Los Angeles herald., 1909-12-06
DRINKS WHISKY;
DIES SUDDENLY
WOMAN SAID TO HAVE lMBlBED
TOO FREELY
TWO MALE COMPANIONS ALSO
SEIZED WITH CRAMPS
Autopsy Reveals Death of Proprietor
of Rooming House Is Due to
Alcoholic Heart Following
Protracted Spree

After drinking a glass of liquor in
her apartments at the oregon room
ing house, 334 South Hill street, of
which she was proprietor, Mrs. Alice
Corr was seized with commissions and
died within few minutes. John
SneVe and Charles Newman, who were
In the room drinking with her, also be-
came afflicted with cramps and fell to
the floor in state OF semi-con-
SciOusness.
The cries of the men We're heard by
Miss Marie White, chambermaid,
who rushed into the room and, seeing
the lifeless body of the woman and
the condition of the two men, tele-
phoned to the police station and then
summoned DR.. E. l.. Horton of AIS
South Hill street.
DR. Horton examined the body of the
woman, and. finding Mrs. Corr was
dead, turned her attention to the two
men and administered emetics and
stimulants.
When the detectives arrived both
men were able to talk and told their
story of the affair. They stated that
they had been drinking since Saturday
night and had entered the room of
Mrs. Corr some time before her death
and had taken several drinks, and
had then eaten some charcoal tablets.
Neither of the men could account
for the death of the woman or for
their condition. They were taken to
the receiving hospital, and soon after
their arrival there began to improve.
The police surgeons could find no
symptoms of poisoning and the mys-
terry which the detectives thought they
would have to unravel began to grow
less intricate.
Dies of Alcoholic Heart
In the meantime the body of Mrs.
Corr was taken to the undertaking es-
tablishment of Bresee brothers, where
DR. George w. Campbell performed an
autopsy. He stated he was unable to
find any traces Of poisoning and said
the woman died of an alcoholic heart.
From the statement made by the
chambermaid, Miss White, it was
learned that Mrs. Corr was addicted
to the excessive use of liquor and her
death probably was due to a pro-
longed period OF intoxication. The
men, 1t seems. when they learned the
woman was dead, thought they, too.
had been poisoned, and fell to the floor
more from fright than real pain.
After the men were able TO make an
intelligent statement, 1t was learned
that Mrs. Corr man named Jack
Corners, and they, themselves, were
drinking in the room yesterday morn
ing. They had a supply of bottled
beer and a small demijohn of whisky
After Corners and his friend left. Mrs.
Corr and they had two more drinks
and then ate some charcoal tablets.
Shortly afterward Mrs. Corr began
gasping for breath and died within a
few minutes.
according to police records Mrs.
Corr was a friend of Thomas ]. Gar
wood, a notorious criminal, who, with
men named Gavin and Pfeiffer. com
mitted numerous robberies in this city
n year ago. Garwood now is serving
life sentence in the state peniten-
tiary; Gavin is serving a f1fty-year
sentence and Pfeiffer was committed
for a term of thirty years.
SneVe and Newman were able to
leave the receiving hospital within
few hours after their arrival there and
practically are recovered from their
experience of too much drink.
The coroner, it is believed, will sign
a certificate in accordance with the
facts established without holding an
inquest.