cuIiar in manner and often acted strangely.
On one occasion, in May, she was ar
rested, with her sister, Mrs. Jennie Thomp-
son, and locked up at No. station by
Policeman @. " Johnson. The arrest was
the result OF boisterous conduct in house
at 909 H Street northwest, where Miss
Haslam at that time boarded. Because of
their evidently respectable appearance the
police liberated them Oh collateral after an
incarceration Of two hours The women
were then placed In a cab and sent home,
but were, IL is said, refused admission.
Subsequently Miss Haslam removed TO
house in / Street, and finally appeared at
the home of Mrs. Hines. The young
woman stated the night OF her arrest that
she was a pessimist and that life was not
worth living She talked like an educated
woman, and. though affected and dreamily
poetic, her conversation was entertaining.
of n Dreamy Mature.
Because of her dreamy and poetic na-
ture and the fact that she had often
threatened suicide, a letter which was
found in the street in the neighborhood of
her home few days ago is attributed TO
her The letter was well written and its
first part was in a fashionable hand. Its
conclusion was like scrawl and scarcely
legibIe, indicating that the writer was evil
IDENTIFY under the influence OF some drug.
BY reason Of this it is thought the writer
was about TO end her life, but failing, took
the letter out with her the next day and
accidentally dropped it in the street,
where it was found. The letter, which COW
cred two double sheets of ordinary note
paper, follows:
Madame: wish 10 beg your pardon for taking
the liberty OF shutting off, in your house. l
had selected another place, but i am TOO tired
to 20 there ! wanted some roses and that
cool water ] cannot reach am stlli abie 70
scribbIe. ] presume that / can dispose OF my
body. ] have relatives and no friends, and
as ] have quite an aversion to the Potter S
Field ] prefer TO have some hospital take my
cold remains and chop me TO miDcemeat. They
won't have much 70 chop for ] already a
skeleton. ] think had lot OF beautiful things
/ to say. hut ! too tired TO remember; / am
! too tired TO get nice ard clean. / suppose The
most approved fashion would be to step into the
/ Potomac. ] don't know where it is, besides /
1 do not want any mud on me.
] i wish ] could reach that water / wonder II
I will he 50 unfortunate as TO wake I'D alive
another day. ] think have tried everything to
kill myself, but / evidently a tough subject
and such a coward. / suppose old Charon
viii throw me overheard. am go afraid. There
( is one of those street organs ] was always
4 plebeian in my tastes. ] wish they would keep
on playing until write more. Don [
imagine that il takes no courage 10 present
ones self unannouBced before the Almighty God.
/ am so tired and thirsty. Please don't let that
horrible woman touch me. ] wonder what viii
banpen next.
Good-by, Billy, dear, / wish could have seen
you God have mercy on my soul Is not this
( horrible-so horrible and maddeHing, and am so
frightened
The letter is not signed and ends abb
ruptly. Certain references in the letter,
such as the disposition the writer desired
TO be made of her body and the allusion to
! previous attempts on her life. together
/ with the tone OF the letter, cause the be-
! lief that it was written by Miss Haslam.