Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1901-05-28
MORE PARTICULARS.
Des Moines Account, CT the Death
of Gertrude Holt. I;
1T Was A DELIBERATE SUICIDE
Girl Employed Hickman to Drive Her
to River Was Despondent - Re-
mains to Be Brought Home - Had
Valuable Wardrobe. e

1B5 mains 10 De Brought E10me - E1d0
Valuable Wardrobe. A
[Trom Fridays Daily.1
Concerning the suicide of Miss Ger
trhde Holt, whose parents reside in
South Ottumwa, as stated in the COur-
Ter yesterday, the Des Moines Capital
says:
{ Gertrude Holt, aged twenty-three
years, who has for the past seven
months resided at 1913 Chestnut street,
! in rooms rented of Nellie Wright, com
smitted suicide at $40 o'clock this
morning by jumping into the Des
NIoines river from the north pier of
the Sixth avenue bridge. Her body
was found at o'clock this morning
by Night Sergeant George Yeager and
Policeman John Latham twenty-five
yards south of the bridge, near the
south bank Coroner Ankeny having
fully Investigated the affair decided
than an inquest in the case was I'M
necessary.
~ For sometime past it has been
known to Miss Hollis intimate friends
that she has been Respondent and at
occupies the first floor of the second
swell front from the east on Chestnut
Row, stated this morning that she has
been fearing that Gertie would attempt
sself-destruction., Financial troubles,
coupled with sickness, caused the sdes-
pondency. s.
"a At III O'clock last evening Gertie
Holt talked with Miss Wright and ap.
10 h<~s H. H>fr as,skr, 10
stated that she was going to Alice Will
liams' house at 5l2 Sixth avenue.
There was nothing in her manner
which indicated that she had any par
!! ticular. trouble upon her mind last ey-.
ening. Later, at the home of Alice
Williams, Gertrude Holt exhibited
signs of uneasiness, and when ques-
toned as to her uneasiness became
hysterical. Miss Wright knows moth
ing more concerning the night peram-
bulations of her roomer except that at
2 o'clock she heard the front door slam
and heard someone go out Miss Holt
had free access to the front door at
day and night time and nothing was
thought of her leaving. Shortly be-
fore 2 o'clock she had telephoned to
the Kentucky livery barn on Fourth
street and asked that a carriage be
sent to her number. Instructions were
given that the cab stop half block
down the street, so that the other oc-
cupants of the house would not design
her purpose in going out alone at such.
an unseemly hour of the night
Grant Dooley, driver, of the carriage,
was instructed to drive to the Sixth
avenue bridge, where Gertie stated
that she had agreed to meet a friend.
Miss Holt was wrapped in light
brown automobile coat which hung to
her shoe tops. At the bridge Miss
Holt alighted and walked alone to the
opposite side. The cab driver kept
close watch of her, but did not follow
at first, although believing that some
unusual proceedings had been arrang-
ed, decided to remain quietly as cab
driver and NEEDLE in nothing where
he might be told to mind his own bust
ness! When Miss Holt arrived at the
north side of the bridge Dooley MOTTO
ed that she threw aside the automobile
coat and a thrill of terror went through
him as he noticed that she was attir-
ed in white clothes, the first impress
sion being that she was robed in a
nightgown. AS Miss Holt made to-
ward the rail, and it was evident that
mo one was there to meet her, the true
purpose of the woman suddenly fash
led into the cab drivers mind Jump
Z ing from the seat he madly rushed for
! the woman, shouting as he went:
Gertie! Gertie! in Gods name what
are you going to do?" Before the
driver could reach her Miss Holt had
thrown aside the coat upon the bridge
flooring, leaped upon the bridge hand
rail and bounded out into the black
space. There was asplash in the wa
4 ter and Dooley realized too well what
/ had happened. Mounting his box on
4 the cab he drove like mad to the police
station. Without waiting to hitch up
Il the patrol wagon Officers Yaeger and
Latham jumped into the cab and the
i: three men were rapidly whirled back
Il to the scene of the suicide.
While all the above events transpfr-
ed 1.-THE rain fell in torrents. Dooley
had taken care to bring the coat to
the station, and pinned to it was found
a note, written legibly, which read:
Il am tired of life and am going to
the river to rest. Wire my parents
at Ottumwa. Find the address at 42S
Chestnut street. My home is r. w.
Holt, corner Findley and Weller
streets, Ottumwa. Gertrude Holt"
Pulled Body Out of Mud.
& For more than two hours the officers
faithfully searched for the body. At
O'clock the search was rewarded. Or
fficer John Latham pulled the corpse
out of the mud twenty-five feet below
the bridge, near the south bank of the
river. The coroner was at once tele-