The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1909-07-26
NEAR SUICIDEsEEkS
TO SHIELD LOVER
Don't Blame Jack" Says Mrs
Gruber, Who Tried To End Life
After Quarrel With Married Man

Hollow-eyed and /pitifully weak az.
ter her narrow escape from a suicides
grave. Mrs. Adeiine Gruber. who stuck
the end OF a gas tube In her mouth
and lay down to die In her room at
NO. 2S5 Wabash-ave.. Friday morning.
insisted that no blame be placed OF
Jack" Byrne. for whom she left her
husband and four children in Findlay.
o., while he abandoned his wife. he
Is 81 years old: she. 81.
He was not To blame. for what
did, said the woman. almost pleading
ly, as she sat In st. Vincents ward. In
st. Mary's hospital, Saturday. Il WAS
unhappy because | am separated from
my children, and on account OF news
that my father Is seriously i'll. And 1
don't dare TO 90 TO them for fear that
Gruber would kill me. He mas warn.
ed me that ii ever appear in Findlay,
he will kill me. He doesn't care about
me, 80 long as | stay away. but .ie Ia
afraid l will steal the children"
Mrs. Gruber was told that Byrne
had said that she tried To end her life
because she was jealous OF his atten-
ton to other women and because they
had quarreled violently over such mat
ters. She denied that they had quar-
relied. and added:
Mr.. Byrne wouldn't have anything
to do with other women, and | am not
Jealous OF him. He had been jealous
OF me, though unjustly, but .has mad
nothing 10 do with my attempt at sui
eide. Really Mr. Byrne is not in The
least to blame"
Then she expressed her wonder al
the fact that Byrne had not been To
see her She was told that he had
been taken to Trumbull station for In.
vestigation, and her face lighted UP
wonderfully.
"Oh. that explains 1t ALL" she said.
But when told that Byrne had been
released. and that no one seemed 10
know where he is now. she sadly re-
marked: Il can't understand why he
doesn't come. l haven't any suitable
clothes To wear when | want 10 leave
here. There has been no trouble be-
tween US. Mr.. Byrne has been very
good TO me-"
She at first denied writing letters
To Byrne referring to quarreis be-
tween them. but when shown letter
in her own handwriting she started TO
cry. and weakly admitted that she had
written IT, The letter follows:
Jack my own dear. could not work
today as she does not want me DO
you love me dear; | do love you Just
as | did "A year ago. and that is win
all my heart know you love me dear.
hut II does hurt me to have you call
me names like you called me TINS morn
ing. But / want You TO love me ana
see II We can't quit Guarreling SO, Ior
| want 10 stay with you if you VIII
love me.
In the following letter, addressed to
her mother, Mrs. F. V. Smith. OF No.
S57 Summit-st, Findlay, o.. Mrs.
Gruber tells of fearing death at the
hands OF her husband IL she appears
In Findlay, to satisfy her warnings
10 see her oldest child, Mary. aged II:
had planned TO come home this week
blu. | heard II straight that Gruber
said he would XIII me the first time he
heard that he had planned to send
Mary 10 Bryan. but was afraid that
would steal her. God knows that al
though l am just worrying my heart
out TO see them ALL 1 Will not do any
thing like that. l will live this way
as long as | can.
she asks II II would be possible TO
send Mary here for visit. and says
that she feels !mpellod to go home to
help care for Pa" on account OF his
illness but fears 10 go on account OF
Grubers alleged threats against her.
Yes, am Grubers wife. and |
have never been divorced. but new.
or cared for Gruber.' she said Sat.
urday. Il married him when | was
10 years Old. and have four children
that he is keeping from me-"
She said that Byrne used To 1.-Two
near her home in Findlay. and that he
had been separated from his wife a
long time before she eloped with him.
She left her home last November. she
said, and went TO stay with her sister
in jackson, but left there few
months ago, and joined Byrne In this
city