The Washington times., 1905-11-26
WOULD-BE SUICIDE
FROM SPRAY, n. c.
She Is Identified as Mrs.
Y. GrissOm,
PRETTY SURE TO RECOVER
Physicians Say She Is Out Of Danger
Caused Excitement on Train
on Way.
PRETTY SURE TO RECOVER

Gn
Marital troubles and despair OF a re-
Cancellation with her hsuband. are be-
Ieved BY the police to have been the mo-
tives which prompted Mrs. V. Grissom.
Of Spray. n c., TO fire two bullets from
q newly purchased .35-caliber revolver
into her left breast, while standing near
q bench in Farragut square. yesterday.
Her identity which the wOuld-be sui
eide zealOusly concealed. was estab-
ushed BY Captain Boardraan, Chief or
Detectives twelve hours after she mace
the attempt 70 end her existence.
Captain Boardman kept the telephone
and telegraph wires between Washing
son and Danville. Va. hot with mes
sages TO Chief of Police Acker. OF the
Virginia city, until 8 o'clock last night.
He finally got the following dispatch;
Identified.
woman who attempted suicide in
your city is Mrs V. Grissom. Of Spray
n c.. about twenty miles from Dan
N''is u. B. ACKER."
Captain Boardman asked the Emer-
gency Hospital officials to talk with the
woman DR.. Martyr in compliance en-
tered the woman's room, and after feel
ing her pulse, asked:
How do you feel. 2Irs. Grissomg
She betrayed no emotion at the men /
tion OF her name. but merely answered;
II feel Ike I want TO die Won't you |
please go cut and let me die IN peace!
The physician then asked her:
your name is Mrs. G. Grissom. and
you are from Spray. n. c. are you
not?''
She opened her eyes. pulled the COW
ers over her head ano turning on her
right side. said:
Yes. Now leave :ne. VIII you? Il
am going TO die.
Win Recover.
At midnight, DR.. Martyr said she
would recover and he believed would.
before many hours. have changed her
mind about wanting to die.
One Of the bullets struck the muscles
of the back. while the other which came
=searest to striking her heart, was de-
fiected by rib and after passing
through one of her lungs. embedded it
self in the walls Of the abdomen. The
bullets have been extracted.
When taken TO the hospital practically
nothing other than the fact that she
came from Daaville. Va. was known by
the police
Asked If she was married. she
answered in the affirmative and added
t4-1L size 4iA-4 04AC CHING E1EE a6E was
recorded as thirty-three years. She re-
fused 10 talk further and asked 10 be
let die.
Captain Boardman. after examining
the woman's effects called up Chief
Acker on the telephone and told hin
that the name. "A T. Lewis & Son
dry goods was stamped in her gloves
Acker replied that the firm conducted 3
large establishment in Danville and 1t
was almost sure the woman came from
his city.
Captain Boardman and the detectives
think It strange that the woman shoulc
have 5ourneyed $50 miles TO end her life
when she could have done SO IN NORTH
Carolina some place nearer he
home.
Expected Man.
Some hazard the guess that she has
an engagement with some man 10 NEE
her in Farragut Square and when h
failed to keep Il she became deSponden
and shot herself Most OF the police be
neve the woman had some good reaso:
Tor running away from her husband
who is reported to be q physician
That she ran away and had reaso
for so doing they think IS indicated =
information from Conductor J. w. HaT
vey. who saw the woman board the trai
IN Danville. he said she seemed 10 b
highly excited and nervous.
She could not maintain her composer
after getting on the train, and aske
again and again what time the trai
reached Washington. When told this
the train would reach this city at -
o'cl0ck yesterds~ morning. she beeam
petUsant, and continued pacing up an
down the car. attracting much after
ton from the other passengers. becaus
Of her striking face and fashiouabl
costume.
In her excitement. Mrs. Grissom climl
ed into a berth which had been pal
for by man goinR 70 Philadelphia
After being ordered out she paid 3 Il
an upper berth. but did not enter II
She spent the night in walking froi
one end OF the car 10 the other. takin
short maps IN a reclining chair
Mrs. Grissom hurried from the ST.
ton and took a Fourteenth street CT
TO Fourteenth and X streets northwes
She disappeared from view before Il
car had gone twenty feet.
Gerald Gleason, OF Takoma Park; d
Lloyd Adams. of g2g Seventeenth str=
northwest; Hannah Cough. OF I222 MIN
teenth street northwest; Kathleen Ca
Ion. OF s94 G street north. and Polio
man /. r. Keech. Of the Third precinc
all witnessed the shooting.
Their story was 10 the effect that Il
woman sat on a bench in the park 4
a short time and after taking som
thing from her black leather handba
placed a revolver to her left breast al
fired twice before anyone OF the
could reach her.
she fen bleeding and unconscious
the grass with the weapon In her rig
hand
She made several Intellectual effoI
10 use the revolver again before II -
svrested from her grasp.