The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-05-07
MYSTERY IN
 HER SUICIDE Mrs. J. W. Gray Kills Her
 self by Shooting. DEED DONE IN NEW YORK Handsome Young Woman
 New Orleans Native. Talks of Cruelty in Letter to Charles ". stoneham, Who Denies Any KncwH-
 edge of Her--Life at che
DEED DONE IN NEW YORK

New York. May 6.--The police of thif oity are puzzled tonight by new turn taken in the case of Mrs. J. w. Gray. said to be q widow Of wealthy Chi- cago broker, who committed suicide in her apartments at the Imperial Hotel today. The woman left letters ad- dressed to Charles H. Stoneham tell ing him of her love and declaring hts cruelty in a conversation with her over the telephone which had induced her to take her life.
 After being absent from sis office at A Broadway all day, Charles H. Stoneham, a broker of this city. who was believed to have been the person to whom the letters were addressed and so declared by tho New York friends of the dead woman. returned late tonight to his home in Jersey City. He denied absolutely that he knew Mrs. Gray or that he was con- nected with her case in any way.
 T never heard of the woman," said Mir. Stoneham. He expressed ignor- ance of the suicide and declared that the newspaper men brought him the first news he had received of the trag- edy
 ashe may have been a customer of our firm and in that way may have acquired my address," Mir. Stoneham said "The name Is not at all familiar to me, however. and I do not think we had such person in New Orleans as a customer"
 MT. Stonenam declined to discuss his whereabouts today He was emphatics however. in his denial that he had ever been at the Hotel Imperial with Mrs. Gray and declared that he has been at home every night for many weeks.
 The Tragedy.
 handsome woman about 18 years old, who is supposed to be Mrs. ]. w. Cray of New Orleans attempted to commit suicide early today In q room at the Hotel Imperial by shooting. ShG was found in an unconscious and ex@ trenleiy serious condition, ard WAS re- moved to ia hospital, where she died shortly Accompanied by a man few years her senior the woman appeared at the Imperial on April 20. The couple reristered as J. w. GFaM nd WRfe New Orleans. They went out together frequently, and the man wvas away m the day time. but there was nothing about them to excite unusual interest.
 When a watchman was making hfs rounds early today he heard mufIied report like a IGstol shot. in the room occupied by the Gays. Looking over the transom. the watchman saw the woman lying on her face on the noor beside the bed, with her hands out  and q stream of blood was flowing from an ugly wound in her right tenpAe She was alone in the room. The door was forced and the woman was hurried te a hospital
 The woman died at the hospital witn- out recovering consciousness.
 None of the hHtel 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 these was sealed, addressed to Charles II. Stoneham. A Broadway. On the back of it was written:
 T wish that no one would open this but the person addressed.
 A second sealed letter was addressed to storage warehouse, this city. Tne third letter was unenclosed and WrAt- ten on two sheets of paper. It appear ed that one portion had been written yesterday afternoon and the other sheet early today before the woman shot herself
 The letter began:
 Cruelty the Cause.
 Dear Sweetheart-When I called you up on the telephone you talked SO cruelty to me that I went out ana bought a revolver intending to do ic then. I wss brought up in & convent and my religion teaches against such things, but I can't stand 1t any longer
 Here there was break In the iet- ter and when 1t was continued lt was a different ink.
 "Again and again have you disap- pointed me, Charley What in Gods name have I done? If you were anxious to get rid of me that were easy. Why did you have me come to New York? Here I am as your vile. If you had said, Ollie, l do not want vou 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 and no more seems to have been written for a while. It re- sumed:
 stand 1t any longer. It Is now past
 A fourth letter left by the woman was found which was addressed to "CharIes, sweetheart" and read as follows:
 love you so much and to think I have to go and leave you; I hate so to die What little l have after my bills are paid I wish to be sent to Olivia Par ker 1928 St. Andrew Street. New Or leans. l have 8 lot of furniture l had shipped from New orleans WISH aAsN that returned to New Orleans to Olivia Parker, a colored girl, as have no re- lations."
 This letter was signed Mrs Cray
 bundle of letters addressed to Mrs. J. w. Gray" at various places were found when the woman's effects were searched. On the backs of two found among her lettera was written the name Charlie H. Stoneman,' the same as on one of tho letters left by the woman.
 At the offices of O. F. Jonasson @ CO, mining brokers, at A Broadway it was said that Charles IT. Stoneman was a member of the firm. A member of the firm said that Stoneham wa& - -..I..a q. nH Il.rnla irl Tnr.annr fNiNNr