The Washington times. (Washington [D.C.]) 1901-1902, 1901-08-25
Ter DEATH MYSTERIOUS.
The Police Investigating Mrs.
0'ConnOr's Last Illness.
Providence Hospital Surgeons silent
Regarding the MISREPRESENTATION
aroused by Information Not Made
PubIic--Autopsy Today.


A veil of mystery cnvelops the sudden
death in Providence Hospital yesterday
afternoon of Martha O'Connor house
keeper at Green's Hotel, corner of First
and B Streets southeast owing to the
fact that neither the surgeons at the hos
pital nor her attending physician Will
state definitely the cause of her death,
The woman's body has been removed to
the morgue, by order of Acting Coroner
Glazebrook. and that official will, at IL
o clock this morning. perform an autopsy
upon the remains in order to ascertain
the direct cause of death and clear up
certain unexplained matters pertaining TO
the case. The Fifth precinct police have
already made a preliminary investigation
into the case, but are now awaiting the
result of the autopsy before they go fur
Their.
DIR. Bell. one of the surgeons at Provi-
dence Hospital, when seen by reporter
for The Times last night stated that his
knowledge of the case was measre- The
woman, he stated, was brought to the
institution Friday afternoon. and at that
time complained of severe pains in her
abdominal regions. Both he and DIR.
Walker he stated, had attended the
woman up to her death at l o'clock yes
terday afternoon. When asked as to
what he attributed the cause of her
death, he said that it was impossible for
him to state. as neither he nor DR.. Walker
had as yet made up their minds on that
matter. DIR. Bell said there were no ex-
ternal bruises about the dead woman's
body. and that possibly her death might
have been due to peritonitis. but of this
he was not sure, and did not wish to be
quoted until he had heard from the re-
suits of the autopsy.
Mrs. o Conner. who it was learned. was
native of Virginia. having resided for
some time a short distance from Falls
Church. had been in this city only for
the last four months. She had three
children-two sons and a daughter. one
of the sons. it is said. is now employed
as an Office boy at the same place as
she was herself before her death, while
the other son is in Virginia. Her daugh-
ter, it is said, is in this city undergoing
treatment at the Columbia Hospital
AS near as could be ascertained from
the police last night. MIS-. oConnor had
been employed at Mr.. Green's hostelry,
corner of First and B Streets southeast,
for the past two months as house
keeper. She was taken ill on Thursday,
when she complained of pains in her alb
domen. DIR. Repetti who resides a short
distance away from the hotel, was sum
moned and treated her until the morning
Of the sd instant. when her condition
became so serious that he ordered her
removal to Providence Hospital.
The first intimation the Fifth precinct
police had of the matter was yesterday
afternoon. when they received message
from the hospital telling of her death and
asking that her son be notified, which was
done by Sergeant Mulhan, accompanied
by the policeman who was working the
beat.
In the meantime certain information
reached the ears of the police, the mean
ing of which could not be learned last
night. and Sergeant Mulhall and the pc
liceman went at once to the hospital,
where they held conference with the
surgeons. As it seems the surgeons were
not altogether satisfied with the details
concerning the case, Sergeant Mulhan at
once communicated with Acting Coroner
Glazebrook, who ordered that the police
take charge of the body until it should
be removed to the morgue, which was
done last night In the meantime. 1t Is
said. an undertaken arrived at the hos
pital with death certificate and wanted
TO remove the remains, but this Sergeant
Mulhall refused to let them do.
1t is said that even the DEATH certiit-
cate shown the MorgLemaster when he
removed the body to the morgue was not
properly tilied out, only the womans age,
thirty-eight years, length of residence in
District. four months. and her birth place
in Virginia being given. The space aliot-
ted to the cause of death had not been
filled out and this is the one thing that
has caused some comment in police Cir
cleS.
The attention OF the police, now, how
ever is directed toward the autopsy which
was TO be held this morning, and upon
that now rests the question as to what
the next step of the police Will be to-
ward penetrating further into the matter
with a view TO finding out the real cause
of the womans death.