The Colorado statesman., 1907-08-03
MYSTERY CLEARS
PRETTY CHICAGO GIRL sUIcIDEp
BECAUSE OF LOVE.
ORDERED HER OWN COFFIN
A. r. Rumbaueh Deserted Wife In
Plttsburg to Be Near the
Girl He Loved.


Colorado Springs, Colo-While the
the coroner's jury in the Laura Math-
ews case was waiting to hear the tes-
timony Of A. R. Rumbaugh, the chief
witness In the case. his life was
slowly ebbing away from a self-in-
f1icted bullet wound in his head.
With his death came the solution of
the battling mystery.
Rumbaugh had deserted a wife in
Mount Pleasant, Pennsylvania, to be
near the beautiful Laura Mathews. He
loved and nothing in the world could
act as bar to his affections. The girl
loved G. A. Coey, wealthy Chicago
merchant, and tried to rid herself of
Rumbaugh. He threatened to murder
her and finally believed sheed, ,imeesr
her and she firmly believed he in
tended to carry out his threat.
Then came a letter from Chicago
from which the beautiful girl learned
that the man she loved cared for her
no longer. This, added to her trou-
bles with Rumbaugh, was more than
she could bear and early Monday morn
ing her dead body was found on the
road near Broadmoor. Rumbaugh, al
most frantic with grief, settled up his
affairs and yesterday afternoon added
the final chapter to the story by end
ing his life just as the girl he loved
had ended hers.
Colorado Springs, Colo.-The YER
diets of the two juries were practically
the same, only the names of the trage-
dies being different. The coroner's
jury over the body of Rumbaugh re-
turned verdict within two hours af-
ter the Mathews verdict. Following
is the verdict in the Mathews inquest:
eve, the jury find that Laura Math-
ews came to her death by shot from
a pistol; that said pistol wound was
self-inflicted with suicidal intent af-
ter $3.50 p. m. Sunday, July %, 1907,
and took place on Tenth street hill,
Ivywild, in Ell Paso county, state Of
Colorado"
The verdict in the Rumbaugh case
is as follows:
1--WE, the jury, find that Amos R.
Rumbaugh came to his death by a shot
with pistol, and that said pistol
wound was self-infiicted with suicidal
intent at about the hours between 1
and 8 o'clock p. m. in the Alta Vista
hotel on July 80, 1907, in Ell Paso
county. state of Colorado"
Mystery ever deepening envelopes
the double tragedy, and each new dis
covery of the police but adds to the
obscurity which enshrouds the victims
and the living principals.
For two days Amos Richard Rum
baugh apparently lent all his efforts
to assist the authorities in arriving at
a solution of the mysterious death of
Laura Mathews, the Chicago actress
whose dead body was found few feet
from Broadmoor hill on Monday morn
ing.
When subpoenaed to appear before
the coroner's inquest Rumbaugh sent
bullet through his brain. After lying
unconscious all night. death put its
seal on Rumbaugh's lips, the second
death in three days.
The secret of the two misspent lives
may be in the keeping of Tillie Green,
the nurse and handmade of Miss Math-
ews, now in custody, and she may yet
be induced to tell.
The actions of Tillie Green prior to
the tragedy are unaccountable.
Mysterious Miss Green.
Hours before the body of Miss Math-
wired Charles Coey, the Chicago mil
mitted suicide.
1t has been learned that the gun
found beside Miss Mathews was the
property of Miss Green.
Several days prior to the tragedy
Miss Green accompanied the unfortu-
nate girl to an undertaking establish
ment and helped her select the casket
which should contain her mortal re-
mains.
What manner of woman was Miss
Green, sent by Coey to be companion
to Miss Mathews?
The elements of the case indicate
that the young girl was the subject of
| attentions from two men, Charles
Coey, the Chicago millionaire, and
Rumbaugh, the suicide. Rumbaugh, it
is learned, deserted a wife in Pitts
| burg.
Across the Continent.
He followed Laura Mathews across
the continent and prosecuted his suit
| with ardor during the weeks they were
| in Colorado Springs. Both he and the
girl were well supplied with money,
but 1t is known that none of her ex-
penses constituted burden upon him.
The other man, Charles Coey, the
Chicago millionaire, is believed TO
have sustained the relation of af-
| fianced lover to the girl, although he
denies this. Immediately upon the re-
ceipt of Miss Green's telegram an
| nouncing Laura Mathews death, he
wired $500 to defray the funeral ex-
penses. The correspondence exchanged
between him and Miss Green concern
| ing the first tragedy would indicate
l. that his interest in Miss Mathews was