The evening world., 1902-09-23
Evening World Re-
porter ExpIodes the
Coroner's Theory Of
Marie Gruner's Death
EVIDENTLY A SUICIDE.
For Love Of an Attorney Who
Played Her False Young
German Dressmaker Ended
Her Tragic Life,

The theory Of Coroner Jackson that
Marie Gruner. who was found dead In
her room at No. III West Forty-eighth
street yesterday. had been murdered,
was exploded to-day by an Evening
World reporter, who learned that on Fri
day night Miss Gruner tried to buy
cyanide of potassium. A few drops OF
this poison kills instantly.
Miss Gruner went to the drug store
OF Muench & Protzman. Thirty-ninth
street and Sixth venue, abuu; . O'Clock
Friday night and asked first for trional.
a sleeping powder. She got ten grains
OF it. She then asked the clerk If sh'
could get from him some cyanide Of
potassium without a physicians pre-
scription. She was 50 nervous that the
clerk told her she could not get it at
all and she went away.
There was more of tragedy in her life
and death than I'm the lot OF most
women. She WIS a brilliant womau-a
~brcadwinnrr who could be proud OF her
attachments, for she earned $50 a week
as a dressEndker. She came to New
York from her home in Salt Lake City
two weeks ago. and got employment as
a skirt litter and designer with Nine,
Oatman. at No. 10 West Thirty-ninth
street.
She was a German by birth. when
she was twenty years old her father
died, leaving her u large sum OF money.
According to the story which she told
Nine. Oatman, her guardian took the
money and came to America, intending
to invest 1t. She heard nothing more
from him and she rollowcd him. She
got employment in New York first as
a drcssmaker ana became "A most pro-
fcien designcr Three years ago She
heard that her guardian was in Cali
forEia. She travelled out there and
worked in many Western cities looking
for him in vain. She met Nine. Oatman
in Denver two years ago and was en-
ployed by her. Later she went to Salt
Lake City and here she met the man
for owe OF whom she died.
AS she had known Nine. Oatman pre-
v%iously, She cOnided to her the love
story. She loved a young attor-
ney in SaltLake City and she thought
he loved her. They were going to be
married in a year she thought. and
meantime she was to work at her pro-
fession.
IONS my work. she SAID, put i
love him better. and so when we are
married I'm going to give it up
But she didn't know what was In
store for her. Last Friday she got a
letter from her home. She opened 1t in
the presence Of her employer. The en-
velope contained only i newspaper clip
ping. The girl read 1t and almost faint
ed.
1t told of the secret wedding last May
of Fred 4. McGurrin to Mrs. Estelle u.
MCChrystal, a wealthy widow OF Col
oradO Springs. MCCiurrin had returned
TO his home and his wife had sailed Tor
Europe. She is on her way back to TINS
country and the secret of the marriage
leaked out through the preparations
made by McGurrin for her homecoming.
So overcome was Miss Gruner by this
news that she told Nine. Oatman she
could not live.
my heart is dead now" she said.
why hould the body live longer"
Nine. Oatman tried TO cheer her up.
She kept her to dinner that night, but
the girl ate nothing and only wept.
She went to her room in the boarding
mousse at No. III West Forty-eighth
street, on Saturday night, and no one
saw her again. Her lead body with the
face ]blackened and 80 swollen as TO lead
to the suspicion that she had been muir
dered. was found on her bed when her
quire for her.
BY the bedside was n package of crys-
tails and the newspaper clipping with
the evil news. She had not only given
up her work for the man she loved, but
her life as well.