Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-04-24
SUICIDE OF A WOMAN
MISS MATTE HOPKINS CUTS HER
THROAT WITH CARVING KNIFE.
Had Become Despondent Through Fear
She Had Contracted Consumption
-Coroner's Verdict.

Dependency because of family troubles
and the fear that she had contracted con-
sumption caused Miss Matte l.. Hopkins,
a pupil nurse at Columbia Hospital, to COM
nit suicide yesterday. She ended her life
by cutting her throat with carving knife
at the home of Mr.. and Mrs w. II. Hill
leary at Beltsville, Prince George county,
Md.
Miss Hopkins was twenty-eight years old,
having been born in Betsville in 1877. Her
father was Elias Hopkins, who died num-
Der of years ago of consumption. He was
strong Union man during the war, and
took prominent part in the work Of or
ganizing companies to participate in the
war for the Union. At the time of his
death Miss Matte was left to care for six
children younger than herself-three her
brothers and three half-brothers. She acted
the part of a mother to the boys and the
strain of caring for them showed it's effect
upon her health.
Her first employment was in the Office of
the Capital City Benefit Society, and she
remained there about eleven years. Most
of this time she lived at Beltsville. She
had been DESTROYS of obtaining position in
one of the hospitals In order that she might
become trained nurse. She finally sue
ceeded in getting position in Columbia
Hospital. The young woman was too frail
lOI lit WOIh ana although she HdQ Deen
shown every consideration by the superin-
tendent and nurses at the hospital, the
work had become distasteful to her.
CHASTITY Wound in Throat.
She left the hospital to spend two weeks
in the country at the Hilleary home on her
annual leave. She attended the church at
Beltsville yesterday morning, but did not
remain until the close of the service. 1t
was about 11:3O o'clock when she returned
to the Hilleary home She remained in the
parlor few minutes, and Mr.. Hileary
heard her when she went to her room.
When Mrs. Hileary and other members
of the family returned from church Miss
Hopkins was found lying upon the floor at
the foot of the bed with gaping wound
in her throat. She still clutched the cary
ing knife in her hand
DIR. a. C. Fox of Beltsvile was summoned
and discovered that the wound was neces-
sarily fatal. On a chair near where the
dying woman was found was a tumbler
which contained what was left of a solu-
ton of corrosive sublmate. Several tablets
of the poison were found In her handbag,
and it is believed she took some of the
poison before she used the knife.
When DR.. Fox had pronounced life ex-
tinct Acting Coroner John I. Burch of
Berwyn summoned. He held an in
quest at O'Clock in the afternoon. Con-
stable Charles A. Kicks summoned a jury,
composed of Thomas c. Taylor, foreman;
E. NJ. Ulle. John Smith, Eugene Brock,
George S. Parker. George w. Armiger,
Fred A. Tile, George NJ. Smith, Vern Wood,
Kennedy Simms, Harry Ulle and T. A.
Sellman.
Verdict of the Jury.
After viewing the body and hearing the
testimony of two witnesses, the jury re-
turned a verdict showing that the young
woman had taken her own life.
Miss Hopkins was a member of Mount
Vernon Place NJ. E. Church, but had at
tended the Union Methodist Church on Goth
street during the time she was at the hos
pital. Her funeral will take place at Belts
vile Wednesday afternoon, and the inter
ment will be made in the cemetery where
her parents were buried