Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1906-12-18
HER SHAME WAS
TOO HARD TO BEAR
Letta Conner, Salt Lake Girl,
Wronged and Attempted
Suicide.
IT is THE SAME OBJ STORY.
Heart Broken When She Learned the
Man Had Wife in the
East.

Rather than be- deserted by the man
she had learned 10 love, Miss Letta
Conner an attractive brunette, 25 years
old, attempted suicide at an early
hour this morning in her room at 1893
Curtis street. The prompt arrival OF
DR.. Theodore Siersd6rfer. summoned
by the young woman's companion,
saved her life,
Letta Corners love story IL a tale
Of wild infatuatlon for a travelling
salesman, w. j. Patterson of Chicago.
He Is married man and has a happy
home and trusting wife back east. He
comes to the western territory once
year. on his present trip he met
Letta Conner in Salt Lake City. where
she lived with her parents, said to be
well-to-do and respectable people. An
acquaintanceship OF few days
brought them close together In the
bonds of an illicit devotion,
When 1t came time for him to re-
turn to his Chicago homo, where ne
Is to spend the Christmas holidays
With the wife who IL counting the DAYS
that separate them, Letta Conner IN"
sisted that she should go east with
him Patterson Is young, fairly good
looking, as men go, and she knew
nothing OF the wife.
All she knew or cared about was
that she loved w. j, Patterson and
would sacrifice her all for him, Per-
haps after a while she would become
his lawful wife and would no longer
need to avert her eyes from those OF
the inquiring mother and father In
Salt Lake City, Happy day, she
thought Such love as hers could not
help being awarded with the same
strength of affection.
But the dream OF this young wo.
man was shattered, Just as nearly all
such dreams are. The awakening
came on the arrival of the couple here
yesterday.
This will be our last night to-
gether," he told her, as gently as pos
sible, as they were eating an after
theater supper last night. II go on to
Chicago tomorrow. l have secured
your return trip ticket to Salt Lake.
hope, little girl, we'll meet again
on my trip out there next year"
For the moment she was unable to
make answer. Her very life seemed
to leave her chilled heart. She thought
he was joking But he was not given
to facettous remaraks of that nature.
HE meant 1t, my God, he meant II,
her inner self whispered
Stunned. her soul blackened by the
man she had sold herself to obtain.
as in terrible nightmare she arose
from the table and CROPPED her way
into the night, followed by the man
who was explaining to deaf ears the
impossibility OF taking her further
! east because Of the wife that awaited
| him across the plains.
Reaching her room she walked 70
| the suit case containing her travelling
| apparel. Wonderngly he watched her,
hoping that she might at least turn
and confront him with his perfdy.
Instead, she opened small vial and
drank its contents before he could
raise hand to prevent.
I'VE were both wrong" she then
said, smiling drearily. II should have
known better than to have trusted
you. You should have remembered
the wife you have just mentioned. II
Is the old. old story" Then she threw
herself upon the bed and broke into
a paroxysm OF tears.
diAtIaDil ulNlHtu tldt
she had attempted her life. He rush
ed from the room and summoned DR..
| Siersdorfer, the nearest physician He
was not In his room. and Patterson
sent In a call to the police surgeon,
Before the latter arrived the phys-
clan had returned and was working
with the unconscious young woman.
| His efforts were rewarded and within
an hour she was out Of all danger.
This moning the sunlight shone
through her window and the sparrows
chfrped about the ledge, but the black
hess Of the night still fingered IN her
soul and her heart cried aloud for the
love that had been claimed but never
won.
II will go back to Salt Lake city
she said, ''and try to forget. Maybe
my folks will forget. too. I pray TO
God they may"
Il hate TO leave her." said W. J.
Patterson of Chicago. "but what can |
do? / have wife back there and I
certainly can't afford to take another
woman to my home town. / am Civ
ing her money enough to get back to
Salt Lake city, whore her parents live.
/ don't know what she says. but l
tell you that she understood that she
was not 10 come farther east than
Denver. It's tough on both of us,
but lt can't be helped now."--Denver
Post.