Los Angeles herald., 1909-08-18


cago.
According to the story told at Bresee
Bros. they were unable to get death
certificate, as Dr. Pahl of the Good
Samaritan hospital was unable to dag
nose the cause Of death.
Coroner Finally Consulted
DIR. Smith, the house physician at the
Hotel Van Nuys, is said to have an
swered that he could not establish the
cause of DEATH and the matter was re-
ported to the coroner's office.
secret investigation was held.
Deputy Coroner Williams yesterday
stated that an autopsy was not deemed
necessary, as it was agreed to have
been a case of suicide.
Deputy Coroner williams insists that
the fault, If any, in keeping the death
from the public was due to the phy-
sician at the Hotel Van Nuys or to
laxity In not looking up the health de-
partment records.
He stated that when the coroner's
office became aware of the case.
August 9, the body already had been
embalmed; that 1t would have been
futile to try to determine the cause OF
death: that history Of the case was
agreed to by DR.. Smith of the HoteI
Van Nuys and DR.. Pahl of the GOOD
Samaritan hospital was deemed suf-
ficient to finally certify that death was
caused by poisoning with suicidal IN
tent.
Books Posted Monthly
That any leak from the coroner's Of
fee resulted in the facts being brought
to light seven days after the death was
denied by Deputy Coroner Williams
who stated that he did not believe the
case was matter of news, arter sucn
a lapse Of time. He also stated that
the record book of the coroner's office
was posted each month only and gave
that as the reason why the record or
Mrs. Otis death was not matter OF
public record.
In addition to the apparent effort OF
the officials to keep the case a secret,
several mysterious phases OF the case
were brought to light yesterday.
It was evident that Mrs. Otis had
planned to end her life for short time
before her successful attempt as she
had packed all her clothing at the
Hotel Van Nuys and had addressed her
trunks to Chicago.
The letter to Mr.. Coleman, which Is
mysteriously being held by Deputy
Coroner Williams, also was carefully
written and sealed before she drank
the fatal potion.
Chicago Wire Mysterious
Did Mrs. Otis wire her parents In
Chicago previous 10 ner sulCludl dl-
tempt? That is one of the strange
mysteries. and either word was re-
ceived by her father from herself or
some one cognizant of her attempt at
suicide seems assured, for word was
received from Chicago on Sunday, Au-
gust s, to forward the body to Chicago.
The death certificate was filed Au-
gust and the same day the body was
forwarded to Chicago.
That Coleman and the dead woman
were strongly attached and that ro-
nance lay behind the suicide is the
opinion of those who have followed the
case closely.
It is at least certain that powerful
influence was brought to bear to keep
the death and identity of the victim
secret.
Mrs. Otis was granted divorce from
her husband in October, 1908, and since
that time has visited in Europe, COM
ing to Los Angeles two months ago.
It is said that on several occasions
she remarked that life was not worth
living and intimated that she would
end her life.
She had several friends in Pasadena,
where she stayed during most of the
time she passed in the southwest, and
it is said that itIwas through inquiries
made by Pasadena friends that the
news of her tragic death became pub
lie despite the great efforts to have 1t
supnreSSed,