Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1907-07-31
GIRL SELECTED HER COFFIN
BEFORE SEEKING DEATH

| Al the coroner INQUEST over the re-
mains of Laura Matthews, whose
dead body was discovered yesterday
morning, Miss Green, the nurse and
Miss Matthews companion, admitted
writing several letters to friends of
/ Miss Matthews, stating that Laura
had been informed of the finding Of
I the body.
She explains this by saying that
she anticipated the event Miss Green
testified that several days ago she
and Laura visited a local mortuary
and the girl selected a casket, re-
marking: This is the kind of a cas-
ket ! wish to be buried in"
Chief of Police Reynolds was the
! principal witness called at the after
! noon session. He testified that after
seeing the body unloaded at the cor
oners morgue Monday morning, he
went to the Arcadia hotel with II. l..
| Richardson and inquired for the
nurse They were told that Miss
Green was out and then waited ten nr
| fifteen minutes. In the meantime the
clerk told the chief that the nurse had
/ been sitting on the porch all evening
| When the nurse Odd come III the chief
police asked her why she did not
call up police headquarters. She re-
Ipied that she didn't know and that
she was expecting her charge TO come
! back. Miss Green told Chief of Po-
| lice Reynolds that at o'clock Sun
| day morning she went upstairs and
/ looked in Miss Matthews trunk and
saw that the revolver was gone. From
/ this, she said, she knew that the girl
INTENDED to commit suicide. When
| Laura left for a ride In the afternoon
she kissed her nurse goodbye and gave
: her her Jewels. After mounting the
horse, she suddenly dropped her hand
| kerchief and while the nurse was
reaching for it the girl started off,
saying good bye, grille In re-
spOnse to question from District At
torney TrOwbridge Chiefof Police Rey-
nolds said that the nurse did not even
| seem to be worried and talked in the
most matter of fact way as If she
] knew that Laura was on her way to
/ take her life
Thomas Holton. connected with the
Short Line railroad, residing at the
Alta Vista hotel, was the next wit
ness called That Laura Matthews
/ had told him on Saturday, the day
previous to the suicide that she would
! take her own life, was an imnortaut
point brought out through him. He
! testified that he and Miss Matthews
/ had been together on the afternoon
/ OF the tragedy riding horseback from
/ 3 until 6 O'Clock Sunday afternoon.
| He had an appointment to again ride
with her at $3.50 Sunday evening. He
called at that hour, only to be in
/ formed that Miss Matthews had left at
! 1880 o'clock. He found the nurse pac-
ling the walk I'm front of the hotel
lawalting bis arrival. She told Hoi-
ton that Laura thad gone an hour
previous and had not mentioned the
/ appointment with him.
| on Saturday, Holton testified, Miss
Matthews had told him that some day
she would end II all. HOlton said that,
although he knew Laura to be deter
mined girl, he did not take the remark
seriously.
He said he believed from what Mis-
Matthews said that G. A. COey of Chi
cago was responsible for her despOn-
dent condition.
| While the corOner's jury was await
| ing the arrival Of A. K. Rumbach to
testify as to what he knew of the
tragedy, Acting Coroner Richardson
was called to the stand and describe I
the position of the body Of Miss Mat.
thews when found, the nature OF the
wound which caused her death and
the nature Of the ground whore the
body was found.
Coroner Richardson stated that
there were no powder burns or smoke
discolorations on the skin about the
wound.
This brought out discussion az 10
whether a gun held close to the head
Will or VIII not cause dlscoloration
OF the skin DR.. Richardson stated
that had had several cases Of suicide
where no powder burns were notlcea-
Bile and cited the case OF Milllanaire
! Wilson OF Chicago as an instance.
, Rumbaugh, having not as yet ap.
| pcared Miss Green the nurse, was re-
called and asked TO testify relative To
Miss Matthews jewels. This testl-
mony did not bring out anything and
/ Miss Green was excused Just as the
startling news Of the suicide OF Rum
baugh was impaired to the officials
present.
The witness appeared stunned when
the news was announced, almost faint
ing before leaving the court room.
Recess WAS taken at once until tomor-
row at 10 a. m.