Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-06-04
UNABLE TO BURY DEAD
AGED WOMAN APPEALS 70
POLICE FOB ASSISTANCE.

The little black wagon from the morgue
was seen going over the roads through
Anacostia between and o'clock last
night, and persons who made inquiry re-
gar ding its mission were informed by the
police that woman died suddenly at Ter
home on the Hamilton road and that her
body was to be taken in charge by the
superintendent of the morgue to dispose OF
II In accordance with law. her relatives be-
ing unable to defray the expenses OF
funeral The woman who had died was
Mrs Georgeanna Coleman, forty-three
years of age, and her death had occurred,
1t was stated, under circumstances which
made the case q peculiarly sad one. The
police were Informed that Mrs. Coleman had
been separated from her husband for sew
eral years. and that since he left her she
had become addicted to the use of mar
cotics. She used morphine and laudanum,
1t is stated. but since the police started to
strictly enforce the provisions Of the law
against the indtscr1minate sale OF narcotics
she has been unable to get the accustomed
supply.
When the superintendent of the morgue
reached the house on the Morris road last
night he found the mother of Mrs. Cole
man. an aged woman seated upon a lounge
beneath a tree In the moonlight with a big
black dog upon her lap. The aged woman
was suffering intense mental agony because
of the loss of her daughter.
Her Illness Follows.
The man from the morgue was informed
that after Mrs. Coleman's husband left her
she became III and was attended by a physi-
clan. Narcotics were ordered and she took
so many doses that she became addicted
to their use. Following the curtailment OF
her supply her health became impaired to
a greater extent than before, aAd finally
she was unable to continue to perform her
household duties The end came yesterday
and the grief-stricken mother called upon
her neighbors.
The house in which the woman lived is
q one-story frame structure of only one
room. In this room the mother and daugh-
ter had their beds and did their cooking
and eating. Everything about the modest
home was clean last night and showed evil
dences of good housekeeping.
Several colored neighbors, 1t was stated,
called at the house yesterday after the
death of the woman and assisted In pre-
pairing the body for burial They remained
about the premises and did what they could
to comfort the aged mother. There were
no friends upon whom she could call to as
sist her In giving the body of her daughter
decent burial and the police were mott
fed, with the result stated.
II suppose 1t will have to be DONE" said
the aged woman, but 1 am penniless and
1t can't be helped"
Addressing the police. the mother asked
that the body be kept as long as possible.
Somebody may come to my assistance and
help to have her body buried In good GEM
etery," she added.
One of the neighbors said she would see>
q minister and make an effort to have the
funeral attended to. and the superintendent
OF the morgue promised the mother of the
dead woman that he would give all the time
possible for the Intervention of friends.
Coroner hewitt viewed the remains at the
morgue this morning. He said that there
was nothing unusual about the woman's
death. The sudden cessation of the use of
narcotics, he said, was enough to cause her
death. He gave a certificate Of death from
natural causes, deeming an inquest unnec-
essary.