The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1907-05-28
GIRL SUICIDES
PATHETIC STORY
Was Unjustly suspicioned and
Sought solace in a watery
Grave.

*k 4 Z i 4
* "Gertrude: I simply cannot 60
having you think ! have done y
wrong. l have not. Ii any has
been done, did not know It. Sat. II
= isfy yourself that the only night
= was awav was at the hospital X
= with DR.. Acres. have gone al.
= most crazy trying to think things y
out. cannot! I cannot! feel +
y queer all over. l have nothing to -
y confess, for simply don't know. y
have seen your suspicious and +
= they have crushed ME. Going
away was all I could do in anS =
case for those love. Be very =
good to poor little mother-Mary. y
= "P. S.-You have all watched
me closely and could not see =
- why" y
Letter of suicide written to =,
sister before taking fatal plunge. =
= = = = = = = = = = = =
Duluth, Minn.. May 2S.-Under sus-
picion at home of wrong, of which
she protested innocence with her last
breath, a comely young woman, proba-
bly, Mary Pierce. committed suicide
by drowning in Lake. Superior near
the foot Of Seventeen avenue east.
The body, which had not been in the
water more than two days, was dis
covered on shore within few feet of
the avenue by George B. Lagrange,
mail carrier living at Lakeside, yes
tertlay afternoon.
The right side of the face was cut,
swollen and discolored and the police
set to work at once on the theory of
foul play.
Mystery is Cleared Up.
The manner in which she came to
her death was soon cleared, however,
when small satchel containing FEM
inine apparel was found in the shall
low water short distance from where
the body lay. In the satchel was also
morphine outfit and an unmailed let
ter with the name Gertrude Pierce on
the envelope. but the address had
been scratched so that it could not be
deciphered.
The letter was written on cheap sta
tionery and in a very poor hand, SEEM
ingly by one In an unusually nervous
state. It was addressed to her sister
and is quoted above.
Cannot Locate Relatives.
Further than the declarations in the
letter the police know nothing and
have been unable to connect the dead
woman with anyone in Duluth. She
had no mark upon her clothing and
the small hand satchel which was
found near the body, was new. The
name of the manufacturers was not
on the bag, which precltdes possibil-
ity of discovery where it was pur-
chased.
From the tone of the letter and the
meager facts CLEANED by the search
ing investigations made by Detectives
Schultz and Terry. who were detailed
on the case, the general belief is that
the suicide was not resident of this
city. There are many Pierces living
in Duluth, but the directory does not
contain either the names of Mary or
Gertrude.
Intended to Mail 1t.
What caused the girl to scratch out
the address after she had written it
Is mystery. The letter had been
sealed and stamped and 1t was evi-
IDENTIFY the first mention of the sui
eide to mail the pathetic note. The
body is at the nlorgue of Durkan &
Crawford.
To dispose of the theory of foul play
an autopsy was held last night by Drs.
McCuen and Touhy. There were no
fractures under the bruises and 1t Is
probable that the abrasfons were made
by the body being washed against
rocks or other distractions in the
water.
There was no other evidence of any
crime having been committed against
the girl. The police continued work.
ing on the case late last night in an
effort to find some trace of the un-
fOrtunate's relatives.
Later Developments.
The woman whose body was found
yesterday afternoon on the lake shore
at the foot Of Seventeenth avenue east
was DR.. Mary Crosby of Chicago, sis
ter of J. @. A. Crosby of 26OS East Su-
perlor street. The mysterious trouble
to which she alluded in the letter
which was found in her satchel, the
suspicious" of her friends and rela-
uves, and the watch which she refers
to in the letter were all the halu-
cinations of disordered mind.
THE WEATHER.
80
North Dakota Generally.