The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1909-06-26

SHOT
THROUGH
HEAD
Mrs. May F. Weber Is
Driven to Suicide By
Bitter Trouble
FIRST BULLET. AIMED AT
HEART, GOES AMIsS, BUT
DETERMINED WOMAN SENDS
SECOND SHOT INTO RIGHT
TEMPLE, THIS PROVING
FATAL.

FATAL.
Unwilling to be round In desti-
tute circumstances by her two
sisters, who are on their way from
st. Louis to pay her visit. Mrs.
May F. Weber. beautiful woman,
81 years old. shot herself through
the right temple with q .3S caliber
revolver at 10:40 this morning.
The suicide took place in the wom-
ans room on the third floor of the
Hotel LAUREL, 1912 South d.
Fired Two Shots.
No one was with her at the
time, although Mrs. Kate Cor
ham, who rooms on the same floor,
rushed into the room upon hear
ing the revolver. discharged and
was in time to see Mrs Weber fam
to the floor. Two shots were fred,
the first entering her breast two
inches below the heart, and fail
ing to take effect. With the de-
termined idea to end everything,
she raised the weapon to her head
and fred again. The first shot
was fired so close to her body
that 1t burned part of her kimona.
Husband Out of Work.
Otto Weber, husband of the
dead woman, has not been seen
about the hotel for nearly a week.
He has been out of employment
for some time and could not sup
ply his wife with the necessities
to which she was accustomed.
Weber's inability to get work had
driven him to the saloons, ii, 10
said. and this fact added to the
poor woman's desire for death.
Said He Wouldn't Come Back.
Weber is said to have told
friends that he had done every
thing In his power to please hi1
wife. but that she was 30 nervous
and wanted more than he could
provide for her. Friends of his
say that he left last week. telling
Mrs. Weber that he would proba-
bly, never return. His where
abouts at present are unknown.
Often Talked Of Suicide.
For the last six months. in fact
ever since the Webers took rooms
in the Laurel hotel, Mrs. Weber
had told friends that she would
eventually kill herself. During
the past week she was much more
despondent than usual, and cried
herself to sleep each night.
Rent Due Today.
The facts that her room rent
was due today, with no funds to
pay 1t, and that her two sisters,
Miss Elizabeth H. Bartlett ana
Miss Nellie Bartlett, we're coming
to find her in her poverty ana
apparently caused her to
carry out her threat.
Last Dollar For Gun.
Mrs. Weber purchased her re-
volver and box of cartridges at
a Jefferson avenue second hand
store last evening, paying her last
dollar for them. She arranged all
her belongings carefully, placing
everything that she wanted her
relatives to have In a large trunk.
No Money or Food.
A package of clothing and wear
Ing apparel belonging to Weber
she wrapped In separate bundle.
There was no money In the room.
and no food of any kind other
than three oranges in paper
sack.
Wept During Night.
Several times during the night
Mrs. Weber crept into the room
Of Mrs. Gorham, weeping bitterly.
Each time she said that she was
going to end 1t all the next day,
but her friend attempted to cheer
her up, thinking that her fark was
no more serious than on other oc-
casions.
Posed Before Mirror.
She arose late this morning. and
dressed only in her undergarmenis
and bathrobe. She com bed
back her luxuriant hair and piled
L beautifully on her head. Then.
standing square1y before the MIR
ror of her dresser, and taking the
loaded revolver in her right hand.
she placed it to her breast and
fred. The bullet entered the
1esh beneath the heart, PASSING
between the ribs and lodging IN
he heshy part OF the hack. rh8
determined woman then raised
he gun to her forehead. Tne
second shot tore q xhastly hole Il,
1er temple. the hlood fz1t In1
forth IN 4 huge atronm. 90
|riende errIfed e1e Iax Is s z|1|
AooordluE % Mrs. Gorhann, who
"A t6 tho room after hearing tho
|rsk slot. Mxs< W@kIer hung poised
n the ar zepsfa1 seconds before
aIline to th< floor she died 1n-
Mrs. Elizabeth Johnson. pro-
>rietrees Of the hotel notified tho
)olIc6 and coroner. The res11Ii1
{CoofIuaeH on Paxo H{x.