Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-07-01
Change in the Color of Mrs. Doyle's
Hair.
her DEATH A SUBJECT OF INQUIRY
The District Coroner Notified and
an Autopsy Ordered.
BODY AT THE MORO U E

Mrs. Catharine Doyle, a widow, nearly
fifty years old, died in her room on the
top floor of the house of Mr.. Charles s.
Labofish, No. 913 9th street northwest
about 1 o'clock this morning. Owing to
the circumstances of her death her body
was removed to the morgue and the coroner
was notified. DR.. Grinder, who was sum-
moned to attend the woman about two
hours before her death, expressed the belief
that she had taken an overdose of bella
donna. This opinion was based upon her
appearance before DEATH
The husband of deceased had been 4 sailor
and served the cruiser Hartford once
Admiral Farragut's flagship. He was the
ship sixteen years ago at the time of his
death.
Mrs. Doyle, who was born in ireland,
came to this country when she was a
young girl, her maiden name being Driscoll.
After her husbands death she obtained
position in the War Department, but four
years ago her services were dispensed with.
Since then she has depended largely upon
a pension of So a month. About a year
ago she rented an attic room of Mrs. Labo-
fish and did her own cooking She made
herself useful about the house and was so
well liked that she was considered one of
the Labofish family.
Mrs. Doyle was heavy woman, weigh
ing nearly 2o9 pounds. Recently she had
complained of being ill., pains in her head
seeming to be her only trouble. These sick
spells had required at long intervals, but
this week she remained sick longer than
usual. Medicine which had given her relief
many times before did not seem to be ade-
quate, but although she was evidently very
sick, she objected to calling in physician
because she felt unable to pay the bills.
Her illness began Tuesday. She thought
the pain in her head had been made worse
than usual. possibly, by decayed tooth.
dentist was consulted, but he found her
teeth were all perfect.
Change for the Worse.
The patient spent part of her time in bed,
only occasionally going down stairs. Yes
terday afternoon Mrs. Labofish went to her
room and discovered that there had been
decided change in her lodger's condition.
Her hair, which was gray in the morning,
had turned white, and her mental faculties
did not seem to be clear. About 8 o'clock
last night the sick womans mind was wan
dering, and she jumped from bed so sud
denly when Mrs. Labotish appeared in the
room that the latter was badly frightened.
1t was about 10 o'clock when DR.. Grinder
called in response to a summons, and the
medicine he prescribed the patient was I'M
able to retain. Her screams aroused the
neighborhood, and a colored nurse was
called in. The patient soon became quiet,
and shortly before o'clock the nurse call
ed for Mr. and Mrs. Labofish, telling them
that Mrs. Doyle was asleep or dying. Sew
eral minutes later she made another report
on the womans condition. The doctor was
again called in, and he pronounced the wo-
man dead. He had talked with the patient
when he was first called, but she denied
that she had taken any poison. The room
was searched, but all that was found was
a box containing number of quinine cap
SuleS.
Deputy COrOner's Statement.
Deputy Coroner Glazebrook performed an
autopsy on the body today and failed to
find that the woman had taken any poison.
Death, he said, resulted from kidney
trouble.
INSPECTOR Boardman has communicated
with Dan NJ. Carthy at No 90 East S1st
street, New York city, who is supposed to
be brother of the dead woman.