The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-06-07
GIRL WROTE LETTERS
GAVE FINAL DIRECTIONS RE-
GARDING HER AFFAIRS.
According to These Documents She
Appeared to Believe Death Might
Come to Her at ANY Time-Evid-
ence at Hearing About Same As
at Examination of Miss Geertson.
Especial to The Herald.)

Geertson was really in fear of death
from DR.. Fisher was shown by infor-
nation brought out at Fishers hearing
! before Police Justice Hulaniski. Two
! or three days before the shooting oc-
/ Cured she wrote a number of letters,
| preparing for death. These letters We're
sealed and left so as to be delivered
after her death. There We're six envel-
opeS in ALL one being empty, however,
and bearing the simple line: Telegraph
l. c. Geertson, Salmon, Ida This is
! her fathers name and address. There
were sealed letters addressed: ITO the
dertaker, city" l. c.. Geertson, Sal
mon City, to be held until he comes, if
| he does not come, mail.'
/ There We're also letters addressed to
Mrs. Nellie. Fisher, to Miss Grace
Crocker and one to the Ogden paper"
with the line, PLEASE publish under
nearth- They were turned over TO a
! Herald reporter on condition that they
be not examined or their existence made
I known, except in certain conditions.
Miss Geertson told the reporter where
to find the package on the day of the
| shooting, first eXacting a promise that
they would not be opened except in GER
tain contingencies or by her consent
This was after she was taken in Gus
tody. The reporter got the package
from her room and the existence of the
letters were kept secret until today.
Attorney TAFT, learning something
about the letter, put the reporter on
the stand and began questioning HIM
about the matter. Miss Geertson re-
leased him from the promise of secre-
cy, and he testified about finding the
letters as directed by her in her bureau
drawer at the Broom hotel, between
. and the day of the shooting. The
letters all bear the date of May 10,
and were written in Ogden.
Letter to Miss Crocker.
Extracts from the one written to
Miss Crocker are as follows:
Miss Grace Crocker-I enclose two
letters so you may know that 1 spoke
the truth when / told you last night
that they were in my possession. L have.
read others also. DIR. Fisher has
threatened to kill me if l reveal any
of our affair to your family. and what
have already told you he may consider
sufficient ground for the fulfi- nent of
his threat. L care not, for lie holds
nothing for me now. Ben has been all
in the world to me. and now that you
claim his regard, l do not care how
soon l die; but l want to tell you or
your mother that about this before ]
go. If you wish to know that about
our association and can't believe me,
ask (here follow eight nameS). Then
follows a paragraph referring to per-
sonal matters.
You know nothing about this affair
If you did you would not speak so
hastily. 1 hope you will never suffer
as l have.
(Signed)
LAURA S. GEERTSON."
The letters enclosed were two from !
Miss Crocker to DIR. Fisher.
To the undertaken:
Please take charge of my body En- |
balm IT and wait for orders from l.. |
c. Geertson concerning its disposition. |
l have money in the First National |
bank to defray the expense. (Signed)
LAURA S. GEERTSON."
Mrs. Nellie F. Fisher:
Will you kindly see that the sofa
pillow and little dolly worked with
violets, which are in DR.. Fishers Of
flee, are put with my things at the
Broom hotel. 1 want my sisters to
have them. They will prize them.
(Signed) LAURA s.. GEERTSON.
This For Publication.
To the Ogden Paper:
To the people of Ogden and many
outsiders of its limits. 1t is unneces-
sary for me to state that DR.. Fisher
and l have been associated for more
than three years. My association with
standing that we would one day be
married. / have thought a great deal
of him and he has led me to believe !
both verbally and by letter that he
thought more of me than he ever had
thought or could think of any other
We had expected 20 be married
about June but two or three weeks
ago he Informed me that he had trans
ferred his affections to Grace Crocker,
and that he meant to marry her. Our
association has caused a great deal of
unfavorable comment and in view of
this the thought of death is welcome to
me- l realize that have made great
mistake and have done wrong, but it
was my intense love for DIR. Fisher
course which L have followed Kindly
regard me with as much compassion as
possible and DR.. Fisher too Don't
Judge him too severely because 1 be-
ieve that he really could not avoid
loing what he has done. 1 hope not
many women will experience the
and sorrow that have been
nine. (SignedD
LAURA S. GEERTSON.
The letter addressed to l.. c. Geert-
'on. Salmon. Ida. was one to all her
olkS and related to home affairs. She
disposed of several little trinkets to
1arious members and spoke bitterly of
he mistakes of her life but also asked
hat they be not too hard in their
Judgment of DR.. Fisher.
The Haring.
Miss Laura Geertson testified, giving ,
detailed story of the shooting and |
he events leading up to it, Her story {
vas the same as at her trial. II
Some variety was introduced into the !
by the recital of Miss :
ieertson of trip made to Huntsville
ince her acquittal and an interview =
rifh her there. Z
She said DR.. Fisher went to Hunts 7
lille and called on her at the home of :
er uncle. He had said: When are
ou going to leave" she replied. when
he walking gets good, and asked him
hen he was going" He replied, /,
when the walking becomes good
He had told her he would pay her =
art of the money he owed her if she .
-ould leave without testifying against !
i'm. She promised to go if he would
ay all. He refused, but said if she
id testify he would charge her with
eing unduly ultimate with a man in
ne place where she last taught school,
he told him she did not believe him /
wv enough to do thing so vile, but if [
e wanted to he might go ahead. a
Another bit Of her testimony told of b