Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-02-02
AUTOS FOR TAFT ACCUSE FLEET CAP TAIN POLICE ARE PROBING TO Be BIG SUCCESS
Abh NJ Cohy Favorable A
amrTa Trial Of Cap mumg TITO Be at T in hi to
From Tennessee
Of Is Office Father
HRp hengh M
Investigate Death of Miss
Abbie N. CouItry.
LOOK FOR HORTON SIMPSON
Try to Reach Witnesses in Time
for Inquest.
ILLEGAL OPERATION ALLEGED
Father Receives Letter Making Men
ton of Marriage of the Daugh-
ter Last Fall.

Friends of Miss Abbie NJ. Couitry, who
had been a teacher in the Hubbard School
for several years, We're shocked yesterday
when they learned that her death had
occurred under conditions which called for
an official investigation. They understood
she died following an operation for ton
silitis, which she had been discussing.
! The statement was her death occurred ,
o'clock Sunday morning, although she
really passed away last tuesday after
noon Her parents, Mr.. and Mrs. Z. La
velle Coultry, former residents of Gin
cinnat. were ignorant of the death until
Saturday. Miss Coultry died while in
the private hospital of Dr. Albert l..
Lawrence. 11O2 l. street northwest under
an assumed name.
Detective Evans has been working on
the case since Saturday. Yesterday after
noon Coroner hewitt had Deputy Coroner
Glazebrook perform an autopsy at the
undertaking establishment of j. William
Lee, 30 Pennsylvania avenue The
topsy showed that the cause of death
was hemOrrhage following an operation
Hugh A. Kane Morris Hahn. Frank DAILY
II. /. Meader, f. f. Eisenminger and
Henry Ellis viewed the body shortly after
the autopsy and were sworn as members
of jury to hear testimony at an inquest
which Coroner hewitt wants to hold next
Thursday morning.
Unless the witnesses can be found,
the coroner explained today. 1.-The hearing
will have to be postponed
Wants Important Witness.
The coroner said he was DESTROYS of
having Horton Simpson, principal of the
public school at Takoma Park, at the
hearing, believing he is in a position to
enlighten the jury as to some of the inn
portant facts in the case. Mr.. Simpson
was formerly principal of the Hubbard
School. where Miss Coultry taught. but
was recently transferred to the school at
Takoma. Detective Evans is still inves-
| tigatins the case and hopes to be able
TO have all the witnesses on hand in order
That the inquest may proceed Thursday.
Mention has been made of a colored
woman who is alleged to have operated
illegally upon Miss Coultry, but the de-
tectives place no confidence in the rlImor.
The parents of Miss Coultry be ieved
their daughter was visiting friends in
Reisterstown. Md, and of course were
shocked to learn her body had been at the
undertaking establishment several days
The first intimation the father. a clerk
in the House of Representatives had of
his daughters Whereabouts. it 1t stated
was when he received a letter Saturday
which purpOrted to have been written by
Abbie and he were married last fall. The
letter also contained the information that
the daughter was i'll and had gone to
DIR. Lawrences institution for treatment
From DR.. Lawrence Mr.. Coultry learned
that his daughter had died under the
| name of Mrs. Alice NJ. Clark and that her
body was al Lees undertaking establish
ment.
Sees Body of Daughter.
Hurrying to the undertakers. the father
found the daughters body there. 1t had
been prepared for burial and probably
would have been buried yesterday under
the assumed name had it not been for the
letter Mr.. Coultry received from the
school principal. DR.. Lawrence had been
told the patient was married and from
Virginia. The physician first saw her the
18th of last month. Three days later she
returned for a second treatment, and the
18th was advised that an operation would
have to be performed. The following
morning Mrs. Clark, as the physician
knew her, appeared at the office with her
clothing, prepared to remain week. Her
condition was such at that time that an
immediate operation was deemed neces-
Sary.
Dr. S. Wren Howard was summoned to
administer the anesthetic. 1t is stated
that the operation was successful but
that some time after it had been per-
formed hemOrrhage occurred and her con-
dit1on became alarming. DR.. Harrison
Crook was summoned and he hurried to
Providence to make the arrangements
for her reception there and to await her
arrival. On account of her non-appear-
ance. DIR. Crook called Dr. Lawrence by
telephone and learned from him that
death had claimed the patient.
Not Known at Address Given.
The local address of the patient was
given as the Portner, where Horton Smp-
son had an apartment. The physician
was unable to find a record OF Mrs.
Alice NJ. Clark in the Portner and had
concluded that he would be unable to To-
cate her relatives. He then had the body
sent to the undertaking establishment. A
certificate of death was given and he told
the undertaken that he would defray the
funeral expenses if he did not succeed in
locating relatives of the deceased.
A telephone message received by Cor
Oner hewitt gave him the first intimation
that the death had occurred as the proba-
BILE result of an operation that had been
performed before the young woman had
called to See DR.. Lawrepce, and he starteu
investigation 1t developed that Miss
Coultry was last seen at home Tuesday
morning, only few hours before she
died. She had been away from home
several nights, it was thought, visiting
her friend, Miss Gertrude Gates, at Refs
terstown. Her friend. she told her father
Hdu Deen Injured ana she was going TO
return there to nurse her. She kissed her
father goodbye and went away from
home, carrying what clothing she thought
she would need at the hospital.
Letter Given to Detectives.
Mr.. Couitry thought it strange he did
not hear from his daughter. but he never
imagined that death had overtaken her.
When he did learn of it he consulted
Maj. Sylvester. Inspector Boardman de-
tailed Detective Evans to make an in
vestisation. The letter Mr.. Simpson is
alleged to have written to Mr.. Coultry
was turned over to the detective. 1t is
a pathetic missive, covering three pages.
Mr.. Coultry says he has not had time
to search the effects of his daughter for
a marriage certificate. but will do so as
soon as he can. The police We're also
interested in the statement about the re-
ported marriage. as ii would have an i'm
portant bearing on the investigation. They
learned that Miss Coultry spent part of
her vacation in Pennsylvania last year
and, wiring there for information. found
that no marriage license had been is
sued.
Stranger to Dr.. Lawrence.
The first known by Dr. Lawrence of the
identity of the patient was when Mr..
Coultry called at his Office Sunday to see
his daughter. The latter had the letter
he had received and explained its con-
tents to the physician. DR.. Lawrence
gave him all the particulars regarding the
admission of the patient to his institution
told of her treatment and DEATH but the
father was not willing to believe the pa
l., ~ loI;.