The San Francisco call., 1905-05-07
Wealthy Chicago Widow
Commits Suicide in New
York After Quarrel Over
the Phone With a Broker
LEAVES FOUR NOTES
TO NAN WHO LEFT HER
knowledge of Woman Denied
by Speculator Who Is Sup
posed to Have Driven Beau
tiful Southerner to Death

NEW YORK. May e.-The police of
this city are puzzled tonight by a new
turn taken in the case Of Mrs. J. W.
Gray, said to be the widow of a
wealthy Chicago broker. who commit
ted suicide in her apartments in the
Imperial Hotel to-day. The woman
left letters addressed to Charles H.
Stoneham, telling him of her love and
declaring his cruelty in a conversation
with her over the telephone had In
duced her to take her life.
After being absent from his office at
~ Broadway to-day Charles H. Stone
ham. q broker of this city, who is be-
lleved to be the person to whom the
letters were addressed, and so declared
by the New York friends of the dead
woman, returned late tonight to his
home in Jersey City. He denied that
he knew Mrs. Gray or that he was con-
nected with her case in any way.
Il never heard OF the woman" he
said
He expressed ignorance OF the wo-
man and declared that newspaper men
brought him the first news he had re-
ceived of the tragedy.
She may have been a customer Of
our firm and in that way may have ac-
quired my address," Stoneham said.
The name is not at all familiar TO me,
and do not think We had such a per-
son In New Orleans as q customer"
Mr.. Stoneham declined to discuss his
whereabouts during the day. He was
emphatic, however. in his denial that
he had ever been at the Hotel Imperial
with Mrs. Gray and declared he had
been at his home at night for many
weeks.
Accompanied by a man a few years
her senior the woman appeared at the
Imperial on April 20. The couple reg
istered as u. w. Gray and wife, New
Orleans" They went out frequently
together and the man was away dur
ing the day, but there was nothing
about them to excite unusual interest.
While the watchman was making the
rounds to-day he heard a muffied re-
port like q pistol shot in the room oc-
cupied by the Grays. Looking over the
transom the watchman saw the woman
lying on her face on the floor beside
the bed, with her hands outstretched
stream Of blood was flowing from an
was alone IN the room.
None Of the hotel employees remem-
Der having seen Gray during the night
and he could not be found around the
hotel at the time Of the shooting. The
suite occupied by the Grays was the
finest on the Broadway side of the
hotel
The woman left four letters, one of
them being sealed. addressed to
Charles H. Stoneham, a Broadway"
On the back of the sealed letter was
written: II wish that no one would
open this but the person addressed"
A second letter was addressed to a
storage warehouse, this city. The
third was inclosed and written on two
sheets of paper. 1t appe ared that one
portion had been written yesterday
afternoon and the other sheet early to-
day before the woman shot herself.
One letter began:
Dear Sweetheart: When / called
you up on the telephone you talked so
cruelty TO me that L went out and
bought a revolver, intending to do it
then. 1 was brought UP in a convent
and my religion teaches against such
things, but I can't stand it any
longer"
Here there was a break in the let
ter and when 1t was continued II was
with a different ink:
Again and again have you disap-
pointed me, Charley. What in Gods
name have I done? If you were anx-
ious to get rid of me that were easy.
Why did you have me come to New
York? Here 1 am as your wife. II
you had said, Ollie, don't want you
to return I would never have done
so. Well. Charley, this is the last.
wish you all the luck IN the world"
Here the writer seemed to have
paused again. 1t resumed:
How / am suffering! cannot
stand it any longer. 1t is now past
o'clock"
A fourth letter left by the woman
was found, which was addressed to
Charles Sweetheart" and read in
part as follows:
81 love you better than my life. I
love you 30 much, and TO think have
TO go and leave youi hate to die.