Los Angeles herald., 1906-04-16
GRIEF STRICKEN
FATHER ARRIVES
FRANK K. RAYMOND VIEWS HIS
SONS BODY
Inquest VIII Be Held Today and
Unfortunate Woman Will Uns
doubtedly Be Sent to Insane
Asylum for Life

llOlu nome III hollywood week ago
The father, Frank K. Raymond, ar
rived in the city yesterday afternoon
and after visiting the morgue to see
the face of his only child, went out to
Hollywood to view the scene of the
tragedy, where his son was killed
through an insane impulse on the part
OF the mother who sought to end her
own life at the same time.
Mrs. Raymond has been closely
watched at the county hospital since
Tuesday, and it has been reported that
several times she would have commit
ted suicide by strangling herself in her
bedclothes, except for the watchful
eyes of the nurses who have stood
guard day and night.
Husband viii Be a Witness
The husband, who occnpies promi-
nent government position at Washing
ton, will be among the witnesses tt
testify as to the mental condition OF
his wife. with whom he has not lived
for several years.
Several clergymen, who have met
Mrs. Raymond a number of times when
she was laboring under a peculiar re-
ligious arrangement, will also give
testimony and it is freely predicted
that the coroner's jury will return a
verdict that will practically relieve the
mother of any criminal responsibility
No action has been taken so far by
the sheriff or district attorney, but
Investigations have been going on
which tend to show that the woman
was undoubtedly insane when she
turned on the gas to end the life of
beloved son to save him, as she ex-
pressed it, from the wicked snares
of the world"
At the county hospital the woman
is thought to be suffering from a pc
culiar form of religious insanity.
Would Send Her to Asylum
prominent county official said last
night:
81 believe that the most satisfactory
solution of this distressing case is to
send Mrs. Raymond to an asylum for
life. No jury would find her guilty of
murder under the circumstances, as she
without question killed her son, whom
she dearly loved, while insane. 1t
would not serve the ends of justice to
commit such a woman to a state pris-
on to be among habitual criminals.
The Hollywood neighbors of Mrs. Ray
mond have always believed the woman
to be mentally deranged and she was
known by people as that crazy wom-
an"
Coroner Trout has been making a
careful investigation into the case and
has acted with great sagacity in de-
laying the inquest until all the facts
could be ascertained, say the county
officials.
Awaits Chance to Die
If an inquest had been held on the
day following the death of young
Frank Raymond the coroner's jury
must have brought in a verdict of
murder, but in the light of later de-
velopments it is expected that the ver-
dict will be that the boy met his death
by an act of his mother while she was
la boring under an insane impulse.
Mrs. Raymond is only waiting for an
opportunity to end her own life, say
the attendants at the county hospital,
and as soon as she has a chance will
take desperate means to commit sui
side, for she believes that death will
bring her religious peace and free her
from the fancied prosecutions of her
enemies, among whom she numbers
several ministers.
Frank K. Raymond arrived in Los
Angeles about 1 o'clock yesterday after
noon, fatigued by his hurried journey
and filled with grief over the tragic
death of his beloved son,
He said little about the case to the
attendants at Pierce Brothers morgue,
where he went to view the body of his
son. He saw Coroner Trout and dis
cussed matters with that official. AL
though he has not cen living with his
wife for several years on account of
her peculiar If not insane ideas, he was
loyal to her and refrained from saying
anything bitter about the poor woman,
who is still weak and i'll from the
effects of the gas she inhaled when she
tried so hard to follow her son Frank
into the next world.
From what he said, however, it was
inferred that he has believed his wife
insane for some time, and will not try
to have criminal action taken against
her for the murder of his young son.