The evening world., 1908-03-23
WOMAN SUICIDE
BY Gas IN SIGHT
OF PASS[RS-BY
Moves Cot Where It Can Be
Seen From Street and Lies
Down to Die.
BOY DISCOVERS BODY.
Mrs. Van Vechten's New Bus-
ness Venture a Mistake,
Old One a Failure
BOY DISCOVERS BODY.

a refined fran elderly woman VINO
der ,h. name OF Mira lane Va.
,chtAn. rented store at No SIS roa.'
:ty-lfth street a week. ago for ene
:, 10 o' establishing . laundry. eur,,-
su,cid. last night by inhaiins
persops passing the store on the
rect to-day saw her boery on a couch,
nd in her mouth the end OF a tube de-
lending from g gas Jet
crovd gathered and attracted the
Attention OF Policeman Martin. T the
East Sixty-seventh street station He
surnmoned the ian!tre-r. Who furnished
him with a pass key by mee7s ~ which
he was enabled tn .nter tbs store Ths
body OF Mrs. Van Vechten Wa. removed
to the station house.
She was well known about that sec-
tion OF Yorkville. having cor sn.S, Years
conducted a little millinery shoo a.
No 900 East Seventeen street. but
none knew ANYTHING about her tsmlv
connections
A bank book in her possession showed
deposits amounting to S2I IN the Bank
Of Savings M No $50 Fourth avenue,
under the name Of Mary Harold. This.
some OF her friends sav was her
maiden name Her husband. who was
veil to do died a bout ten wears s&oS
Business Was Poor.
While running her little hat store
Mrs. Van V@Hhten had her laundry
work done bv Mrs Bowen who had
q business st the Fiftv-f'th street ad-
dress. Mrs Bowen retired Marco ~
Sne told Mrs. Van Vechten 'Nat STE
had clea red e. 100 in eighteen months
The mtliinary business mad not been
particularly profitable. and Mrs. Van
Nechten conceived the iGen OF open
inG another laundry in the place va
Gated by Mrs Bowen. She sold ont
her millinery shop and paid three
months rent IN advance dor tho Sirty-
nth street place.
Immediately after paying the rent
she moved a cot and a few personal
effects into the room. establishing iiv-
Ing quarters IN rear apartment. cut
of from the main store room by
frame partition. There was an open
ting In the partition Tor a door. but
stai.lHoor was hung.
1rsss. Van Vechten engaged a woman
|etteuh the laundry and purchased a few
fixtures. She was busy and apparently
happy all of last week until saturday
when she was suddenly incapac:tated
b. an attack OF rheumatism
Talked Of Death.
Mrs.. O'Brien. the ianitress took care
Of her SATURDAY. and yesterday as she
was not able to move around The wo-
man whom she had engag ged to run tire
laundry was TO have called vest erdaT to
confer with Mrs. Van Nechten about
the purchase OF complete laundry out
At, but failed to keep the appointment. .
Everything seems 20 be going against
me-" said Mrs Van Vechten to Mrs.
O'Brien last night. Il am afraid l have
made a mistake II anything should
happen to me you need not worry about
my being taken care Of My sister is
married to a wealthy contractor named
Reynolds. and she holds an insurance
policy on my life that will cover my
burial expenses. She Will hear through
the newspapers tlat am dead, II
should die, and will take care OF my
BODY
You're not thinking OF killing your
self. are you7" asked Mrs OBren.
Jok!ngly.
Vechten. hut l.fe is vrrN uncertain"
Some time during the night the old
woman dragged her couch to the open
and "ear rooms fastened n tube to the
gas iot ami cNup0 e. lrr elf 10 fea'h
A small boy p'ss'ng on the way to
school saw her to-day and notified
others. SNc lcf' no letters or instruc-
tons further than th"s" g'var to Mrs
a. HripD ,pEfpr5Nt-