The record-union., 1899-09-10
Mrs. Pauline Smith Put an End to
Her Life
Because of Her Affection for Her First
Husband,
from Whom She Had Been Di-
vOrced-Story of the Tragedy as
Told by the Second Husband, to
Whom She Had Been Married
for Eleven Months.

SAN FRANCISCO. Sept. 9-Because
husband Mrs. Pauline Smith ended her
life beside her latest spouse in their
room at 9211a Mission street at 5:40
this morning. For a week the poor
woman tried to forget her first hus
band but try as she would, the thought
of her first love was ever present. Such
was the story Thomas M. Smith told
Coroner Hill this morning when he
called to take charge of his Wife's eff
fects.
Smith gave the details of his wife's
suicide. He said that he slept beside
her, as was customary, and was awak-
ened about $40 by a loud noise
Sleepily he passed his arm over his
wife's waist, and felt the pistol over
the bed clothes in his wife's right hand.
She did not speak. and lighting the
gas, the horrible fact was revealed to
him that his wife had taken her own
life. Smith Immediately summoned DR..
Margaret Mahoney, who lives at 900
Howard street, but when the physician
arrived Mrs. Smith was dead.
The weapon with which the distract
ed woman ended her life was one Mrs.
Yesterday the Smiths sold out their
fiat to a furniture dealer and We're to
leave for Portland, their former home,
to-day. All the trunks We're packed.
Mrs. Smith always feared putting a
revolver in a trunk when travelling, and
she told Smith that he should pack il
in his pocket. Temporarily the pistol
was put on the bureau in the bedroom,
where Mrs. Smith found it when she
laid the plans for taking her life
Smith said that he had been married
about eleven months.
His wife was formerly in the lodg,
ing-house business in Portland She
was formerly the wife of William Hor,
but the couple did not live happily to-
gether, and they We're divorced. Smith
was in the liquor business when he met
Mrs. Holl. For several months the mar
ried life of the Smiths was pleasant, ac-
cording to the husband of the dead
woman. About four months ago he no.
ticed that she worried a good deal. Af-
ter considerable questioning Mrs. Smith
confessed that she was continually
thinking of her ex-husband. Smith
took his wife to all the show houses
and places of amusement and reerea-
tton in an attempt to rid her mind OF
the thought of Holl. but it was useless
Then his wife suggested that they
come to this city. About two months
ago they left the north. Since their
arrival they have lived in the fiat
where. the suicide occurred. The neigh,
bors said they were a happy couple
apparently.
Smith said that the suicide was not
a complete surprise to him. Last night
he attended the Orpheum with his wife,
and during the show She said three or
four times that she wished she was
dead Smith tried to cheer his wife
up, but she was norose. and when 9TH
ers We're laughing and shouting sne was
brooding over her life
Mrs Smith was about 80 years old.
Her hair was quite gray, but otherwise
she did not look so old Mr.. Smith says
his wife dyed her hair all the time, and
he thinks that the acid in the liquid
was injurious TO her brain Mrs. Smith
was a healthy woman. except for a
slight ajlment- peculiar to her sex The
body was taken to the Morgue by Dep,
uties Sullivan and Flanagan Later il
was removed to an undertaking estab-
lishment
Mrs. NJ. w. Kratz. a niece of the de-
ceased, living on Fair Oaks street, call
ed upon Deputy Coroner Sullivan this
afternoon and said she wanted to make
an affidavit of what she knew of the
death, as she intended to leave for
Portland tonight and could not be
present at the inquest Monday. She
deposed that Mrs. Smith told her last
week that she need not be surprised
should the deponent find her dead. She
said she would kill herself with a re-
volver. Mrs. Kratz deposed that the
married life of the Smiths was pleas.
ant