The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-08-31
WAS GIFTED COMPOSER
PEARLE NJ. BALL, WHO DIED FROM
OVERDOSE OF MORPHINE.
Former Lafayette Girl whose Friends
Say Sorrow Drove Her to
a Rash Act.

CHICAGO. Aug. 3O.-Pearle NJ. Ball, the
young musical composer, formerly OF
Lafayette, Ind, VINO died at her home. z
Forty seventh place. early Tuesday morn
ing, from an overdose of morphine, was
buried this morning. The funeral was pri-
vate at akwood The pallbearers were
Henry Willis Newton, Claude A. Cunning
ham, Edward Charles Rowdon, Elmer De-
pue, Sydney Lloyd Wrighton and Charles
X. Baker. All are prominent in musical
circles. in which the dead girl was such a
favorite. and were her personal friends.
No new developments have arisen TO point
TO the manner in which the morphine was
administered to Miss Ball. Her family and
friends are still positive that she did not
take it with suicidal intent, but admit
that she might have taken an overdose
accidentally. According to the statement
Of Manager Barry, of the Calumet Cafe,
Miss Bail was well when she entered the
cab that took her home, and as she was
unconscious when the house was reached
it is thought she took the drug while in the
cab. She is supposed to have taken an
overdose by mistake. No post-mortem will
be held and no further police investigation
made. The mysterious stranger who was
with her when she entered the Calumet
Cafe has not been found.
The Tribune says: Miss Pearle NJ. Ball
was in a Respondent mood on the day and
evening preceding her death. She told
her friend, Miss Jeanette Farrar, on her
last day alive. that she was brooding over
some serious matter. She is said TO have
told another young woman friend on that
same day that she was going to Kill her
self. This second friend says that Miss
Ball had a fancied or real grievance against
DR.. Denslow Lewis. and that her notion
urno 70 stHn GnnnnfhfnU m hiring n gpTana
on him" According to this same young
woman. the idea in Miss Balls mind was
TO take morphine and then perhaps die on
the doorstep of the physicians house at
5l00 Madison avenue. DIR. Lewis himself
does not believe any reason could exist for
involve him in her tragic suicide.
1t became clear Thursday that Miss Ball
did not have the morphine when she left
ing of Tuesday at the Ferris Wheel Park.
Evidently she purchased. or was furnished
the drug during the late hours of the night.
The large quantity in her possession-iW
quarter grains-is a strange feature TO the
police. They do not think she herself
could easily buy the drug in that quantity.
"Pearle was brOoding over a secret sor-
row all day." said Miss Farrar. 1T is use
less to deny that she had a real cause for
worry. Her family should have known it.
They must have known il. II was for this
reason that L asked her to go TO the Ferris
| Wheel Park. l knew that if she got her
mind off what was worrying her she would
reel DctleF. L lOfu HeT ludt dnQ we went
| together 10 the entertainment.
Ssh did not nave the morphine then. 1
know that positively. She bought lemonade
while we were in the park and L saw what
she had in her pocketbook. There was no
bottle of morphine in her possession. She
must have purchased i. on the way home
or il might have been given to her.
"She had talked of such a thing before.
If L had gone home with her it would not
have happened then. but it might have
been only a question of time"
Another development of the day was the
statement made by one of the friends of
the young woman that she had been en-
gagged to be married and that the engage
ment had been opposed, not by her family,
but By some of her closest friends. This
moodiness. Efforts on the part of the
| police and the family failed TO throw any
light on the identity of the man with
whom she entered the Calumet restaurant.
| DR.. Lewis. her intimate friend. and the
physician of the family, considered That
suspicion had begun to point him out as
the man. This he denied, and he explained
wherein the suspicion lacked plausibility.
Il can prove where spent Sunday
night" he said; 1Why' 1t is absurd to
[ had been, do you suppose I should have
| permitted her to die? If | had been with
her l could have saved her life. l wish
Look at the absurdity of the suspicion.
If I had been with her, would / have been
had been left in the Calumet restaurant?
| have not the slightest idea who could
have been the man she met. / only know
that j was not with her.
This can De proven. / can tell the names
of the men with whom / was during the
evening. l came home on the 1870 Illinois
Central train with one of my neighbors.
He can verify my statements.'
at has been reported that you were en-
gagged to her. Is that true?'
1T was rot true. | was not engaged to
her. She was one of my friends. l was
fond of her. She was a bright, attractive
girl. / was old enough to be her father.
and 1 took an interest in her. That was
all"
The suggestion that Miss Balls motive in
her depression for killing herself in order
to ''spite DR.. Lewis was made by an init
mate woman friend. Il had not seen
Pearl" she said, for several days. more
than a week l think, when on Monday
evening quite early she called me by
phone and seemed 10 be much depressed
in spirit. 7 asked her what the matter
was, and she told me she had been out of
town. and when she came back had dis
covered. or more likely Imagined a cause
for grievance against Dr. Lewis. She
asked IL she might call and see me. but |
was going out. The last thing she said
before ringing off was that she would do
something to disgrace the Doctor
She added that Miss Ban had intended Ia
be married. but that various obstacles had
arisen. This delay, or breaking OF, in her
wedding plans had added TO her moodiness.