Arizona republican. [volume] (Phoenix, Ariz.) 1890-1930, 1899-09-08
TUCSON TRAGEDY
Mrs. S. G. Rowe n lis Her Son and
Il CLmmIfS Suicide.

: %
A suicide and homicide occurred in
Tucson Sunday and the Citizen of yes
{ terday contained the particulars of il.
Mrs. Ethel S. Rowe, 80 years old, the
divorced wife of S. G. Rowe, the book
keeper fer the Eagle flour mills, muir
deTed her nine-year-old son, Saunders
S. Rowe, Jr., and then committed sui
eide. The dual crime was undoubtedly
committed Sunday night, but was not
discovered until Wednesday morning.
Mrs. Rowe has lived in Tucson since
she was a child. Her maiden name was
Ethel Saunders. Her mother is dead.
Her father is now at the Vulture mine
She has one brother and one sister.
The brother is also at the Vulture
mine and the sister is in Los Angeles
Miss Saunders and Mr.. Rowe were
married in Tucson nine years ago.
The couple separated two and one-half
years ago. Mrs. Rowe applied for and
secured a divorce year and a half
ago. The court ordered Mr.. Rowe to
pay his divorced wife S25 a month for
the support of the child
Mrs. Rowe and her child have for
some time lived at 100 Court street
She has supported herself by keeping
bOarders, but during the past few
months she las had no boarders and
the S25 a month mentioned has been
her only income. The first inkling of
the horrible tragedy was gained when
Hugo Donau received an envelope con-
tanning a key and the following letter:
Tucson, Sunday, Sept. 3, '99.
Mr.. Donau-In this letter 1 send you
the key to my house. In the top draw
err of my desk you will find all of my
papers, etc, also a book with my fur
niture listed. Believe me, 1 have tried
my very best to do the right thing by
one and all. I have no requests to
make about myself.
Thanking you many tines for the
past favors you have done for me,
and hoping the near future will find
all things done right, as 1 firmly be-
lieve you will do them, 1 remain,
ETHEL S. ROWE.
Mr.. Donau received the letter at the
postoffice Wednesday morning. Why
it did not reach him Monday or Tues
day is a mystery. Mr.. Donau, accom-
panied by two friends, at once went to
the house of Mrs. Rowe. The sight
that met their eyes inside are beyond
description. The 9-year-old child was
Rowe had hung herself in the door
way between the bedroom and the
kitchen, although the rope had broken
and the body had fallen to the floor
after life had become extinct. Both
bodies had begun to decompose. The
house has been closed and neither Mrs.
Rowe or the child had been seen alive
since Sunday evening. In view of
these facts it is thought that Mrs.
Rowe murdered her child and com-
mitted suicide Sunday night.
Coroner Culver and DR.. Wh.tmore
were called. They viewed the premises
and then the bodies were removed to
Miller's undertaking rooms.
The papers referred to in Mrs.
ROwe's letter to Mr.. Donau consisted
of a list Of her debts and an inventory
of her possessions, with the request
that her goods be sold and the debts
paid from the proceeds. Nothing was
said about any intention of committing
suicide, or even Of running away. 1t
is believed that just about enough will
be realized from the sale of the goods |
to pay the debts.
Coroner Culver impaneiled a jury |
and conducted an inquest at 1 O'Clock |
this afternoon. The verdict of the :
Jury was simply that Mrs. Rowe came |
to her death by suicide and her child .
came to his death by murder The /
bodies will be buried at 6 O'Clock this !
evening
Mrs. RCwe's letter to Mr.. Donau was
written in firm, clear hand and bears !
no evidence of insanity, or even of /
lysteria. Mrs. Rowe has always been
to be a woman of natural
y amiable and sensible disposition, al
though she has been very unhappy
during the past two years. The opin-
ion was expressed today by several
persons who have known Mrs. Rowe
Tor several years that when she wrote
her letter to Mr.. Donau Sunday even
ing she contemplated no action more
serious than running away" that is
going away secretly to some other
place with her child for the purpose
IF making a fresh start in life. The
which she left behind is of
small value mainly furniture and