The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1903-06-13
LOVERS QUARREL
CAUSES SUICIDE
Ruby DOWney Ends Life in Com
msrciaI Street Resort.
TAKES DOSE OF MORPHINE
FATHER IN WISCONSIN IS NOTI-
FLED OF DEED.

After a quarrel with the man with
whom she was infatuated. Ruby
Downey, inmate Of a Commercial street
resort, committed suicide early yester-
day morning by swallowing a large
quantity Of morphine. The fact that
she had taken poison was not diseov-
cred until the 1rug had taken such eff
feet that every effort to save her was
unavailing. Her father in Lacrosse,
Wis, who did not know of her station
in life. was notified Of her death and
he ordered the remains buried here.
Ruby DOWney had for a year past,
resided IN Ada Wilson's resort on
Commercial street. Some days ago she
quarreled with the man with whom she
was infatuated Since that time she
has threatened upon several occasions
10 take her own life, but her threats
were looked upon as strategies to in
duce the man 10 return 10 her. Thurs
day, according TO the statement Of
those in the resort, she became intOxt-
Gated on wine and remained in that
condition all day. During the evening
she made the statement to another girl
that every one thought she was bluff
ing, but she intended to take a dose Of
poison that night that would show them
she was in earnest
Thought to Be Drunk.
She drank more during the evening
and shortly before midnight she was
discovered in a room apparently com
pletely intoxicated. The proprietress
said she thought that the girl was
simply under the influence Of liquor
and paid no attention to her. Later
il was noticed that she breathed pecu-
laTly, but she denied that she had
taken anything. DR.. J. Z. Giesy was
called and after examining her stated
that she had evidently taken morphine,
though he didn't think she had taken
enough TO kin her. The police were
notified about 2 o'clock but the in
mates OF the place informed the Of
ficers that the woman was simply dead
drunk and nothing serious was antici-
pated- Antidotes were administered
and the girl appeared to be recovering
rapidly. However, about O'Clock her
heart suddenly stopped and she was
dead. II is said that she had gone
tWenty-fOur hours without a bite to
Fat and had been drinking heavily all
the time, else the quantity of morphine
she took would not have necessarily
proved fatal.
Hid Bottle After Using.
The girl took oains to hide the bottle
of poison and it was not found until
yesterday morning 1t was a large
twO-Ounce bottle and considerable Of it
was gone. but the girls in the place say
she had had it for five weeks and used
it to make her sleep while suffering
from an injured foot. She did nOt leave
a thing to show why She had taken her
life, but those who knew her under
stood the conditions that led to the act.
She was about "A years of age and
lived formerly in Lacrosse, Wis,
She has a father and two sisters living
there now. A message was sent to the
father NJ. NJ. DOWney yesterday morn
ing. IN the afternoon a reply was re-
celved, asking that the body be buried
here. The father did not know that his
daughter was in house Of ill-fame and
the message to him did not give any
indication that such was the case. The
burial will probably take place today.