Albuquerque citizen. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1907-1909, 1907-08-02
Murder or Suicide?

-Rivaling the Bessie Bouton murder
in intensity of situation and compli-
cation of plot the dual mystery that
has stirred the Pixies Peak region is
comparable only to that tragedy. Bes-
sic Bouton was murdered of that
and Richard Rumbaugh committed
suicide; the law has so decided.
Despite the verdict of the coroner's
jury, however, Assistant District At
torney Henry Trowbridge, who con-
Quoted the coroner's inquest. is not
convinced that Laura Mathews died
by her own hand.
"The thing is still a mystery" said
Trowbridge, Sin spite of the verdict
Had / been asked to return a verdict
| would have had to say | did not
know whether it was suicide or muir
der. There was evidence to substan-
tiate both theories.
1.-THE fact that Rumbaugh shot
himself when he was summoned to
testify at the inquest over the girls
body was in itself a suspicious cir
cumstance. The letters of Coey,
which were rather relied upon to
show that Coey had thrown the girl
down, only indicated that the Chi
cago mans love for her was sincere
and of the honorable kind.
Evidences of Killing.
of mans footprints found near the
body, all of which leaves an air of
mystery that the evidence presented
at the inquest did not destroy"
Trowbridge suggested that it
might have been possible for some
one to have murdered Laura Mathews
and carried her body on horseback to
the spot where it was found.
The district attorney put pointed
questions to Tillie Green, the nurse,
on the subject of her writing letters
and kilograms apprising eastern
friends of the girls suicide before she
really knew that anything had hap
pened. This circumstance is import
ant in connection with the murder
theory in the opinion of Trowbridge,
but, of course, there was nothing
to substantiate that theory more than
the suicide theory.
The love letters of Coey to the dead
girl are filled with passionate plead
ings for her to change her mode OF
life and "live for him only"
Deserted Wife Knew of Attachment.
Pittsburg, Pa, August Mrs.
Amos Richard Rumbaugh, widow OF
the Colorado Springs suicide, admit
ted today that she had concluded ar
rangements to divorce her husband
because of his infatuatiOn for Laura
"
Rumbaugh's relatives who knew OF
his ENHANCEMENT with the music stu
dent. When Rumbaugh disappeared
his brother Charles went west on a
fruitless search for him. Charles
went to Kansas City and Chicago, and
at the latter city heard Amos had
gone west with Miss Mathews.
Returning home to Mount Pleasant
he found a resident or the town who
had a letter from Tillie Green in
Chicago informing him of Rum
baugh's fight to Colorado Springs,
where Miss Mathews had gone pre-
viously. Charles Rumbaugh was
about to start for Colorado when
word of the suicide Of his brother
came. Inquiry developed the fact
that when Rumbaugh left home he
had more than $4,000 in cash. He
had converted all his property pos
Sible into ready money.
Mrs. Rumbaugh is still under
doctors care. but will remain at
Mount Pleasant until after her hus-
hands funeral. when she will return
To Ohio. Rumbaugh, she says hrst
met Miss Mathews after their mar
riage three years ago. Since then MS
regard for his wife steadily Waned'