Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1905-05-24
Suicide of "A Woman.

repaired thiih, they found that the WON
an had shut her,elf through the right
temple and that she was dying. A SOL
der named William Dobson, stationed at
Fort Hunt. was with the woman at the
time Officers Roberts and Young re-
Daired to the house few minutes later
and after hearing statement from Dob.
son took him in charge and held him as
a witness for the coronersjury.
According to the soldiers version Of the.
affair. the woman had been acting in a
refractory manner for some time previ-
Gus to shooting herself, and he had taken
the pistol from her at one time when she
announced her purpose to commit suicide.
She later pointed the pistol at her head
and pulled the trigger, but for some
cause it snapped and was not dischar-
ge The soldier had LEFT tie woman
but moment when he was startled
by the discharge of the weapon, but sup
nosed that the suicide had fired the
pistol over her head, but when he turned
and took hold of the woman he found
blood on his hand, and upon further
scrutiny saw that she had shot herself
an the right temple.
By this time the other inmates OF the
house had gathered around the suicide
and the police entered few minutes
later.
The woman died about fifteen min
MES sfter shooting herself and later the
remaios we're turned over to Dir. Il.
Whealley for interment.
Violet Burroughs had had notable
career during the time she had lived IN
Alexandria. Two years ago, 1t VIII ne
remembered, she WAS knocked down
and run over by train in the Washing
t,n and Ohio r Railroad yard and one OF
her legs was crushed. She was taken to
,be Alexandria Hospital where the llmo
vvas amputated. After having recovered
sbe returned to north Lee street. Later
she attempted to drown herself and on
another occasion she endeavored TO de-
,troy herself by swallowing sarbollc acid.
She came here from Durham, n. q
aud il is said that he: correct name Is
Ella Griffith.
A coroners jury was summoned to
hold an inquest over the body at eleven
O'Clock his morning. Justice Julius
Pelton conducted the inquest in the aD
seuce of DIR. Purvis, the Coroner Mr..
= G. Brent, Commonwealth Attorney,
was present
The following were the jnrymen
Messrs ]. II. lrimyer (foreman), ); Y.
Williams, Edgar Warfeld, jr., Robin
son Moncure, Claude | ennon and w.
w. Cline.
Officer Young was the first witness.
He stated that the report ofthe shooting
was made to the station house about one
O'Clock this morning, when he and VI
fcer Roberts went to the house. lie
described the position the woman Oc-
cupied on the bed. and said the pistol
was in her right hand.
DR.. German, who made an examina-
lion OF the wound i'll the woman mead,
described its nature to the jury. lie
exhibited a fragment of the bullet which
split into two pieces when 1t entered the
woman's skull The doctor stated that
the suicide died from cerebral hemor'
Thage.
Sergeant mcfarland and Corporal
Booker, who were in the house at the
time of the suicide, said the woman was
alone in the room when she shot her.
self Dobson having left her but mo
ment and was on the way back to her
room when the report of the pistol was
heard. She had previously discharged
the pistol frAm window OF The house
Several women who inmates OF the
house testified TO the same effect. All
the witnesses averred that the Burrough'
woman was drunk previous to the shoot
ing, and had procured a pistol belong.
ing to Eva Baker which she hourlshed
and threatened to use.
Sergeant Dobson was the last witness
called. He was told by Mr.. Brent that
being suspected Of the shooting OF violet
Burroughs, he was not required to make
u statement The sergeant said he
would rather give his version of the al
fair. He described his relations with
the woman previous to the shoot
ing; said she had been drinking;
mad procured the pistol from Eva
Bakers wardrobe; had entered the
front room and threatened to shoot any
one who moved; that he had wrtnched
the weapon from her and extracted the
cartridges; that the woman had at his
solicitation placed the pistol where she
found it, but had later recovered posses
sion of it. DobsOu said everybody In
the house had attempted to quiet her,
and after he had proceeded to an upper
room with her she became 80 violent that
he told her he would leave her. She
took his hat to prevent him from carry
ing out his threat, and he had left the
room without it, but concluded to return
for his hat. On the way back he heard
the report Of the pistol and returned 70
the room occupied by the woman. de
at first thought she had discharged th'
pistol in the air, but upon examination
found blood OOzing from the right SIDE
of her head He with companion
later notified police headquarters of The
occurrence.
The jury subsequently retired and re
turned verdict to the effct that the de
ceased came to her death from hulle
wound in her right temple fired from
pistol with suicidal intent.
1t was definitely ascertained toda.
that Fila Griffith is the prODer name q