The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1900-05-01
MYSTERIOUS CHICAGO SUICIDE.
Young Lady at the Palmer House,
About Whom Nothing Is
Known.

CHICAGO, April Se.-Standing be-
fore a mirror in her room at the Palmer
house, Winnie NJ. Wray. beautiful
Young woman, pressed a revolver
to her temple and sent a bullet crash
ing through her brain. Scraps of a
torn letter found in the waste basket
and put together said the writer had
wrecked too many lives already. and
must cease"
This letter was addressed to \. n.
ohler. Of Moline. Ill. Miss Wray came
TO the hotel last Friday. She carried
a small hand grip. She gave the name
Miss L. Gray" to the clerk. who regis
tered for her. and when asked for her
address responded that Chicago would
do as well as any. She handed him the
check for her trunk and asked him to
have it brought TO her Immediately.
The death wwas 1ncompassed by a
number Of theatrical features, the
young woman having taken every pre-
caution to render impossible her iden-
tity. While she entered the hotel at
tired atractively and wearing num-
Der OF diamonds, nothing was found
in her room but a coarse black wrap
per which she wore when she killed
herself.
Her diamonds were gone, only a sin
gle unset stone being found on the
dresser, where it had dropped from her
purse. She left note to the manage
ment Of the hotel. directing them to
take the money from her pocketbook |
to settle the hotel bill. She requested |
especially that no effort be made to
find her relatives, as she did not wish
them to know of her deed.
Later it was learned that she on
Saturday had sent her trunk to Mr..
0hler. at Moline. He is the cashier of
the American Express Company at
that place. She also wrote to him the
same day, telling of her intention TO
kin herself.
ohler received the letter yesterday.
He went to Davenport. a few miles
distant. and called up the Palmer
house by telephone, thinking he might
prevent the suicide if he could COM
municate with Miss Wray Unable to
make the Palmer house clerk under
stand him. ne gave up in despair. A
few hours later he was told of her sui
eide.
II is supposed that the satchel ar
ried by Miss Wray when she entered
the hotel. with her rings and the dress
she wore were packed in the trunk
and shipped to Moline. Ohler says he
had known Miss Wray for 10 years,
but elaine to know nothing Of her an
tecedents. He says she came to Moline
about two weeks ago and stopped at
the Windsor hotel.
Where she came from he does not
know, but she told him she had been
for the past two years in
California. New Mexico and Arizona.
ohler is of the impression that the
girls parents live a; Leesville, Ind,
and he has heard her speak Of bro
ther in Lincoln, Neb. Further than
that he knows nothing Of her history.
Miss Wray was last seen alive satur-
day evening by a waiter who took
her supper to her room.
No response to knocks at the door
afternoon aroused the sus-
picion Of the chambermaid. The hotel
office was notified, and the private
detective burst open the door and
found the woman dead on the floor A
small pistol lay near her. There was
a hole in her right temple, and it was
evident she had been dead several
hours.
On the linen and dresser were blood
stains. showing she had stood before
the mirror to take aim. Where the
bullet had entered the skin was pow
der burned.
In her purse, where she said she had