The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-09-26
Miss KhuDie Stone Takes Her
 Own Life in Office
MANY THEORIES AS ID
 CAUSE OF THE TRAGEDY
Coroner Renders Decision That She Committed Suicide, But There Are
 Those Who Believe She Was
 Murdered-Police Say Suicide.

Miss Khunie Stone, stenographer, was found dead in an office in the Hood building yesterday morning about 5:4S O clock with a bullet through her neck The general belief seems to be that she committed suicide through despondency or financial troubles, but there is also rumor that she met with foul play. The police and the coroner do not put any faith in the latter rumor.
 The body was found by Henry Dorsey, janitor of the building when he went to clean up the room. lie discovered 1t through hole in the door and at once notified Policeman Williams, who was on that beat, and he burst in the door, find ing the young woman's body lying pros- trate on the floor with the blood still flowing from the wounds.
 There are several peculiar facts in con- nection with the death of Miss Stone which gave rise to the theories that 1t was not suicide, but the condition of the room causes the police to believe differ ently. Coroner Paris has declared it sui- eide.
 Spent Night in Office.
 Evidently Miss Stone spent the night in the room where she was found dead. It is the room occupied by R. B. Johnson, president of the Equitable Trading com pany. MT. Johnson is also connected with the Princeton Land company. Miss Stone had desk in the office where it wa har q bif n | late at night.
 She left the office Thursday afternoon about 5 o'clock and Went to her boarding house, which is the residence of M F. McCarty, 22O0 Sixth avenue. She remain ed there a short time and then told the people at the house that she had some work to do and would probably be at te office until late hour. When next they saw her she was lying dead on the floor.
 Remains Taken to Tuscaloosa.
 After the investigation of Coroner Paris the remains were removed to the under- taking establishment of Willingham & Leslie, just across the street. and later to the residence of MT. McCarty, from which place they were sent to Tuscaloosa yesterday afternoon on the o'clock train. They were accompanied by a sister of the deceased. The woman's parents live in Tuscaloosa and she had been there within the last three weeks on a visit to them. According to several people who work in the office with Miss Stone. she had seemed nervous and Respondent for the past day or two and not in her usual good i1amor.
 Nervous Temperament.
 She was naturally of a nervous tenn. perament, and seemed to be in trouble of one kind or another. Thursday afternoon after she left the office, Jesse wadsworth, a member of the Blocton- Cahaba Coal company, whose offices adjoin those of Mir Johnson with door open between, sought to hide from him. He called and asked if it was not Miss Stone, and she replied yes. He asked what she wanted and she signified a desire to go back into the office. Mr. Wadsworth opened the door and let her in, and she went on
 
 ston, returning in a minute.
 It is believed that while she was ifi the office she unlatched the door of MT. John sons office and made her arrangements to return that night. Evidently she was planning something, and 1t Is believed it was to take he. own life. After leaving the office she went to MT. McCarty's res- idence. where she lives with an aged aunt. Mrs. Belcher She asked several of the ladies at the house to go to her aunt's room frequently during the evening, as she was not well and might need some attention. Then she told therl of her in- tention to work that night and warned them not to worry about her.
 Purchased a Drug.
 After leaving the house to return to the office Miss Stone went to down town drug store and purchased some medi- cine. The clerks do not remember what they sold he-, but a physician states that it had the appearance of being morphine, or something similar. She then went to the office and was never seen alive after that
 There has been more than one theory advanced as to what occurred in the of- flee. A friend of hers from the house stated that he went by the building about o'clock and that there was a light in the office. Thinking she was still at work he did not go up and offer to escort her home. About an hour later he passed by again and the light was out. He supposing she had returned. did not go to the room and went on home by himseIr.
 Another Theory.
 It is certain that she remained in the office for at least three hours, or until about 9:30 o'clock, and that the light was burning. After that 1t Is not known what she did. There Is a theory that the medi- cine she purchased at the drug store was something to quiet her nerves, and that she took too much of it, fell asleep in the office and did not awaken until early in the morning Discovering then that she had remained in the office all night, and Gearing the breath of sus- picion. still being slightly under the eff fects of the medicine and also Respondent over other affairs, she ended the whole trouble by bullet through the brain.
 Still Other Theories.
 Another. theory is that she shot herself early in the night. but that the wound i, was not fatal at once and she slowly died,