Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-07-14
WILL ExH UME BODY
DEATH OF WOMAN SUBJECT OF
AN INQUIRY.
Mother Suspects Daughter Was Fatal
ly Hurt in Row at a Picnic
in Anacostia.

Acting Coroner GlaZebrook Will go to
Rosaryville. Prince George county. Md.
tomorrow for the purpose of eXhuming the
body of Bertha Montgomery. colored, eight
cen years Of age. who died at her home in
this city Tuesday. Her deatA. the certificate
showed. was cue to a cerebral hemorrhage.
julia A. West. also colored. twenty-five
years o. age. WAS arrested last night by
Detectives Pratt and Hewlett and he'd on
suspicion that she IS responsible for the
death OF Bertha. She denies the charge, but
the police will hold her until they have time
to maze a further investigation Of the
trouble which is reported to have occurred
between the two women. Bertha MontEom-
cry lived at the home OF her mother. Mrs.
Maggie Montgomery, 1903 Walter street
southeast. the home of the West woman be-
ing at :I+5 Sumner avenue southeast
Mrs. MontSome ry brought tie affair to the
attention OF the acting coroner after the
remains of her daughter mad been inferred
in the Maryland cemetery. and the cause of
death, as stated in the certificate, indicated
to DR.. Glazebro0k that the woman may
have received a blow which caused her ia
tai illness. The mother was away from the
city last Sunday, when she received a dis
patch telling of the serious illness of her
daughter. She hurried home and was
shocked at finding her daughter paraIyzed.
took place Thursday. tt e mother OF the dead
woman questioned friends of her daugh-
ter aad was informed that Bertha and
Julia West had engaged in a row about II
O'Clock the night of July .. after leaving a
picnic N Eureka Park. AnacoSta.
1t was reported to the police by Mrs.
Montgomery that Harriet Thomas. who
was at the picnic win Bertha said her
daughter had been struck by Julia West.
Inc alleged trouble between the women is
sad to have occurred Tuesday night n week
ago. but Bertha was not really sick until
Sunday. Between Tuesday and Sunday, it
is said. she complained of feeling tired, but
Sunday night she complained of a pain in
her head.
There is a hole in my head" she cried
at intervals between Sunday night and the
time of her death.
physician was summoned Sunday night.
but the condition of the patient was seri-
Gus that he was unable to save her life
Mrs. West told the detectives that she had
been given considerable trouble by the
Montgomery woman going with her (Mrs.
vests husband Alphonso West The night
of the picnic. she stated. she went to the
entrance to the park to wait for her hus-
band, expecting he would come out with
Bertha Montgomery. Bertha came out ahead
of him, however, and walked to the street
car. When her husband came out she met
him and they went home together Mrs
west said she had warned Bertha Mont
gomery about going with her husband and
SAID she would hurt her if she caught her
with nm. but She denied that she had
struck her.
The detectives interviewed her husband
after she had been placed under arrest and
he admitted that lie had kept company with
Bertha Montgomery. He admitted that he
had gwen his wife occasion to be jealous of
him. and lie also denied that she had struck
Bertha. The husband said he was at the
picnic with Bertha. and he would have seen
her home had not he seen his wife near the
entrance to the picnic ground. When he saw
his wife. he said. he told Bertha to board
the car and go home without waiting for
MN. AlphOnsO said he was surprised when
he learned OF Bertha's death. His wife was
locked up at the House of Detention where
she viii be held until after an autopsy IS
performed.