Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-03-26
HAD LIVED STRANGE LIFE
Now Believed She Wrote Threaten
ing Letters to Herself.
CHICAGO WOMAN TELLS STORY
Admits She Was Once Engaged to
Dead Woman's Husband, But
Can Prove an Alibi.

NlNCE}NNE E<S, lild, MATCH -o--JcSSie
Lee Overton Culbertson's life ended as it
had been lived for years. in mystery
The police now believe that Mrs. Cul-
bertson. a bride of three months. killed
herself. Murder vas the first theory.
Intimate friends say the strange circum-
stances attending fer death are in keep
ing with her character. Her husband to-
day is seeking to trace her antecedents
He has telephoned to doctors with whom
Mrs. Culbertsop had been associated as a
nurse. and of her personal friends he is
asking for information concerning her
family.
Mrs. Culbertson often spoke of a BROTH
er, a DR.. Overton. who, she said, resided
in Texas. He has not yet been located.
but his whereabouts the police expect to
learn today. Chief of Police Evans,
after a conference with Coroner Beckes
this morning. declared that he is no
longer seeking evidence that the woman
was murdered. Coroner Beckes, when
nc earned that a woman. suspected OF
had been found in Chicago. said he was
ready to proceed with the inquest. 1t
was resumed at once.
That Mrs. Culbertson attempted on
previous occasion to take her life had
been reported to the police. Before her
marriage to CulbertsOn she cut an artery
in her left arm. DR.. H. w. Held, who
knew her as a nurse, was summoned to
attend her.
What did you do that for?'' the doctor
asked her.
"Oh, 1t was an accident" she replied.
II did it with the scissors.
After Dr. Held had dressed the wound,
Mrs. Culbertson pulled off the bandages.
Several times he was summoned to re-
dress the wound.
Was q Peculiar Woman.
''She was a peculiar woman" said DR..
Held today. when L heard she was dead
was convinced that she had killed her.
self, and the way she did it was just
like Jessie Overton. 1 never heard her
talk about her antecedents. She said that
her father and brother lived in Texas,
but never told me where. Both, she said.
were physicians. i know that there was
some mystery in her life that troubled
her. She was often Respondent
The police pt,: are now In communication Hi,1n
where there are several Lee and Over
ton families. None of the threatening
letters displayed by Mrs. Culbertson was
received in the mail All were found in
corners of the house, and when she found
them some member of the household al
ways was present Chief Evans believes
hat Mrs. Cubertson wrote the letters
| to herself.
NTS- NuIDSIISoii- IL Was iSdIIcu lOOdJ,
was in possession of the miniature skull
and cross-bones found with her when she
was discovered in the shed for many
| months. This, together with the finding
today of bolt of muslin in Mrs. Culbert-
sons room from which the bandage over
her mouth was taken, are links in the
chain of evidence to support the suicide
| theory.
Fear that something in her past might
be revealed. the authorities think, may
have been the motive for suicide. She is
known to have said to friend about four
months ago: IF anything ever happens
to me, don't try to find out who ] am
because no one will ever learn anything.
Mr.. Culbertson. his parents and the rel
atives of the dead woman are not recon-
ci!ed to the suicide theory They insist
that the woman was happy and had no
cause to take her life.
Admits She Was Engaged.
CHICAGO. March 26.-Mrs. Eta Long
well, 70S West Madison street. who admits
that she is the woman referred to in
newspaper stories in connection with the
death of Mrs. Russell Culbertson of Vim
cennes, Ind. declared today that she had
nothing to do with the death of the
woman and denied that she ever knew the
wife of Russell Culbertson.
Il at one time engaged to be mar
ried to Russell CulbertsOn. said Mrs
IOngwelI. That engagement was broken
off "A year ago last New Year day. Since
that time I have not seen Mr.. Cuiberison
We had an argument at that time because
of his attentions to other women, and
decided that I would not marry him.
When ! broke off my engagement with
Mr. Cuibertso son our relations ended. 1t
mattered not to me whom he married or
what he did From information received
from my friends In Vincennes l believe
Mrs. Culbertson was nurse, who at one
time had cared for Joshua BraZleton.
stepfather of Cubertson.
Mrs. Longweil admitted that she knew
Virgil Culbertson. brother of Russell.
Mrs. I.ongwell is typical brunette. ap-
parently thirty-three or thirty-four years
old and is ii beautiful woman. She at
one time lived in Nincennes. but says she
/ has not been outside of Chicago for three
| months She says she can prove an alibi
( without the least trouble.