Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-02-03
CouItry Inquest to Be Held
Without Him.
LETTER TO GO IN EVIDENCE
Explains Alleged Marriage and Rea-
son for Leaving City.
SAID TO HAVE ASKED SECRECY
Parents Of Dead Teacher Unsuccess-
fully Search for Marriage Ger
tifcate-Inquest Tomorrow.

tificate-Inquest Tomorrow.
| Witnesses have been summoned by De-
| tective Evans to appear at the mOrgut
tomorrow morning at II o'clock and give
testimony bearing on the last illness
and death of Miss Abbie NJ. Coultry
teacher in the Hubbard School, who died
shortly after she had been operated or
a week ago at the private hospital OF
DR.. Albert l.. Lawrence, 1102 L street
northwest. 1t was thought the hearing
| would be postponed unless Horton Simp-
son. former school principal, appeared tc
give testimony, but Coroner hewitt con-
| cluded last night that the hearing would
be held under any circumstances. When
| the jurors were sworn over the body a,
| the undertaking establishment of j. Will
| liam Lee, 80 Pennsylvania avenue. they
were told to hold themselves in readiness
to meet at any time within a week. and
| they have been notified to appear at the
mOrgue tomorrow morning.
| Interest in the case, so far as many OF
the young womans friends are concerned
rests in the question of the reported mar
riage of Miss Coultry and Horton Simp-
son, while her father and the police are
also anxious to find who. if anybody. is
responsible for her death. Physicians
and others will be sworn witnesses and
rigidly cross-examined in order that Uni
ted States Attorney Baker or one Of his
assistants may bring to light everything
connected with the case. 1t was said al
police headquarters this morning that nc
word had been received from Horton
Simpson, nor have the police the slightes,
| idea where he has gone.
| No charge has been made against him
in connection with the investigation of the
case, but the police are anxious to have
him appear as witness and tell what he
knows of the movements and treatment
says, from the time she left home until
her dead body was found In the under
taking establishment.
IF they were married" said friend OF
| the young woman this morning, why IN
| the world does Mr.. Simpson not return
home and explain about it? No marriage
certificate has been found the lips OF
the one we loved SO much are sealed and
he is the only one who can remove the
sting
Simpson Letter in Evidence.
| At the inquest tomorrow morning the
| jury will listen to The reading of the let
| ter Mr.. Coultry received from Principal
| Simpson. 1t will probably be the only
| testimony that will give the information
| that the couple were married last fall
and will probably throw more light upon
| the case than will the oral testimony. II
| is denied that any claim has been made
that the letter is a forgery. persons ac-
quainted with the handwriting of Simp-
| son declaring it contains his signature. r
Lavelle Coultry, father of the dead wom-
an, read over the letter carefully before
he concluded he would turn it over to
| the police.
| He displayed great interest in the claim
that Simpson and Miss Abbie had been
married last fall, although the letter did
| not state where the ceremony had been
| performed. Simpson went on to tell OF
| how the dearest and best woman on
| earth was critically i'll and Of how he
| would willingly give up his life for her
He informed Mr.. Coultry that he and his
| wife had desired to keep their marriage
secret until the end of the present
school term, knowing the rules of the
board would not permit a married woman
to teach.
Said to Have Advised Secrecy.
| 1t appears from his statements in the
letter that. driven to despair, he boarded
a railroad train and left the city. tell
ling Mr.. Coultry that he did not care to
return unless his wife recovered and he
could continue to enjoy the happiness
| brought about through her companion
ship. He suggested that In event of his
| wife passing away he would like to have
| the privilege of defraying the funeral
Expenses and expressed the thought that
! 1t might be well to keep the affair d
secret and avoid publicity.
| Principal Simpson wrote that he knew
his position in the school would be made
vacant as soon as it was learned that
he had violated the rules of the school
board, and said he thought 1t well that
he should remain away from this city
because of what had occurred, asking
forgiveness of his reputed father-in-laW.
His letter was signed in way to in
dictate affection for the Coultry family,
| it is stated.
! Nothing has been ascertained by the
police to indicate where the young Wom-
Ian stayed during the several days, prior
to last Tuesday. that she remained away
from home although they believe she re-
manned in the apartment of friend.
Shortly after she left home Tuesday
morning and started to the office of Or.
| Lawrence, 1t is stated. she called Prin-
cipal Simpson over the phone and dis
cussed the question of hospital treat
ment with him. 1t is said to be the
claim OF the principal that he advised
| her against having an operation per-
formed and asked her to wait until he
| could see her. Later in the day Simpson
is said to have inquired about her condi-
ton and to have been informed that the
worst was to be expected.
6 Simpsons Hasty Departure.
While the letter contains no direct
| statement that the writer knew of the
| death Of the teacher, it is stated, his alb
sence from the Takoma School the fol.
| lowing OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES taken to indi-
| cate that he did know of it. 1t is be-
lieved that he went away from the city
that day and returned Saturday. the day
| the special delivery. letter was mailed to
| Mr.. Coultry. That evening he was seen
to leave the Portner. where he occupied
an apartment carrying piece of bag
! gage, but he left no word with friends
| as to his intended destination. By the
time Mr.. Coultry received the letter. it is
thought, Simpson was some distance
| from this city.
| The letter he wrote indicates that he
was in desperate straits He knew that
| the young woman. who had been
| teacher in his building, and who. he
saws, had become his wife. was dead. II
there had been marriage none of their
| friends knew of it, and he felt that lie
| would be censured on every side. Every
| thing seemed dark to him. and he felt
there was but one thing for him to do
leave the city and seek new friends and
companions elsewhere-and that he seems
| to have done.